MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide has signed a deal with RTL that sees the German commercial broadcaster become a co-production partner on the BBC Natural History Unit?s forthcoming series ?Hidden Kingdom?.

This will be the first time RTL has worked with BBC Worldwide to co-produce a natural history series and the broadcaster joins other co-production partners Discovery and France 2.

Commissioned for BBC One, ?Hidden Kingdom? takes a microscopic look at nature and transforms small worlds into giant places. The series will take viewers on an immersive journey into strange lands where tiny animals are living incredible and dramatic lives.

RTL head of infotainment Agnes Ostrop will act as executive producer on behalf of RTL and a tailored 1x90 German language version of the series will deliver to the network for broadcast in primetime.

BBC Worldwide head of German speaking territories Isabelle Helle said, "?Hidden Kingdom? is an exceptional project using innovative storytelling techniques to bring audiences a new and in depth perspective on this fascinating world. RTL has long been a valued partner of BBC Worldwide and we are thrilled they are venturing for the first time into natural history co-producing on this phenomenal project."

Executive produced by Mike Gunton, the three part series will take the BBC Natural History Unit?s renowned photographic techniques and shrink them down to show the world on a different scale. The series will be filmed in some of the planet?s most iconic places, likely to include the Amazon Rainforest, African Savannah and Mojave Desert.

BBC Worldwide has also signed a new programme licensing deal with RTL for 45 hours of content.

Factual titles ?Bomb Squad? and ?Bomb Hunters? will premiere on RTL?s new free-to-air channel RTL Nitro. Also going to free-to-air on SuperRTL will be Robin Hood (S3) and the adventure drama Sinbad.

?Brazil with Michael Palin? leads a slate of informative titles
premiering on RTL Living including ?Jimmy?s Forrest?, ?How to Grow a Planet? and ?After Life - the Strange World of Decay?, while RTL Crime will host suspense drama ?The Body Farm? and Left Bank?s thriller ?Mad Dogs?.