HBO Max strikes overall deal with Lisa Ling, greenlights travel series

Lisa Ling

HBO Max has greenlit travel series Birth, Wedding, Funeral as part of an overall deal with US presenter Lisa Ling.

Each episode of the series will immerse viewers in a different country to reveal their cultures through the lens of birth, wedding and funeral rituals.

Ling currently presents CNN Original series This Is Life With Lisa Ling, now in its sixth season. The overall deal marks an expansion of her relationship with WarnerMedia.

Under the pact, HBO Max will have a first look at new projects that Ling will develop for the streamer.

The concept of Birth, Wedding, Funeral was created by journalist Dan Rather, Maro Chermayeff and Jeff Dupre. The series is produced by Part2 Pictures, with Ling exec producing alongside Rather (60 Minutes, The Big Interview) and Philip Kim for News and Guts.

Ling said: “We are living in a deeply polarised world and I am elated for the opportunity to bring us closer to one another through stories about the most defining moments in people’s lives: their births, weddings and funerals.”

Jennifer O’Connell, EVP of original content for HBO Max, added: “As part of the CNN family, Lisa has carved out a unique space for herself using her style of gritty, investigative journalism to drive at the heart of every human story she tells.

“Birth, Wedding, Funeral takes audiences on a global journey through a range of societies, exploring the rituals around three critical life events and we are eager to bring this illuminating storytelling to our HBO Max audience.”

Rather said: “Over the course of my many travels, I have always welcomed the chance to learn about the world’s varied cultures through how they experience life’s most intimate and transformative benchmarks. I am thrilled that Lisa, a skilled and compassionate storyteller, will bring these moments into our homes and allow us to renew our faith in the common bonds of humanity.”