TCA: Nat Geo Taps Piligian, Beers For Reality Projects

National Geographic Channel has greenlit two series from the industry's most prolific reality series producers.

Thom Beers' Original Productions company will develop the series, Are You Tougher than a Boy Scout?, while Craig Piligian's Pilgrim Studios will offer the series Wicked Tuna - the first two series greenlit under the reign of new Nat Geo president Howard Owens.

Are you Tougher Than A Boy Scout? will pit adults against "scrappy" Boy Scouts in challenges like starting a fire and cooking dinner as fast as possible. The six-part series, produced by Thom Beers' Original Productions, will begin production this spring, with the series premiering later this year on the Nat Geo.

"Partnering not only with Thom Beers, but also with an organization as renowned as the Boy Scouts of America is an incredible opportunity for us to try something different," said National Geographic Channel executive vice president of programming Michael Cascio in a statement. "This series will showcase our passion for adventure and exploration in a whole new way."

Wicked Tuna follows the cutthroat, high-stakes business of bluefin tuna fishing in Gloucester, Mass., as vessels and crews set sail in search of the smartest, fastest and most elusive fish in the ocean - and the big money that follows them.

The series will debut later this Spring, according to network officials.

"As a huge fan of the movie The Perfect Storm, I have always wanted to make a series that captured the raw authenticity of the characters in that movie," said Owens in a statement. "The tuna crews in this series immediately draw you in to their struggles and triumphs as they fight to make a living. One fish can literally be the difference between feeding your family, or filing for bankruptcy."