Eureka! Discovery Australia and UK have co-commissioned a seventh and eighth season of Electric Pictures’ Aussie Gold Hunters.
The 40-hour order will bring the series total to 124 episodes since it was first broadcast internationally in 2016.
Aussie Gold Hunters follows teams of gold prospectors as they risk it all to find their fortune on some of the richest gold bearing grounds in the world.
It is Discovery Channel Australia’s highest rating local series of all time, and has been the no. 1 factual series on Foxtel for four consecutive years (2017-2020). Season five was the best performing season yet, growing its audience by 8 per cent, and season six will launch in Australia on Thursday.
In the UK, where Aussie Gold Hunters airs on Discovery’s Quest, season five saw an audience increase of 31 per cent, reaching 7.94 million. It also screens on streamer discovery+.
Seasons seven and eight have been supported by Screenwest and Lotterywest and the Western Australian Screen Fund (WASP), and Film Victoria’s Regional Location Assistance Fund.
Andrew Ogilvie, Andrea Quesnelle and Robin Shingleton are executive producers for Electric Pictures with Mike Hoath joining the team as series producer, a role which he will share with Robin Shingleton. Rob Holloway and Thierry Bled are executive producers for Discovery.
Electric Pictures CEO Ogilvie said: “We are very excited to continue our relationship with Discovery and start work on the next season of Aussie Gold Hunters. This past year has been a challenge for producers globally due to the pandemic, but we’ve been fortunate that the production of Aussie Gold Hunters has been able to continue with virtually no interruption.
“I’m very proud of the Electric Pictures production team whose skill and dedication have made the series the success that it is. I’d also like to thank the Discovery executives who have worked closely with us to ensure that this co-production is increasingly successful season after season.”
Darren Chau, senior director, production, Discovery ANZ said: “Aussie Gold Hunters continues to be Discovery Australia’s most successful franchise and we are incredibly proud of our investment into local content with the order of a further two seasons. At Discovery, we are passionate about the production of content that resonates both locally and internationally and this is a format that continues to drive success across multiple markets.”
DCD Rights will distribute Aussie Gold Hunters for Electric Pictures in more than 130 countries outside of the Discovery territories.