Thom Beers' passion for honoring everyday heroes and his gift for telling their stories has firmly established his non-fiction brand, Original Productions, as a creator of honest-to-goodness unscripted reality programming.
The driving force behind the Primetime Emmy winning "Deadliest Catch" and "Ice Road Truckers," and top-rated shows "Monster Garage" and "Black Gold", Beers has created a unique brand of television programming featuring unheralded heroes in high risk, high reward situations. His catalogue of more than 40 series is firmly entrenched across cable powerhouses Discovery Communications Networks, History, WeTV, SPIKE TV, The National Geographic Channel, TruTV and TLC among others.
Beers believes viewers are tired of customary reality programming fare. "Audiences are asking for something that's real. They want to watch real people, having actual life experiences, facing true challenges," says Beers. "And that's what we give them. Real heroes from real life." The New York Times says about Beers, "He is the unchallenged king of a reality television form variously known by names like 'macho TV' or 'testoster-reality' that has swept across cable channels like a ratings-driven wildfire."
When he founded Original Productions in 1999, Beers began producing and distributing a slate of unique programming domestically and internationally. Less than a decade later, his company is one of television's leading suppliers of unscripted reality programming. His award-winning company has built a strong relationship with networks including NBC, TruTV, Discovery, History, A&E, SPIKE TV, National Geographic, TLC, Animal Planet, and WEtv. Beers' first foray into reality programming was with Discovery Networks, initially delivering a quick succession of hit documentaries. His unique and stylized documentary film "Motorcycle Mania II" made its world premiere on Discovery, where it remains one of the network's highest rated documentaries.
His dramatic adventure documentary "Deadliest Jobs," about the dangers of crab fishing in the Bering Sea, became another ratings winner for the network. It inspired the hit series "Deadliest Catch," which has became a signature show for Original Productions. The second, third and fourth seasons of "Deadliest Catch" proved to be even bigger successes for Discovery, emerging as the network's highest-rated series and scoring a total of eight Primetime Emmy Award nominations. In 2009 Beers released his first television movie event, "The Deadliest Sea" produced for Discovery.
In the summer of 2007, Beers produced "Ice Road Truckers" for History with stunning success. The audience favorite was the highest rated series of programs ever to air on the network. Original Productions also created History's second highest rated series, "Ax Men."
Beers developed "Black Gold" debuting in June 2008 on TruTV; "Alien Intent," an A&E pilot; "Verminators," and "Iditarod" for Discovery and "1,000 Ways to Die" for Spike TV. Viewers continue to enjoy episodes from Beers' early trademark series such as "Monster Garage," "Biker Build-Off," "Monster House," and "Backyard Nation."
Not one to let the grass grow under his feet, Beers debuted his first graphic novel, "Chopper Zombie" at Comic Con 2008. Created by Beers, co-written with Todd Livingston and illustrated by Scott Keating, the book follows the fate of brilliant motorcycle builder, Taz, who refuses to sell his formula for a new super-fuel to a dangerous corporation. When a team of thugs drowns him in his own toxic creation, he rises from the dead with a score to settle. As a follow-up to the book, Original Productions is now in development on a feature film.
When Beers founded Original Productions, he had served 11 years as a production executive and series and specials producer for Turner Broadcasting; and later held a similar position at Paramount Syndicated Television in Los Angeles. As Vice President/Supervising Producer for Turner Original Productions, Beers responsibilities encompassed supervising original programming for TBS Superstation, including the award-winning series "National Geographic Explorer," "Network Earth" and "The Jacques Cousteau" Specials. Beers created and executive produced the TBS and syndicated series "Wild! Life Adventures." He also served as the producer for the highest-rated specials in the history of Turner Original Productions—"Harley Davidson The American Motorcycle," the Emmy winning "Cats And Dogs," and "The Incredible Life and Times of Robert L. Ripley, Believe It or Not." Beers was also one of the creators and supervising producer of the animated series "Captain Planet" and the "Planeteers," and prior to that served as Vice President of Development for TBS Productions. While at Paramount, he was the Series Producer for the hit syndicated wildlife series "Wild Things" for Paramount Television.
Before turning his energies toward producing, Beers began his career as an actor, performing in numerous stage productions in New York and along the eastern seaboard. He keeps his hand in the performing side of the entertainment business, providing the powerful narration for most of Original Productions' series.
In February 2009, FremantleMedia, one of the largest creators and producers of entertainment brands in the world, acquired a majority stake in Original Productions. The deal allows Thom Beers and his team at Original Productions to expand its growing slate.
Thom Beers is a sought after speaker at industry conferences and seminars being asked to address organizations such as the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE), The Realscreen Summit, and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). He is a former Board of Director's member of Mountainfilm; and currently serves on the Honorary Board of Trustees of this Telluride, Colorado, noted independent documentary film festival; Beers is a member of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the International Documentary Association. He is an avid car collector and motorcycle enthusiast who sports a rusty golf swing.
He lives with his wife and son in Los Angeles.
The driving force behind the Primetime Emmy winning "Deadliest Catch" and "Ice Road Truckers," and top-rated shows "Monster Garage" and "Black Gold", Beers has created a unique brand of television programming featuring unheralded heroes in high risk, high reward situations. His catalogue of more than 40 series is firmly entrenched across cable powerhouses Discovery Communications Networks, History, WeTV, SPIKE TV, The National Geographic Channel, TruTV and TLC among others.
Beers believes viewers are tired of customary reality programming fare. "Audiences are asking for something that's real. They want to watch real people, having actual life experiences, facing true challenges," says Beers. "And that's what we give them. Real heroes from real life." The New York Times says about Beers, "He is the unchallenged king of a reality television form variously known by names like 'macho TV' or 'testoster-reality' that has swept across cable channels like a ratings-driven wildfire."
When he founded Original Productions in 1999, Beers began producing and distributing a slate of unique programming domestically and internationally. Less than a decade later, his company is one of television's leading suppliers of unscripted reality programming. His award-winning company has built a strong relationship with networks including NBC, TruTV, Discovery, History, A&E, SPIKE TV, National Geographic, TLC, Animal Planet, and WEtv. Beers' first foray into reality programming was with Discovery Networks, initially delivering a quick succession of hit documentaries. His unique and stylized documentary film "Motorcycle Mania II" made its world premiere on Discovery, where it remains one of the network's highest rated documentaries.
His dramatic adventure documentary "Deadliest Jobs," about the dangers of crab fishing in the Bering Sea, became another ratings winner for the network. It inspired the hit series "Deadliest Catch," which has became a signature show for Original Productions. The second, third and fourth seasons of "Deadliest Catch" proved to be even bigger successes for Discovery, emerging as the network's highest-rated series and scoring a total of eight Primetime Emmy Award nominations. In 2009 Beers released his first television movie event, "The Deadliest Sea" produced for Discovery.
In the summer of 2007, Beers produced "Ice Road Truckers" for History with stunning success. The audience favorite was the highest rated series of programs ever to air on the network. Original Productions also created History's second highest rated series, "Ax Men."
Beers developed "Black Gold" debuting in June 2008 on TruTV; "Alien Intent," an A&E pilot; "Verminators," and "Iditarod" for Discovery and "1,000 Ways to Die" for Spike TV. Viewers continue to enjoy episodes from Beers' early trademark series such as "Monster Garage," "Biker Build-Off," "Monster House," and "Backyard Nation."
Not one to let the grass grow under his feet, Beers debuted his first graphic novel, "Chopper Zombie" at Comic Con 2008. Created by Beers, co-written with Todd Livingston and illustrated by Scott Keating, the book follows the fate of brilliant motorcycle builder, Taz, who refuses to sell his formula for a new super-fuel to a dangerous corporation. When a team of thugs drowns him in his own toxic creation, he rises from the dead with a score to settle. As a follow-up to the book, Original Productions is now in development on a feature film.
When Beers founded Original Productions, he had served 11 years as a production executive and series and specials producer for Turner Broadcasting; and later held a similar position at Paramount Syndicated Television in Los Angeles. As Vice President/Supervising Producer for Turner Original Productions, Beers responsibilities encompassed supervising original programming for TBS Superstation, including the award-winning series "National Geographic Explorer," "Network Earth" and "The Jacques Cousteau" Specials. Beers created and executive produced the TBS and syndicated series "Wild! Life Adventures." He also served as the producer for the highest-rated specials in the history of Turner Original Productions—"Harley Davidson The American Motorcycle," the Emmy winning "Cats And Dogs," and "The Incredible Life and Times of Robert L. Ripley, Believe It or Not." Beers was also one of the creators and supervising producer of the animated series "Captain Planet" and the "Planeteers," and prior to that served as Vice President of Development for TBS Productions. While at Paramount, he was the Series Producer for the hit syndicated wildlife series "Wild Things" for Paramount Television.
Before turning his energies toward producing, Beers began his career as an actor, performing in numerous stage productions in New York and along the eastern seaboard. He keeps his hand in the performing side of the entertainment business, providing the powerful narration for most of Original Productions' series.
In February 2009, FremantleMedia, one of the largest creators and producers of entertainment brands in the world, acquired a majority stake in Original Productions. The deal allows Thom Beers and his team at Original Productions to expand its growing slate.
Thom Beers is a sought after speaker at industry conferences and seminars being asked to address organizations such as the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE), The Realscreen Summit, and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). He is a former Board of Director's member of Mountainfilm; and currently serves on the Honorary Board of Trustees of this Telluride, Colorado, noted independent documentary film festival; Beers is a member of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the International Documentary Association. He is an avid car collector and motorcycle enthusiast who sports a rusty golf swing.
He lives with his wife and son in Los Angeles.
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