Germany’s NTV & US-based Big Media set ‘Fatal Engineering’ under output deal

Fatal Engineering (Source: Big Media)

RTL Germany’s free-to-air-channel NTV has commissioned Fatal Engineering, a new docuseries produced as the second show under its output deal with Big Media.

New York-based factual producer and channel provider Big Media will co-produce the 6 x 60-minute series with NTV Production. NTV will have exclusive free-TV, SVOD and AVOD rights to the series in Germany and non-exclusive rights in German-speaking Europe.

Fatal Engineering explores the details of high-profile building accidents, from structural collapses to technological failures, exploring the human errors, design flaws, and unforeseen circumstances that created a chain of events that resulted in tragic outcomes.

Analysing the design blueprints and dissecting the engineering to reveal the pivotal point that led to these fatal accidents, the series looks at plane disasters, nuclear plant catastrophes, rollercoaster accidents, and skyscraper, bridge and dam collapses.

This is the second series under Big Media’s output deal with NTV, following Modern Warfare 2.0, with the producer-distributor also behind Destruction Decoded, along with a spin-off series titled Danger Decoded, for the broadcaster.

The US firm also has a multi-series output deal with ZDF Studios for German-speaking territories, setting historical investigation series Scanning History as the first show from the pact late last year.

“These high-quality productions are made possible through co-production agreements like this one, which provide our output and co-pro partners with exclusive rights to premium original content in their territory, which they couldn’t get via traditional acquisition deals,” said Big Medi co-founder and global head of production, Martin Kaše.