Warner Bros. Discovery’s Ed Stafford’s Rite of Passage, will launch in countries across Europe, starting with the UK on 19 February, as part of a wider international rollout on Discovery Channel.
Ordered by Warner Bros. Discovery APAC and EMEA, and co-produced by Arrow Media and Beach House Pictures (both Fremantle companies), the 6x60 adventure series sees world renowned explorer and survivalist, Ed Stafford, seek out and take part in some of the toughest, most dangerous and most rigorous rites of passage in the world.
Across six locations in Africa, Latin American and East Asia, Stafford embeds himself within traditional tribal cultures, taking part first hand in the often extreme coming of age rituals faced by the tribes’ members. Pushing himself to his physical and emotional limits, Ed sets out to discover if these ancient practices can hold the key to understanding what it means to be a better part of our communities in the modern world.
Ed Stafford says: "Taking part in so many Rite of Passage ceremonies has made me see something essential that is missing in our culture. On a personal level, even though I’ve just turned 50, I gained so much from being both tested and then truly seen and accepted by each community. If you want an antidote for the crazy decisions that are being made on the global stage right now this might just be it."
Tom Brisley, CEO Arrow Media, adds: “Ed Stafford’s Rite of Passage is a bold, ambitious series that we’re incredibly proud to see resonating with audiences around the world. Seeing Ed immersing himself in different cultures and understanding how they deal with adulthood delivers powerful take-out messages for us all"
Donovan Chan, Co-Founder and Creative Director at Beach House Pictures says: "We are thrilled to work with Ed Stafford again since our multi-season run of First Man Out. This builds on BHP's rich history of international survival and adventure shows, taking Ed to new places but also to show audiences a new side to Ed as he helps us understand what our modern world has lost and could still gain back."
Rachel Berkley, Executive Producer at Warner Bros. Discovery adds: “Working on this one-of-a-kind production, fronted by Discovery Channel veteran Ed Stafford, has been really exciting. Ed has never been afraid to get stuck in, and this series is no different. Viewers can look forward to intimate access to tribal cultures, from the Omo Valley of southern Ethiopia to the mountains of Henan in China, in what is a truly international journey of discovery.”
The series will air across Discovery channel as follows:
- UK. 19th February
- Nordics. 27th February
- France. 29th March
- Spain and Portugal. 6th April
The series will later be available on discovery+ and HBO Max.
Ed Stafford’s Rite of Passage is a joint commission by Warner Bros. Discovery and Bilibili. Warner Bros. Discovery Executive Producers are Rachel Berkley (APAC) and Andreas Lemos (EMEA).
Executive Producers for Arrow Media are Tom Brisley, Ashley Potterton and Thomas Viner. Executive producers for Beach House are Donovan Chan and Jocelyn Little.
