'The Americas' (l-r) Mike Gunton, Tom Hanks Austin Hargrave/NBC Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment The Americas, narrated by Tom Hanks, on NBC. [Stanley] Tucci in Italy on National Geographic. Walking With Dinosaurs, narrated by Bertie Carvel (The Crown, HBO's upcoming Harry Potter series), on PBS. These series are just the latest star-studded factual offerings from BBC Studios Productions, one of the British and global media industry's most respected production outfits that is part of BBC Studios, the main commercial arm of U.K. public broadcaster BBC, that have taken the U.S. by storm. Of course, there has also been Prehistoric Planet, executive produced by Jon Favreau, and OceanXplorers with James Cameron. And there is more to come involving big names, as Disney has unveiled that National Geographic has greenlit a new documentary series under the working title Meet the Planets, that is being developed by Ryan Reynolds' Maximum Effort and BBC Studios. Related Stories Movies Busan Film Festival to Honor Jafar Panahi as Asian Filmmaker of the Year Movies Anne Hathaway Shares First Look at 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' Bottom line: Shows from BBC Studios Productions, which includes the world-renowned Natural History Unit, the Documentary Unit, the Science Unit, wholly owned label Voltage, and third-party distribution relationships, regularly feature Hollywood creatives and do well on U.S. screens, as well as worldwide. And they have just received six Primetime Emmy nominations and 11 Daytime Emmy nominations. Secrets of the Neanderthals and The Secret Lives of Animals are nominated for the latter. In terms of Primetime Emmy nominees, The Americas are in the running for the Outstanding Narrator Award for Hanks and the Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special Emmy for Hans Zimmer. Tucci in Italy is up for the honors for outstanding hosted non-fiction series or special and outstanding cinematography. And Planet Earth - Asia was nominated in the Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special category and Outstanding Narrator for Attenborough. But what is the recipe for factual success at BBC Studios Productions? Key ingredients are scale and breadth, collaborations and partnerships, and specialism, or craft, Kate Ward, managing director, Unscripted Productions at BBC Studios Productions, tells THR. Stanley Tucci celebrated the New York premiere of his NatGeo series Tucci in Italy on Monday. Arturo Holmes/Getty Images "I think that factual programming is really having a moment, and we're really seeing that moment," she argues. "Big dramas have incredible power and zeitgeist and are, obviously, a huge part of the ecosystem. But what factual does as a genre is that we really passionately believe it's there to change perspectives and start conversations. And because it hasn't always been at the front of the schedule in the U.S., when it does, it feels really special." Take The Americas, for example. "We hope it's giving Americans a shared view of the natural world of life on their doorstep, sometimes at the end of their street, which in a world that can feel fragmented and challenging is something that brings people together," Ward argues. "Bringing people together is something that is core to our values and our mission at the BBC." So, how is her unscripted team at BBC Studios trying to succeed in a crowded marketplace? First, "we're excited about the scale and the variety of work we're doing for the U.S. market," Ward shares. "Our shows represent a range of different styles of factual programming for a range of different broadcasters with a range of different models." In terms of the scale of productions, she lauds BBC Studios' "unmatched ambition" and ability to pull off "epic" shows. "If you look at The Americas, for example, it took five years to make 180 filming expeditions," she explains. "So, we are working at epic proportions in terms of production. How many protein bars did the team have to eat over five years to make this show? As a result, you get that infectious curiosity that just draws you in as a viewer." The second ingredient of success is expertise. "We can bring the specialism, the craft we are known for," to ensure high-quality programming, Ward explains. "Walking With Dinosaurs can bring real value and an education for children and adults. It's rooted in real science. So it is entertainment and education together, and I think that means it can reach a really, really large audience." Finally, Ward says it's about collaborations with creatives, producers and distribution partners rather than going it alone. "Creators bring their own way of storytelling, ambition, passion, and together, we can do extraordinary things. We also have deep partnerships producers, with platforms and broadc