“Iditarod” the Reality Show?

Discovery Channel has greenlighted a new series from the producers behind its hit show “Deadliest Catch,” which centers on the 2008 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

The series, from Thom Beers’ Original Productions, has a common theme with “Catch” as well as other Discovery programming, said John Ford, who was named president and GM of the network in November.

“At Discovery, we look at ordinary men and women doing extraordinary things and show the heroic side,” he said. “This is the DNA that ties all the shows together, and it’s an important aspect of what Discovery Channel does. We’re going out there into the tough places of the world where the temperatures and conditions are extreme.”

Production has wrapped on the tentatively titled “Iditarod,” a six-part series being eyed for a late-summer premiere. The hour-long series follows eight teams in the annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race — a 1,151-mile race that takes place over two weeks each March in the subzero Alaskan wilderness.

Beers said that cameras followed eight of the 85 teams that competed this month, and as luck would have it, “we got the winner.” He said he’s actually been interested in doing a show about the race for some time.

“But we had to wait until technology caught up,” Beers said. “We couldn’t use ordinary cameras. We had to use something that would be light enough so it wasn’t weighing down the sleds.”

Ford emphasized that the series has not been scheduled yet but noted that “Iditarod” could work well with Discovery’s adventure-themed programming.

Original’s credits include Discovery’s “Monster Garage” and History Channel’s “Ice Road Truckers” and “Ax Men.”