U.K.’s Channel 5 Boards Premium Docuseries ‘Seven Wonders of the Ancient World’ With Bettany Hughes (EXCLUSIVE)

Paramount-owned U.K. broadcaster Channel 5 has acquired premium history docuseries “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World,” a Keshet International (KI) and SandStone Global collaboration.

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The three-part series, which has just gone into production, is based on Professor Bettany Hughes’ best-selling book of the same name. Historian and broadcaster Hughes will travel across three continents for the docuseries, following in the footsteps of ancient warriors, pilgrims, emperors and tourists as she visits each of the world’s seven wonders, including the Great Pyramid of Giza, The Colossus of Rhodes, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus and the Statue of Zeus at Olympia.

Among the countries Hughes will visit on her epic quest are Turkey, Greece and Egypt.

SandStone Global produce the show, which will combine archaeological access, new research and cutting edge technology that will enable Hughes to utilize digital reconstructions of some of these wonders.

It is set to broadcast in the U.K. on Channel 5 in 2025. The network’s Adrian Padmore commissioned the series.

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“After years of researching across three continents—through deserts, mountains, and on the high seas—my team and I are now able to reveal not only the monumental effort it took to build the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, but also what these incredible creations meant to the people of the past, and why they still resonate with us today,” said Hughes. “With exclusive access to new digs and discoveries, this series will take us in the footsteps of ancient tourists, warriors, pilgrims, saints, and emperors who stood in awe of these magnificent wonders, some of the greatest achievements ever made by human hands. I’m thrilled to be embarking on this adventure of a lifetime.”

KI are repping global rights to the show, which is a key title for the distributor’s Mipcom slate alongside Double Act’s “SAS: Catching the Criminals,” Woodcut Media’s “Catch Me If You Can” and Perpetual Entertainment’s “Hitler’s Treasure Hunters.” Keshet International will be fielding its biggest delegation since 2019 at the market, which runs in Cannes from Oct. 21 to 24.

Kelly Wright, Keshet International’s MD of distribution, said: “Having boarded this premium docuseries at an early stage as part of our co-development deal with SandStone, we are thrilled Channel 5 will be our broadcast partner for ‘Seven Wonders of the Ancient World’ in the U.K. It is our great pleasure to head into Mipcom as Bettany heads to these ancient sites across the Mediterranean and to update buyers around the world on Bettany’s next great TV adventure.”

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