National Geographic announced an ambitious slate of non-fiction series featuring the return of factual series Brain Games, the network announced during Disney’s upfront presentation Tuesday morning.
Brain Games, which ran on Nat Geo from 2011-2016, will bring a Hollywood twist to the classic format in which celebrities look to realize their brain power through entertaining, interactive games, illusion and social experiments, according to the network. Actor/producer Keegan-Michael Key will host the series, which will feature as its first celebrities The first five celebrities confirmed are: Kristin Bell (The Good Place), Dax Shepherd (Bless This Mess), Drew Brees (QB, New Orleans Saints), Rebel Wilson (The Hustle), and Anthony Anderson (Blackish), according to Nat Geo.
The network has also greenlit a new eight-part competition series Race to the Center of The Earth, in which four teams are pitted against one another in a nonstop sprint across the globe for a $1 million prize. The series is produced The Amazing Race producers Bertram Van Munster and Elise Doganieri.
Also, the network in 2020 will feature a live series that will take viewers to the Alaskan frontier. Alaska Live will utilize more than 25 cameras and 180 crew members to such Alaskan attractions as Kenai Fjords National Park, Prince William Sound, Katmai National Park, Bristol Bay and Tongass National Forest.
Other new series in development include China’s Hidden Kingdoms, Running Wild with Bear Grylls, Gordon Ramsay: Unchartered New Episodes, Lost Cities With Albert Lin, Trafficked With MAriana Van Zeller and Race to The Center of The Earth.
The shows join the previously announced scripted series Genius: Aretha, based on the life of R&B singer Aretha Franklin.
