Arabic TV format ‘Stars of Science’ is produced by Zinc Media Group
British factual company Zinc Media Group has been commissioned to reinvent and produce season 18 of the Qatar Foundation’s educational reality TV show “Stars of Science” in a $6 million deal that marks Zinc’s first major entertainment assignment in the Middle East.
‘Stars of Science’, in which Arab innovators and entrepreneurs aim to turn their ideas into inventions under the guidance of experts, is one of the longest-running entertainment formats in the Arab world and the wider Arab diaspora.
“Zinc has been tapped to lead a complete creative reset of the format, refreshing the storytelling and studio experience through the integration of AI technologies and expanding the entertainment appeal for a new generation of viewers,” a statement said.
Andrea Hamilton (“The Voice,” “Strictly Come Dancing”) will executive produce the new season and “bring major entertainment expertise to the format refresh,” it added.
“’Stars of Science’ already has an extraordinary legacy and cultural relevance across the region,” Hamilton said in the statement. “The opportunity now is to evolve the format for a new generation of viewers, bringing greater scale, emotion, danger and entertainment storytelling, while keeping innovation at the heart of the show. We want audiences to connect not just with the inventions, but with the people behind them,” she continued.
The next season of “Stars of Science” will be produced by Zinc’s label in the Middle East – The Edge, a Media City Qatar company – in both Arabic and English. Zinc Distribution handles international sales and also oversees the show’s marketing and communications strategy in 22 Arab countries and the global Arab diaspora.
Faye Jackson, CMO of Zinc Media Group, said: “This is a hugely important assignment for Zinc and a major milestone for our operations in the Middle East. Our new operation under Media City Qatar allows us to bring the full firepower of Zinc to the region, premium production, entertainment expertise, international distribution and strategic communications, all working together behind one show.”
Zinc Media is known for a wide range of products ranging from the BBC’s BAFTA-winning prestige docuseries ‘The Death of Yugoslavia’ to popular lifestyle and reality formats such as ‘Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour’ and ‘Police Interceptors’. They operate a wide range of labels including Tern TV, Raw Cut, Brook Lapping, Red Sauce, Supercollider, The Edge, Tomos TV, Rex, Electric Violet, Atomic Television, Bumblebee and its global sales and distribution arm Zinc Distribution.
