Factual
National Geographic Channel to Air Riding Morocco: Chasing The Dakar
MUMBAI: National Geographic Channel (NGC) has announced partnership with Honda, to produce the thrilling new adventure series Riding Morocco: Chasing The Dakar. The 60 minute special follows professional racer Christophe Barriere-Varju and model-adventurer Laura Csortan as they go on a unique motor biking tour across Africa using Honda Africa Twin bikes. Riding Morocco: Chasing The Dakar premieres globally on NGC this month. In India, it will premiere on 17 June, 2016.
Co-presenters Barriere-Varju and Csortan will be taking the ultimate biking tour in Riding Morocco: Chasing The Dakar, seeing enigmatic parts of Africa that are off the well-worn tourist trails. They will take audiences to historical sites hidden deep in the desert as well as gorgeous, untouched oases towns, meeting a variety of personalities, from tribesmen and silver miners to astronauts preparing for a space mission. Bringing their own supplies, Barriere-Varju and Csortan will travel through every imaginable extreme—freezing nights and blazing mid-day sun, large sand dunes, mountains and valleys—to test their personal limits and experience all of Africa’s hidden terrain and cultures along the ride of a lifetime.
The channel claims that Barriere-Varju is the perfect presenter for Riding Morocco: Chasing The Dakar, having ridden both the African and South American versions of the Dakar Rally, an annual off-road endurance event that has tested the most experienced drivers in the world. He brings this racing experience to the fore in the show, calling on it to navigate and handle the various types of rugged terrain that Africa has in store for the riders. Csortan is an experienced presenter and model who is also a racing enthusiast, having been a panellist on Grand Prix TV. She became the face of The Australian Moto GP in 2008 and travelled the world for seven years presenting the Australian travel show The Great Outdoors. It’s her love for adventure and racing that viewers will relate to upon seeing their journey unfold. Not only will Barriere-Varju and Csortan reveal the hidden stories of Africa and get to know themselves better in Riding Morocco: Chasing The Dakar, but their completion of the ride also spells a victory for the human spirit.
NGC Regional Production & Development for APAC and Middle East VC MayYi Lee said, “We’re excited to have partnered with Honda on this ambitious television programme that fulfils the human need for exploration and uncovers a fascinating side of Africa. Viewers must tune in to Riding Morocco: Chasing The Dakar to witness Barriere-Varju and Csortan’s ultimate biking expedition and learn what extremes true adventurers will endure for the sake of self-discovery and making history. NGC is committed to continue producing quality programming that promotes the values of knowing more about the world and driving it forward.”
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.
