A+E Networks UK has commissioned a four-part factual entertainment series presented by Ross Kemp.
Ross Kemp: Shipwreck Treasure Hunter will air on Sky HISTORY.
“Every shipwreck I’ve dived on has had a story to tell, tales that echo from our past into the present. They speak to us of bravery, sacrifice, and progress but also of cruelty and heartbreak. I have discovered the impact the sea has had not only on my own family but also on world history. It’s been challenging; it’s been emotional, but it’s also been lots of fun. There are plenty more shipwrecks in the ocean and I can’t wait to dive on them.” – Ross Kemp
The new series, which will be the first UK commission from Honey Bee and Freshwater Films for Sky HISTORY and is due to premiere in Spring 2022, is a very personal quest for Ross. His grandfather, ‘Pop’ Chalmers, was in the Merchant Marines during World War II and was shipwrecked and survived three times. Pop’s two cousins (Ross’ first cousins twice removed) both served and died aboard HMS Hood when it went into battle against the mighty Bismarck. The young brothers were stationed at Scapa Flow and departed on the HMS Hood to intercept the Bismarck before being sunk. His dives to these wrecks is a long-held ambition to reach back into his own familial past, as much as it is a captivating and perilous adventure in its own right.
For the series, Ross Kemp will be joined by expert diver Emily Turton and maritime archaeologist and expert diver Mallory Haas on expeditions to the most spectacular shipwrecks in the UK, uncovering hidden treasures and history from Britain’s past.
The team travel across the UK to dive in extremely hazardous environments to discover the secrets that lie beneath the sea. Ross will dive on WWI and WWII wrecks like the warship SMS Karlsruhe and SS Tabarka; a British submarine and the Iona II and an American Civil War ‘gun runner’ lost in mysterious circumstances in the Bristol Channel.
Mallory will show Ross a recently uncovered wreck, its identity, if proven, will put Ross at the centre of an archaeological discovery that would shed new light on one of the most sinister and suppressed chapters in British history.
For Ross to undertake these perilous dives, he had to complete an advanced HSE scuba diving course to become a fully qualified diver in the 2 months leading up to the beginning of filming.
“We’re delighted to be working with Ross Kemp, Honey Bee, Motion Content Group and Freshwater Films. The series not only captures the incredible history submerged around the British Isles and waiting to be discovered, but Ross’s passion for and personal connection with the subject matter really shines through.” – Dan Korn, VP of Programming at A+E Networks UK
Ross Kemp: Shipwreck Treasure Hunter is co-produced by Honey Bee and Motion Content Group in association with Freshwater Films for the A+E Networks UK channel Sky HISTORY. The programme is in production and is set to broadcast in the Spring of 2022.
SKY HISTORY is available on Sky 123, Virgin 270, Talk Talk 327 and NOW.
