Hearst Networks EMEA has made a new commission for Sky HISTORY, Bradley Walsh: Egypt’s Cosmic Code.
Produced by Studio Crook and GroupM Motion Entertainment, the three-part documentary series for Sky HISTORY sees comedian Bradley Walsh fulfil a lifetime’s ambition to visit the monuments of Ancient Egypt and try to understand how it could have been possible to produce such “wonders of the ancient world” 4,500 years ago.
Apprenticed to Rolls Royce long before he embarked on his TV career, “Bradley has had an enduring fascination with ancient engineering and with the idea that the construction feats of our ancient forebears could only have been possible with the participation of some “other worldly” or extraterrestrial influence.”
He will be joined by Dr Meredith Brand from the American University in Cairo and Dr Arto Belekdanian as he discovers the evolution of pyramid building, from the Step Pyramid of King Djoser, via the Red and Bent Pyramids of Pharoah Sneferu at Dahshur to the Great Pyramid at Giza. He also investigates the riddle of The Sphinx, its provenance, and its ancient symbolism, which experts have long argued over before he embarks on his quest to unravel the significance of the Egyptian preoccupation with death and the afterlife. Bradley completes the series by fulfilling his ambition to visit the Luxor tomb of Egypt’s most famous and short-lived rulers, Tutankhamun, to try and unravel the mysteries of the rise and fall of Egypt’s most famous royal dynasty.
The show was commissioned for Sky HISTORY by Dan Korn, VP of Programming at Hearst Networks EMEA, who said: “We are thrilled to be working with Studio Crook, GroupM Motion Entertainment and Bradley on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Bradley has exactly the kind of passion and thirst for knowledge with which Sky History viewers love to engage, and his questions and inquiries elicit surprising revelations about the lives, practices and beliefs of our ancient forebears”.
Bradley Walsh said: “I have been captivated by Ancient Egypt for as long as I can remember, and now, finally experiencing it firsthand feels truly magical. I have so many questions – Who built the pyramids? Why and how? Exploring Egypt’s most iconic ancient monuments and speaking with experts like Meredith Brand and Arto Belekdanian is the perfect way to seek answers to these mysteries. Egypt is a land of wonder and intrigue, and this journey promises to be the adventure of a lifetime.”
Matt Crook of Studio Crook added: “When Bradley and I first started talking about this project, he had some pretty out-there theories on the pyramids, which he absolutely backed up with his engineering background and a whiteboard of mathematical theories. It has been one of the funniest, most fascinating, and intense adventures I have ever had the pleasure of filming. I think viewers are going to enjoy seeing a different side to Bradley.”
Martin Oxley, Head of Formats & Entertainment (UK) and Exec Producer for GroupM Motion Entertainment, said: “It’s going to be a treat to see how Bradley’s unique brand of humour combines with his first experience of Egyptian history on the ground. His search for the truth, and interrogation of more recent theories surrounding the construction of the Pyramids, will make this series unmissable.”
Pic credit: Sima Diab/Hearst Networks EMEA
Jon Creamer
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