Idris Elba & Our Planet editor tie for Netflix doc series

Netflix has ordered an Idris Elba-narrated series about the origin of the world’s most unique sports from Workerbee and Dutch sister label Scenery.

Human Playground is a six-parter, subtitled Why We Play, which will examine exceptional events including robot camel races in the United Arab Emirates, big wave surfing in Portugal and eagle hunting in Kyrgyzstan.

The show is being co-produced by Manchester-based Workerbee, with its Banijay counterpart Scenery.

Created by photographer Hannelore Vandenbussche, the show’s concept is inspired by her work on photobook, Before They Pass Away, which documented the rapidly disappearing world of indigenous cultures.

She said: “Human Playground takes a look at the most impressive playing fields in the world and shows how far people are willing to go when it comes to playing a game.”

Vandenbussche will work on the show with director Tomas Kaan, whose editor credits include BBC Earth projects and Netflix natural history series Our Planet.

Kaan said that it was an unforgettable adventure. “I could not have imagined in advance how many sides this story has to it,” he added.

Workerbee managing director Rick Murray, who is acting as exec producer, said that he anticipates collaborating with the “world-class” Scenery again.

Previously known as Totem Media, Scenery is run by founder Isidoor Roeders and is responsible for high-end docs including The Eighth Continent, a space doc co-produced with A24.

Following its global release on Netflix later this month, the series has been picked by Chinese streamer Youku. A coffee table photo book, published by TeNeues, is also in the works.