Hearst Networks 2026 slate: Sky History, Crime+Investigation and Blaze commissions revealed

FirstLook TV, Vice Studios, Soho Studios and Two Rivers Media are among the indies landing commissions across Hearst Network channels Sky History, Crime+ Investigation and Blaze.

Sky History

FirstLook TV is behind Great British Castle Rescue, in which Rick Edwards visits Britain’s most historically significant castles as they undergo much needed renovations. The series is made with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fun and will TX in March.

Soho Studios and Two Rivers Media are co-producing Britain’s Murder Map (w/t), which follows Vicky McClure and her husband Jonny Owen as they travel to the locations of historical crimes that have become synonymous with the area.

The couple will visit pubs, castles and hotels as they look at the enduring impact these crimes have had on local communities. It is made in partnership with Motion Content Group and will air in April.

Also launching on Sky History soon will be Nutopia and A+E Studios 20-part series World War II with Tom Hanks, and Picasso Films’ The Last Hunt for Nazi Gold, in which Guy Walters and Justine Ostrowska traverse Europe in search of looted artefacts and lost fortunes left behind by the Third Reich.

The channel launches its Mystery Season in February with Nine of Cups’ three-parter Lost Grail with Alice Roberts following the historian re-tracing the footsteps of Joseph of Arimathea to uncover one of history’s most enduring legends. The season will continue with British X-Files from Monster Films, which lifts the lid on secret paranormal investigations once examined by the UK government. Both series are distributed by BossaNova.

Secrets in the Sand by Shark Teeth Films unearths ancient civilisations long hidden beneath shifting deserts. Rounding out the season is History’s Deadliest with Ving Rhames, in which the actor reveals stories of fatal encounters, from notorious criminals and brutal battles to the darkest corners of ancient history.

The Curse of Oak Island, Ancient Aliens and Forged in Fire will also return.

Crime+Investigation

This year, C+I will cover a range of true crime issues of increasing public concern, from the rise of misogynistic violence against women to failures in the criminal justice system that have left innocent people rotting in prison and allowed the real perpetrators to kill again.

Five-part series Ross Kemp: Lost Boys, Deadly Men sees Kemp investigate the online communities of isolation, anger and misogyny that are reshaping masculinity. The actor explores whether Britain’s incels are responsible for the wave of violence against women, or if the roots of the problem lie far deeper and are more widespread than anyone dared think. It comes from Vice Studios, in partnership with Krempelwood.

American actor June Squibb hosts true crime anthology Killer Grannies, while Laura Whitmore fronts The House Party Killer, a Britain’s Killer Teen special recounting the fatal stabbing of teenager Mikey Roynon at a party in Bath in 2023.

Skegness Psycho: 28 Miles to Murder is a two-parter that revisits the story of Daniel Boulton, who walked 28-miles from Skegness to Louth to murder his former partner Bethany Vincent and her nine-year-old son, Darren, while Sin City Gigolo explores the dark side of reality TV, following the rise and fall of a notorious TV star accused of murder.

Also on the docket for C+I is Bodies on the Bridge, the previously announced debut project from Longwave Studios, as well as The Death Investigator which introduces respected New York medical examiner Dr Barbara Butcher, and Staged: Deadly Deceptions, which examines ordinary-looking crime scenes that were carefully constructed to mislead investigators.

Interview with a Killer returns for a second series, with journalist David Scott confronting some of the most dangerous criminals in the North American prison system.

Blaze

Hearst Networks’ free-to-air channel kicks 2026 off with WWE’s Greatest Moments, revisiting some of the iconic rivalries that shaped the sport’s legacy. Junk and Disorderly returns for another series while UFO Week returns for a seventh year.

New projects airing as part of the special week include UFO POV with expert Chris Rutkowski, and Monster Aliens, offering audiences out-of-this-world stories, expert insight and the thrill of the unknown.

Hearts Networks chief creative officer and general manager Heather Jones said: “2025 has been an incredible year of growth and creativity across our factual brands. Our focus for 2026 continues to be to bring our audiences the most powerful stories with the very best talent on and off screen.

“This slate showcases the strength of our partnerships, our investment in innovative production, and our commitment to the best of British storytelling.”

Vice president of programming Dan Korn added: “From Alice Roberts to Tom Hanks, Vicky McClure to Ving Rhames, this slate reflects the very best of factual storytelling.

“We’re proud to collaborate with incredible creative partners and suppliers who bring history, mystery and human drama to life ever more enterprising and inventive ways.”