Company Profile
The world is watching.
Original Productions (OP) has become a world-wide culture-changing force in unscripted reality television. OP shows consistently perform above average on primetime cable networks, maintaining strong and growing ratings as new episodes air from year to year. USA Today calls OP Founder Thom Beers a “reality whiz”, and the Los Angeles Times declares him a ‘hit maker”.
Original Productions achieves higher success rates and longer running men’s series more than 20 percent above the industry average. In April 2012, the Emmy® Award-winning “Deadliest Catch” season eight premiere was the number one rated cable show for the night. , The hits continue with wheel gripping “Ice Road Truckers” in season six and OP’s brawny “Ax Men” in season five. Without fail, the coveted advertiser friendly 25-54 male audience increases each year an OP series is renewed.
The 2011 smash hit “Storage Wars” is A&E Network’s highest rated-series of all time including the second season premiere with 5.1 million total viewers. When brand extension “Storage Wars: Texas” was first telecast, 4.1 million viewers made it the most-watched original series launch in the network’s history. Both Original Productions’ series have new 26-episode orders for a new season in the summer of 2012.
Original Productions produced an amazing 240 hours of original programming for America’s top cable television networks in 2011.
Original Productions Highlights
1997
Thom Beers opened the doors of Original Productions in Burbank, California in 1997,. quickly setting the standard for OP’s now signature high risk-high reward distinctive television brand.
2002-2004
OP’s “Monster Garage” became the company’s first big hit series in 2002 It was followed by huge fan favorites “Monster House”, and “Biker Build-Off”. “Monster Nation” joined the three successful series in 2004. The quartet became Discovery Network staples of true adventure and authentic unadulterated real-life television, season after successful season.
2005
What would become the multi-Emmy ® award-winning “Deadliest Catch” premiered in 2005 on Discovery Networks. It was based on a special Thom Beers produced in 1999, “The Deadliest Jobs in the World”. Beers’ master mind was at full-tilt with “Deadliest Catch”, wondering how anyone could do these jobs and survive, especially crab fishing in the dangerous Bering Sea. Documenting the ultimate in working men in a life-threatening environment, “Deadliest Catch” continues to amaze audiences, celebrating the premiere of its eighth season and 100th episode in 2012. This series on Discovery consistently ranks as the top rated series in the network’s 26-year history.
2007-2008
“Ice Road Truckers” premiered on the History Network in 2007, tracking an adrenaline pumping 18-wheel ride to frontier outposts in the Canadian Northwest Territories, Alaska and the Arctic Circle. History boasts “Ice Road Truckers” is one of its top two highest rated series since the network’s inception. History’s second biggest hit “Ax Men”, debuted in 2008, as the eternal struggle of man versus nature in America’s sustainable forests. The popular series is currently on the air in its fifth season as one of History’s highest rated series ever.
Original Productions and truTV struck liquid gold with the premiere of the series “Black Gold”, in 2008. The story of oilmen striking it rich in Texas is now in its fourth season of ratings success.
In 2008, Original Productions expanded its unique programming approach to include scripted full length feature films. The first entry, “The Deadliest Sea”, based on the hit series “Deadliest Catch”, premiered as a prime time television event on Discovery Network the following year. ComiCon 2008 introduced “Chopper Zombie”, OP’s first graphic novel created by Thom Beers which was released internationally at the festival.
2009
SpikeTV premiered, a really unusual OP original, “1,000 Ways to Die” in 2009. The series became an instant cult-hit and completed its fourth and final series of production in 2012.In February 2009, a majority stake in Original Productions was purchased by FremantleMedia (www.fremantlemedia.com), one of the leading creators and producers of world-wide entertainment brands.
2010
“IRT: Deadliest Roads” followed the footsteps of “Ice Road Truckers” and premiered in 2010 for two thrilling seasons on History with drivers traveling on harrowing highways from the Himalayas to the Andes.
In November of 2010, OP premiered “Wild Justice” on the National Geographic Channel. chronicling the dangerous life of California’s game wardens, and has been renewed for a third exciting season.
The A&E Networks #1 rated series, “Storage Wars” is from Original Productions and premiered in 2010. Yuuuppp the series is such a fan favorite it is now in production for a third season.
2011
America just can’t get enough of Original Productions and the hit series “Storage Wars.” So, “Storage Wars: Texas” premiered on A&E in 2011 to mega ratings and the suspense of finding trash or treasure.
And in Texas’ hottest summer ever, “American Hoggers” brought steamy ratings to A&E in 2011 with a second series now in production.
“Whisker Wars”, the fascinating international facial hair growing and grooming competition, became an instant viewer favorite on IFC in the summer of 2011. Season two is in production.
2012
The February premiere of “Bering Sea Gold” on Discovery was the network’s most-watched series debut ever. An average of 3.66 million people tuned in as it set records for the network among households, adults 18 to 49, and adults and men ages 25 to 54.”Bering Sea Gold” has already been renewed for a second season
The season five premiere of Original Productions’ Ax Men on HISTORY (January 8th) earned 2.9 million total viewers, 1.6 million Adults 25-54 and 1.5 million Adults 18-49.
The show ranks as the most watched season premiere for the series since season one, and was up +33% vs. the season four premiere among Adults 25-54 (1.2 million). “Ax Men” has been renewed for a sixth season.
On January 26th, 2012 an all-new episode of Storage Wars on A&E became the most-watched episode in the franchise's history and the number one original cable program for the night across all key demos with an incredible 3.3 million total viewers, 2.1 million adults 25-54 and 2.0 million adults 18-49. The show propelled A&E to the number one cable network among adults 18-49 and 25-54
National Geographic Channel has ordered two new series from Original Productions, both scheduled to premiere in 2012. “America’s Lost Treasures” travels to museums across the country finding unexpected valuables. In “Are You Tougher Than A Boy Scout?” adults try to prove they can keep up with America’s Webelos and Boy Scouts.
An Original Productions milestone occured in the spring of 2012: Emmy® Award-winning Deadliest Catch celebrated its epic 100th episode on Discovery with the premiere of season eight on April 10th, 2012.
Honors
Both of the long-running Original Productions series “Deadliest Catch” and “Ice Road Truckers” have been heralded with many accolades from their peers. The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences alone has selected the Original Productions’ team for 24 nominations and six Primetime Emmy® Awards during the past five years.
“Deadliest Catch” has been honored by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS) with six Primetime Emmy® Awards, including the 2011 Outstanding Reality Program. Other achievements include: The Producers Guild of America Award for Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television, five realscreen Factual Entertainment Awards, the America Cinema Editors’ Eddie Award for Editing and three Cinema Audio Society Award for Sound Mixing.
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Original Productions’ Media Contact:
Vendely Communications 818-783-3707
Elizabeth Vendely/Maggie Nye
