Klondike, is a new six-part period drama by the Discovery Channel that will be aired for the first time in the UK on March 27th. Based on Charlotte Gray's book Gold Diggers: Striking It Rich in the Klondike, a tale that brings to life the story of seven strangers and their collective fight for survival and wealth in a small frontier town in the remote Klondike.

The journey begins in 1897 when two childhood best friends, Bill and Epstein make the perilous journey through the North American wilderness to Klondike boom town Dawson City, "The Paris of the North," where neither law nor order prevailed. This man-versus-nature tale places the heroes in a land full of undiscovered wealth, but ravaged by harsh conditions, unpredictable weather and desperate, dangerous characters including greedy businessmen, seductive courtesans and native tribes witnessing the destruction of their people and land by opportunistic entrepreneurs.

Further information on the new programme Klondike can be found at: www.discoveryuk.com

Background on the Yukon's Klondike Gold Rush

In 1896, prospectors found gold in a creek near Dawson City, Yukon, triggering a stampede to the Klondike. Bolstered by dreams and heartened by stories of riches, thousands of miners struggled across Chilkoot Pass and floated the Yukon River to Dawson City. Soon a rollicking frontier town with some 50,000 residents, making it the largest city in Canada west of Winnipeg and north of Seattle, Dawson filled up with desperate prospectors, shrewd entrepreneurs, Mounties and dancehall girls. Today, Dawson City is a national historic site and is still a lively and colourful place bursting with heritage sites and attractions, where you can still meet placer miners, dog mushers and other Klondike characters. You'll feel the grit, heartache and golden dreams of the Klondike Gold Rush when you reach this authentic frontier town. Walk among the carefully restored buildings with costumed inter­preters and feel like you're stepping back in time. Try your hand at blackjack, sample the infamous Sourtoe Cocktail, or take in a Can-Can show at Diamond Tooth Gerties gambling hall, the oldest in Canada. First Nations (native) cultural experiences and wilderness adventures are an important part of the Klondike experience too. Dawson City is a convenient base from which to explore the Dempster Highway (Canada's only road which crosses the Arctic Circle) to Tombstone Park, the Arctic Circle and North Yukon, and across the Yukon River to the Top of the World Highway.

Audley Travel offer a 15-day 'Spectacular Yukon' tour which explores the highlights of the Yukon including Dawson City, historic small gold rush towns and, of course, the breathtaking crowd-free mountain scenery. www.audleytravel.com

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For further information please contact:

Lisa Chamberlain

Tel: 020 8339 6152

Email: lisa.chamberlain@btinternet.com