Pioneer gets pair of PBS commissions

US broadcaster PBS has ordered two shows from UK indie producer Pioneer Productions.

Six-parter Secrets is a follow-up to Secrets of the Manor House, which is part of a successful strand of UK programming on PBS. The series will profile six British institutions including Selfridges and Scotland Yard. PBS has international rights to the show.

The second show is for PBS’ Nova science strand. Asteroid: Doomsday or Payday? is a one-hour special about whether asteroids could hold the answer to the world’s resources crisis. FremantleMedia International will distribute the show.

Pioneer also won a commission from National Geographic Channels International. The two-hour special, World’s Worst Natural Disasters, will look at the ten most powerful, destructive and deadly events ever to strike the planet. Nat Geo has all international rights.

Jeremy Dear, senior VP, programming, Pioneer, said: “This latest batch of commissions shows that there’s still a strong demand for factual programming in the US and international market. The expansion of character-based and reality shows over the last few years is impressive and we’re part of that, but it doesn’t mean there is no longer an audience there for information-based shows – the two genres can happily co-exist.