Beach House Pictures has unveiled two new China-set documentaries, one on panda cubs narrated by stand-up comedian, actor, and writer Jimmy O. Yang and the other exploring the military innovations behind China’s first empire, with Fremantle rolling both out internationally.
The three-part Panda School heads to the forested mountains of China’s Sichuan Province to chart panda cubs learning essential skills at a facility built to support the long-term sustainability of the species. It is headed to National Geographic in EMEA, with Fremantle representing rights outside of the commissioning footprint. “Panda School has all the drama of a coming-of-age story—with maximum cuteness overload,” Yang commented.
Secret Weapons of China’s First Emperor is an hour-long special with China Media Group (CMG) about the military prowess of Qin Shi Huang nd his unexcavated burial complex. It will use reconstruction, archaeological discoveries, and experts to reveal how mass-produced bronze weapons and standardized equipment allowed Qin Shi Huang to amass unprecedented power in ancient China. It will air on CCTV in China and SBS in Australia. Fremantle holds rights outside of China.
Donovan Chan, creative director at Beach House Pictures and EP, said, “We’re always looking for stories that combine distinctive access with universal audience appeal. Panda School is an uplifting, endearing, character-driven series with humor and real emotional stakes, following the cub’s journeys to tell a purpose-driven story about protecting an iconic species. Secret Weapons of China’s First Emperor achieves remarkable access, along with cutting-edge archaeology, to bring fresh insight to one of the most fascinating and consequential chapters in Chinese history. These documentaries reflect the breadth of storytelling we are proud to champion at Beach House Pictures, underscoring our commitment to telling premium factual stories that entertain, surprise and resonate globally.”
