Nat Geo orders tech bubble drama hybrid

National Geographic is to examine the bursting of 1990s tech bubble in a six-part drama-documentary hybrid series.

Valley of the Boom will come from STXtv, and is billed as an “adrenaline-fueled ride through the culture of speculation, innovation and debauchery” that came before the bubble burst towards the beginning of Silicon Valley.

Matthew Carnahan is creator, showrunner and director. The House of Lies creator will executive-produce alongside The Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington, Jason Goldberg (Punk’d), Brant Pinvidic (Bar Rescue) and David Walpert (House of Lies).

David Newsom is leading the non-scripted production as co-executive producer, while Joel Ehninger of Matthew Carnahan Circus Products is producer.

As with other big ticket Nat Geo drama launched under CEO Courteney Monroe and drama chief Carolyn Bernstein (pictured), the show will debut in 171 countries and in 45 languages.

STX Entertainment, which owns producer STXtv, will handle distribution in China.

“National Geographic pioneered the hybrid scripted-docuseries genre with Mars, which is currently in production on its second season,” said Bernstein, executive VP and head of global scripted programming and development. “With Valley of the Boom, we are continuing on the same genre-busting path.”

In a statement producers usually bestow upon SVOD services Netflix and Amazon, Carnahan said STXtv and Nat Geo had allowed him “tremendous creative freedom”.