Discovery Picks Up Brazil Series for Local Channels

Aiming to fulfill quotas and please the growing subscriber base in Brazil, Discovery has commissioned series “Parque do Patati Patata” and “Caes Herois” and the third season of “Aguia da Cidade” for its pay TV channels in the country, on top of four other series it will air in the first half of this year. All are from local production companies.

Discovery made the announcement at the RioContentMarket in Rio de Janiero.

“Parque do Patati Patata” (tentative title) is a 26-episode, live-action series for kids. Made by Rinaldi, it is set to air in the second half of 2015 on Discovery Kids. Patati and Patata, two famous clowns in Brazil, will star in the series, which will focus on songs and humor.

“Caes Herois” is an unscripted 26-part series scheduled to air on Animal Planet in the second half of this year. The series will follow the missions of Sao Paulo police, firefighters and their trained dogs. Mixer, one of the main production companies in Brazil, will produce the series.

Mixer will also produce the third season of “Aguia da Cidade,” which follows the work of Sao Paulo police emergency rescue squad Aguia. The 10-episode reality series is scheduled for the second half of the year.

“Discovery has invested on local productions since 1999, which is a way of making our channels better for the audiences in Brazil. We are basically open to all kinds of new ideas, as long as they are suitable to the genres and formats of our channels,” said Michela Giorelli, VP for production and development of Discovery Networks Latin America/U.S. Hispanic.

Produced by Zola Filmes, “Troca de Estilos com Gaby Amarantos,” a 20-episode lifestyle series with local singer Gaby Amarantos, will bow March 11 on Discovery Home & Health.

A reality series with five episodes produced by Conteudo Urbano, “Caca Bueno – O Sonho do Mundial” will feature the five-time winner of the local stock car race league and launch March 23 on Discovery Turbo.

A Bossa Nova Films’ production, six-episode reality series “Missao Extrema com Karina Oliani,” features local climber Oliani in extreme situations around the world, such as training with the Colombian Army’s elite squad. It’s headed for an April bow on Discovery.

Made by Polar, cooking series “Dri e Ale” (tentative title), stars model Adriane Galisteu and is scheduled to bow in May on Discovery Home & Health.

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