Factual
Ryan Reynolds backs the beasts no one bets on in National Geographic’s ‘Underdogs’
MUMBAI: Move over lions, tigers and photogenic penguins — the oddballs of the wild are finally having their moment. National Geographic’s latest natural history docu-series Underdogs, narrated by the irreverent Ryan Reynolds, premieres 19 June and promises to flip the animal kingdom’s PR machine on its head.
Running every Thursday and Friday at 8 PM, Underdogs is a five-part, gloriously offbeat dive into the secret lives of creatures usually left on the cutting-room floor — think mucus-glowing grubs, dodgy parents, and desperate flirters. It’s equal parts laugh-out-loud funny and visually stunning, wrapped in Reynolds’ trademark wit.
“Getting to work with National Geographic on Underdogs was a dream come true—mostly because I can finally watch a project of ours with my children. Technically, they saw “Deadpool & Wolverine” but I don’t think they absorbed much while covering their eyes and ears and screaming for two hours,” said Reynolds. “We’re so proud to elevate the unsung heroes of the natural world to the top of the entertainment food chain and can’t wait for everyone to see.”
Produced by Emmy and BAFTA-winning Wildstar Films (a Fremantle company) and Reynolds’ own Maximum Effort, the show swings between education and entertainment like a monkey on espresso. Each episode delves into unexpected themes – bizarre mating rituals, dodgy parenting, deception, and jaw-dropping survival hacks.
One standout scene features a first-ever filming inside a glowing cave in New Zealand, lit up by the, er, backsides of mucus-covered larvae. Other unsung stars include bug-eyed frogs, underappreciated rodents, and creatures that give “creepy crawly” a whole new twist.
With a score by Oscar-nominated composer Harry Gregson-Williams (Shrek, The Martian), and a thumping original theme by rock legends Green Day, Underdogs doesn’t just celebrate the misfits — it turns them into rockstars.
The Underdogs soundtrack, featuring Gregson-Williams’ compositions, dropped on 13 June via Hollywood Records. Green Day’s new single “Underdog” is part of their just-released deluxe album Saviors (édition de luxe).
Behind the scenes, the creative force includes executive producers Mark Linfield, Vanessa Berlowitz and Dan Rees (Wildstar); Reynolds, George Dewey, Ashley Fox and Patrick Gooing (Maximum Effort); and a production team from National Geographic led by Tracy Rudolph Jackson, Janet Han Vissering, Charlie Parsons, and Tom McDonald.
Underdogs might just be the most delightfully absurd and oddly inspiring natural history series of the year — proving that in nature, weird wins.
Pic courtesy: National Geographic
DUBLIN: Ireland is betting big on reality television. In a move that has Hollywood scouts scrambling for their passports, Dublin has unveiled Europe’s first tax credit dedicated solely to unscripted programming—think The Traitors rather than Game of Thrones.
The scheme offers producers a juicy 20 per cent rebate on qualifying expenditure, capped at €15 million ($17.5 million) per project. It’s a cultural credit with strings attached: programmes must pass a test proving they genuinely promote Irish and European culture. No word yet on whether Love Island derivatives need apply.
Ireland tánaiste and minister for finance Simon Harris says the incentive will cement Ireland’s reputation as a “centre of excellence” for audiovisual production. His colleague, minister for culture, communications and sport Patrick O’Donovan, insists Ireland has “the talent, creativity and production expertise to lead” in unscripted television. Bold claims for a nation that has spent decades exporting scripted drama.
The timing is canny. Unscripted production costs have soared globally, making Ireland’s existing infrastructure—and now its tax breaks—increasingly attractive. Fox Entertainment Studios already churns out shows like Beat Shazam and The Floor from Irish studios. Whether these American productions will pass the cultural test remains to be seen.
Producers must secure an interim cultural certificate before filming begins, allowing them to claim credits during production rather than waiting until wrap. A final certificate follows completion. The European Commission has blessed the scheme through December 2028.
Minimum thresholds apply: productions must cost at least €250,000, with eligible expenditure above €125,000. Only one season per project can claim relief in any 12-month period, though producers can juggle multiple projects.
Britain, take note. The UK industry has clamoured for similar support for 18 months, but Westminster has dithered. India’s ministry of information and broadcasting pay heed. Its incentive scheme for co-productions excludes unscripted television. To what end, no one knows! Ireland, meanwhile, is already rolling out the red carpet—or should that be green?
The message from Dublin is clear: when it comes to backing reality TV, Ireland isn’t messing about. Lights, camera, tax action.
