-- CEO and Executive Producer Thom Beers Leads Original Productions Panel on the Challenges of Producing Their Acclaimed Non-Scripted Series: "Deadliest Catch," "Ice Road Truckers," "Ax Men," "Coal" and More --

Contact: Dana M. Harris, Beck Media & Marketing, For NAB Show Inquiries, 310-300-4824; Ann Marie Cumming, NAB, For NAB Inquiries, 202-429-5307   

WASHINGTON, March 17, 2011 /Standard Newswire/ -- Top independent television producer and CEO of Original Productions, a FremantleMedia company, Thom Beers will appear with members of his prolific production team at the 2011 NAB Show in a session titled "Testosterone TV: Behind the Scenes with Original Productions."

Broadcasting & Cable executive editor Melissa Grego will moderate the Content Theater panel discussion, which will take place Monday, April 11 at 1:00 pm. The 2011 NAB Show takes place April 9-14 in Las Vegas.

Original Productions currently has 14 series in production on eight domestic television networks, including critically acclaimed shows like the Emmy Award-winning hit "Deadliest Catch" on Discovery, and popular favorites "Ax Men" and the Emmy-nominated "Ice Road Truckers" -- two of the highest rated shows ever to air on HISTORY. "Coal," their highly anticipated new series revealing the lives of West Virginia coal miners, will premiere on Spike TV, March 30, 2011.

Beers will be joined on the panel by Philip Segal, president and executive producer of Original Productions; Jeff Conroy, vice president of programming and executive producer; and series co-executive producers, Sarah Whalen and Gayle Gilman.

"Testosterone TV: Behind the Scenes with Original Productions" will pull back the curtain on how to create high-risk, high-reward TV. Thom Beers and his team will describe how they capture the stories of blue-collar heroes navigating the volatile waves of the Bering Sea, dangling from giant trees, traversing mountain roads and toiling deep below the earth's surface. Video clips and personal accounts will articulate and exemplify how these filmmakers shoot under extraordinary conditions, develop new tools and techniques to solve production challenges, and balance risk and safety while developing trust with their respective casts to ultimately shape a compelling story arc throughout the broadcast season.

About Thom Beers
Thom Beers founded Original Productions in 1997, producing and distributing a slate of unique programming domestically and abroad. Today, the company is a leading supplier of award-winning unscripted reality programming for traditional broadcast and cable networks in the United States and throughout the world. Original's catalogue of more than 40 series appears on cable channels including Discovery, HISTORY, Spike TV, The National Geographic Channel, truTV and A&E.

About the NAB Show
The NAB Show, held annually in Las Vegas, is the world's largest electronic media show covering filmed entertainment and the development, management and delivery of content across all mediums. With nearly 90,000 attendees from 151 countries and more than 1,500 exhibitors, the NAB Show is the ultimate marketplace for digital media and entertainment. From creation to consumption, across multiple platforms and countless nationalities, the NAB Show is home to the solutions that transcend traditional broadcasting and embrace content delivery to new screens in new ways. Complete details are available at www.nabshow.com.

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About NAB
The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association for America's broadcasters. NAB advances radio and television interests in legislative, regulatory and public affairs. Through advocacy, education and innovation, NAB enables broadcasters to best serve their communities, strengthen their businesses and seize new opportunities in the digital age. Learn more at www.nab.org.