TV
World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji
Considered the most expensive documentary production ever made, this $97 million reboot of Mark Burnett’s iconic, long-running Eco-Challenge series brought 66 teams to Fiji to compete in an epic adventure race shown on Amazon Prime, hosted by Bear Grylls.
I spent a month as a Producer-Shooter, being flown in by helicopter to the most remote locations in Fiji, filming and interviewing racers. Afterward, I spent nine months as a Supervising Producer, overseeing episodes 3 and 8 in post-production.
Network: Amazon Prime
Executive Producers: Mark Burnett, Lisa Hennessy, Eric Van Wagenen
Supervising Producer: Hank Leukart
The Amazing Race
In what may be possibly the most iconic reality competition television show of all time, for over 20 years, CBS’s The Amazing Race has asked 12 teams of two people who simply can’t seem to get along to race around the world, following a quirky and difficult scavenger hunt, competing for $1 million.
While working as a Field Producer on the show, I designed, set up, and produced challenges, and I time-tested the race course in countries all over the globe, including Russia, Indonesia, China, France, Netherlands, and the USA.
Network: CBS
Executive Producers: Bertram van Munster, Elise Doganieri
Field Producer: Hank Leukart
Expedition Impossible
Mark Burnett managed to combine concepts from Eco-Challenge, The Amazing Race, and Indiana Jones to create ABC’s Expedition Impossible, a high-adventure, human-drama competition documentary series, showcasing 13 teams of 3 racing in Morocco across vast deserts, over snow capped mountains and through raging rivers.
I spent a month in Morocco following racers with a camera: filming, interviewing, and ensuring that challenges, puzzles, and camps ran smoothly.
Network: ABC
Executive Producers: Mark Burnett, Lisa Hennessy
Field Producer & Story Segment Producer: Hank Leukart
Naked & Afraid
The most authentic and difficult survival challenge on television, Discovery’s Naked & Afraid takes two strangers, a man and a woman, and asks them to survive for 21 days in the wilderness in the most difficult circumstances possible: with no food, water, or clothes.
I worked as a Supervising Producer for Seasons 1 and 2, scouting survival locations during pre-production, directing cameras and interviewing survivalists during production, and working with editors to assemble episodes in post-production. I even appear on screen in three episodes.
Network: Discovery
Executive Producers: Stephen Rankin, Mathilde Bittner
Supervising Producer: Hank Leukart
Big Brother
Television’s most iconic house-reality series, CBS’s Big Brother follows a group of people living together in a house outfitted with 94 HD cameras and 113 microphones, recording their every move 24 hours per day.
I worked as a Segment Producer overseeing the control room in the Big Brother house and working with editors to assemble segments for the show. I also interviewed houseguests on camera and tested challenges to make sure they were ready for prime time.
Network: CBS
Executive Producers: Allison Grodner, Rich Meehan
Segment Producer: Hank Leukart
The American Baking Competition
The beloved Great British Bake Off is the ultimate baking battle, where passionate amateur baking fans compete to be crowned Best Amateur Baker. Each week the bakers tackle a different baking skill, which become progressively more difficult as the competition unfolds.
During production, I worked as a Segment Producer on the American version of the show for CBS, overseeing the baking-tent control room and interviewing bakers on camera. In post-production, I worked with editors to create the show. I also ate a lot of baked goods.
Network: CBS
Executive Producers: Richard McKerron, Jay Bienstock
Segment Producer: Hank Leukart
Top Shot
Hosted by Colby Donaldson, History’s Top Shot is a hit competition series that pushes competitors through grueling tests to demonstrate mastery of firearms from all eras of human history.
As a Story Producer during production, I was in charge of many seasons’ episodes. I interviewed competitors on camera and oversaw the production control room.
Network: History
Executive Producers: Craig Piligian, Ralph Wikke
Story Producer: Hank Leukart
The College Tour
Hosted by Alex Boylan, each episode of The College Tour on Amazon Prime tells the story of what life is truly like on college campuses across the country and around the world. From academics, housing, sports, career preparation, campus life/location, and much more. In this innovative and informative series, each story is told by real students, professors, and alumni who are currently enrolled or who have attended the featured college.
As a Director on the College Tour, I was in charge of entire episodes all over the country, managing the production and interviewing college students.
Network: Amazon Prime/Freevee
Executive Producers: Alex Boylan, Lisa Hennessy
Director: Hank Leukart
The Wheel
Discovery’s The Wheel dares six survivalists to survive in six distinctly grueling landscapes across South America. With every turn of the wheel, each person is dropped into a new isolated location, exposed to the world’s deadliest terrains including freezing tundra, rugged mountains and treacherous rainforest. Participants don’t know that their stint at each spot is determined by the rotation of the moon.
As a Supervising Producer during production, I was in charge of one of the six climate zones (in the Argentinian bush), directing the production crew and interviewing survivalists on camera.
Network: Discovery
Executive Producers: Craig Piligian, Sam Korkis
Supervising Producer: Hank Leukart
Declassified
CNN’s Declassified: Untold Stories of American Spies is a documentary series that details important cases, missions and operations of the American intelligence community, told firsthand by the men and women who worked on them.
As a Story Producer in post-production, I was in charge of two episodes from start to finish and responsible for filming recreation sequences for each episode.
Network: CNN
Executive Producer: Domini Hofmann
Story Producer: Hank Leukart
Religion of Sports
Race Across America is an ultra-cycling event that runs across the USA, from Oceanside, California to Annapolis, Maryland, clocking in at a little over 3,000 miles. Sarah Cooper, a 45-year-old mother of four from Iowa and an ultra-cycling phenomenon, set out to finish the race in under 10 days.
I was the Supervising Producer in charge of filming a documentary about Sarah, traveling across the country with the race, directing our camera crew, and handling travel logistics. In post-production, I was in charge of the episode and worked with editors to craft the story.
Network: DirecTV Audience Network
Executive Producer: Tom Brady, Gotham Chopra
Supervising Producer: Hank Leukart
72 Hours
In TNT’s 72 Hours, three teams of strangers must travel through a variety of challenging environments in search of a briefcase filled with money. Competitors navigate a wide variety of terrains, mountainous Southern Rockies and jungles of the South Pacific.
As a producer on 72 Hours, I spent a month in Fiji, designing and ground-truthing the race course, managing show logistics including camera crews, helicopters and ships (ask me about the time I saved $20k of jet fuel from being thrown into the sea by a crazy boat captain), and sourcing supplies.
Network: TNT
Executive Producer: Brady Connell, Rob LaPlante
Producer: Hank Leukart
Capture
In CW’s Capture, a Hunger-Games like intense action-adventure reality series, 12 teams of two enter a high-tech wilderness compound where they must live in primitive conditions for one month in a winners-take-all battle to survive — and a prize of $250,000. Relying on their survival skills and primal instincts, there is only one rule: Don’t get caught!
As a Story Producer during production, I ran 10-20 miles per day tracking teams of competitors through the wilderness, directing camera crews, and interviewing cast members on camera. In post-production, I was in charge of crafting the story of three episodes.
Network: The CW
Executive Producers: Brady Connell, Sean Foley
Story Producer: Hank Leukart
Exposure
Hulu’s Exposure is a competition series where eight photographers compete for a professional gig that could change one of their lives forever. They put their creativity and emotions on the line in a series of challenges that cover every aspect of phone photography, from art and food to sports and music. It’s time for them to take their best shot.
As a Story Producer during post-production, I was in charge of building two episodes from start to finish.
Network: Hulu
Executive Producers: Colleen Sands
Story Producer: Hank Leukart
Secret of Skinwalker Ranch
Astrophysicist Dr. Travis Taylor, along with a team of scientists and researchers, investigates UFO-related phenomenon on Utah’s notorious Skinwalker Ranch. Exploring mysterious animal deaths, unidentified aircraft, and even possible gateways to other dimensions, the team risks everything to reveal the perplexing secret of Skinwalker Ranch.
As a Supervising Producer during production, I directed camera crews, tracked story, and filmed unfolding stories as a producer-shooter.
Network: History and Hulu
Executive Producers: Kevin Burns, Joe Lessard, Matt Crocco
Supervising Producer: Hank Leukart
Tethered
In Tethered, two strangers from opposite backgrounds embark on a journey across treacherous terrain to find freedom. Dropped into the wilderness with just a six-foot cable binding them together, a basic map and a limited survival kit, the pairing has 12 days to overcome their differences in order to escape the wild.
As a Supervising Producer, I was in charge of Episode 4, filmed in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. I interviewed cast members, directed camera crews, and managed logistics.
Network: Discovery
Executive Producer: Peter Goetz
Supervising Producer: Hank Leukart
Ice Cold Gold
Ice Cold Gold follows a spirited team of American miners who are among the first people to prospect for precious metals and gems in the harshest and wildest parts of Greenland.
I worked as a Story Producer in charge of three episodes in post-production, managing editors and associate producers, and building story stringouts.
Network: Animal Planet and Discovery+
Executive Producers: David Casey, Pete Ritchie
Story Producer: Hank Leukart
Pitchmen
Pitchmen follows infomercial producers and talent Billy Mays and Anthony “Sully” Sullivan as they attempt to sell inventions through direct-response marketing via Telebrands, one of the largest direct response/infomercial companies.
I was a Story Producer on Pitchmen, setting up shoots, directing camera crews, and crafting story segments for the series.
Network: Discovery
Executive Producers: Thom Beers, Steve Jones
Story Producer: Hank Leukart
