Animal Planet's ICE COLD GOLD spotlights a spirited team of miners who are among the first Americans to prospect for precious metals and gems in parts of Greenland where humans never have set foot before. Beginning April 21, at 10 PM (ET/ PT), the six-part series follows eight men who leave behind their families, friends and Homeland to strike it rich against all odds while struggling to survive against the harshest of conditions.
Greenland's a veritable beast, but the motley crew of ICE COLD GOLD miners is up for the challenge. Each thinks he has what it takes to walk away with gold, rubies and sapphires before winter and large mining companies swoop in. What transpires as the miners cope with the unpredictable, harsh unknown? Are they humbled by their journey? Do their personalities get in the way? Most importantly, do they strike ICE COLD GOLD?
At 836,000 square miles, Greenland is the world's largest island, but most of the land of this sleeping giant has been undisturbed during a 400,000 to 800,000-year-old icy reign. For the first time on TV, ICE COLD GOLD deploys cameras in Greenland to follow the miners on the frontlines of this modern-day mining rush, where the team hopes to find the next big precious metal or gem deposit. In the past decade, global warming has forced Greenland from its mysterious, cold isolation. Recognizing the island nation for its untapped, treasure trove of mineral wealth, the world is now seeing Greenland in a new light. Some of the Greenlandic people hope to profit from this shift; they believe that responsible mining can improve their futures in many ways.
In ICE COLD GOLD, meet
The Following fierce men who hope to wrest the treasures from this terrestrial beast:
· Eric Drummond -Geologist: With his extensive knowledge of gem and rock formation, Eric is expected to lead the way in this new frontier. For more than three decades, he's made millions mining for other companies; now, ICE COLD GOLD is his chance to strike it rich on his own terms.
· Chad Watkins: Dredger/Prospector: Striving to keep his family afloat, expert prospector Chad needs to conquer Greenland, no matter the cost. He's proving to his wife and son that he can make something of himself doing what he loves for once; for him, it's about personal pride.
· John Self: Placer Miner/Prospector: John's desire to strike gold in Greenland is fueled by his deep-seated mining addiction and his goal of sending his daughter to college. Times have been tough for him back in his home state of Colorado. Who knows - with one shake of the pan in Greenland, maybe he can turn his fortune.
· Jesse Feldman: Hard Rock Miner: Hunting for treasure may have started as a hobby for this self-proclaimed renaissance man, but along with brother Josh, Jesse has become a seasoned veteran whose skills are put to the test now more than ever. Jesse comes from a family who's been mining for generations, and he wants to get out of his father's shadow and make a name for himself.
· Josh Feldman: Hard Rock Miner: Brother of Jesse, Josh is hell bent on getting the gold despite the odds. The Feldmans were born with opportunities - but can they find their very own success?
· Zach 'Gator' Schoose: Excavation Expert: Close friend of the Feldmans, Zach knows he's got the chops to take on the Greenland beast. But unlike his maverick best friends, Zach has a young family to support. Is he willing to take such big risks? He stands to lose so much more if the team fails.
· Jack Duggins: Wilderness Guide: His fellow teammates may know all about drilling, but it's Jack who's going to keep everyone alive - no matter what Mother
Nature throws his way. Problem is - he's a bit of a loner, having lived off the grid for a while, so being a part of a team throws a huge challenge his way.
· Americo DiSantis: Driller: Having never even camped before, Americo's a newbie to all this But, he's determined to prove to himself and his daughters back home that he can succeed and hang with the rest of them in Greenland.
ICE COLD GOLD was shot last summer in Greenland in its capital city, Nuuk, and the remote area known as Stor, within the largest fjord system in the world. It's the largest television production ever filmed in Greenland.
ICE COLD GOLD is a production of
moxie pictures in association with Lone Wolf Media for Animal Planet. Executive producers are Cynthia Palormo with
David Casey, Danny Levinson and Robby Fernandez for
moxie pictures and Jed Rauscher, Kirk Wolfinger and Lisa Quijano Wolfinger for Lone Wolf Media. For Animal Planet, Melinda Toporoff is the executive producer, and Pat Dempsey is the production coordinator. ICE COLD GOLD was developed by Animal Planet's Kurt Tondorf. The series is based on the original concept by
David Casey.
Animal Planet Media (APM), a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, is the world's only entertainment brand that immerses viewers in the full range of life in the animal kingdom with rich, deep content via multiple platforms and offers animal lovers and pet owners access to a centralized online, television and mobile
Community for immersive, engaging, high-quality entertainment, information and enrichment. APM consists of the
Animal Planet television network, available in more than 96 million homes in the US; online assets www.animalplanet.com, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; the
24/7 broadband channel,
Animal Planet Beyond; Petfinder.com, the #1 pet-related Web property globally that facilitates pet adoption; and other media platforms including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD) service; mobile content; and merchandising extensions.
Photo: PETER STODDARD/ANIMAL PLANET
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