Blood, Guts, and Gold: With an All-Star Cast Including Richard Madden, Sam Shepard, Tim Roth, and Abbie Cornish, Epic Miniseries KLONDIKE Premieres Jan. 20 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery

- Based on Canadian writer Charlotte Gray's novel Gold Diggers: Striking it Rich in the Klondike, and filmed against the stunning Alberta mountain range, the six-hour miniseries debuts day-and-date with U.S. premiere -

- All six hours of KLONDIKE will air Sunday, January 26 beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT in a special encore marathon -

TORONTO, Dec. 19, 2013 /CNW/ - Inspired by the true stories of those who hunted for wealth and battled for survival in the brutal 1890s' gold rush in Canada's Yukon Territory, Discovery presents KLONDIKE, a sweeping six-hour, three-night miniseries premiering Monday, January 20 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Based on the novel by award-winning Canadian biographer and historian Charlotte Gray, Gold Diggers: Striking It Rich in the Klondike, KLONDIKE brings to life the tale of seven strangers and their collective fight for survival and wealth in a small, 1890s frontier town in the remote Klondike. Discovery Canada will present the miniseries day-and-date with the Discovery U.S. premiere, an epic television event airing nightly at 9 p.m. ET/PT from Monday, January 20 through Wednesday, January 22. Discovery Canada will present all six hours of KLONDIKE in a special encore marathon on Sunday, January 26, beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

"This gold rush story is an incredible chapter in our own Canadian history. The grit and determination, the harsh conditions, raw beauty, and deadly power of nature - these themes resonate with our audience even today," said Paul Lewis, President and General Manager, Discovery Canada. "KLONDIKE will be an extraordinary extension of Discovery's already-captivating 'gold' programming and we're delighted to bring this to Canadian viewers in the New Year."

Filmed on location in Alberta last spring, KLONDIKE features a stellar, award-winning cast, including Academy Award® and Golden Globe® nominee Sam Shepard (The Right Stuff) as Jesuit priest Father Judge; Academy Award® and Golden Globe® nominee Tim Roth (Rob Roy; Reservoir Dogs, LIE TO ME) as The Count; and female lead Abbie Cornish (Limitless, Sucker Punch) as the entrepreneurial businesswoman Belinda Mulroney. The friends and prospectors at the heart of the story are Richard Madden (GAME OF THRONES) as Bill Haskell, and Augustus Prew (THE BORGIAS, Charlie St. Cloud) as Byron Epstein. Johnny Simmons (The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) appears as iconic writer Jack London.

KLONDIKE follows the lives of two childhood best friends, Bill Haskell and Byron Epstein, during the late 1890s gold rush as they endeavour to make their fortune in the untamed Yukon Territory. This man-versus-nature tale places the pair in a land full of undiscovered wealth, but ravaged by harsh conditions and unpredictable weather. The duo face desperate, dangerous characters including greedy businessmen, seductive courtesans, and indigenous communities witnessing the destruction of their people and land by opportunistic entrepreneurs.

To view the complete release, access photography, and download the full press kit, go to bellmediapr.ca/Network/Discovery/Klondike.

Image with caption: "Stake your claim. KLONDIKE - an epic three-night television event - premieres on Discovery Jan. 20-22 (CNW Group/Discovery)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20131219_C5895_PHOTO_EN_35181.jpg

Image with caption: "Stake your claim. KLONDIKE - an epic three-night television event - premieres on Discovery Jan. 20-22 (CNW Group/Discovery)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20131219_C5895_PHOTO_EN_35183.jpg

Image with caption: "Stake your claim. KLONDIKE - an epic three-night television event - premieres on Discovery Jan. 20-22 (CNW Group/Discovery)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20131219_C5895_PHOTO_EN_35182.jpg

SOURCE: Discovery

Jodi Cook, Discovery Channel & Factual Networks, 416.384.4603 or [email protected]
Noah Zatzman, Discovery Channel & Factual Networks, 416.384.5903 or [email protected]