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History Channel Netherlands Orders AI-Led ‘Streets of the Past’ From Particle6

Hearst positions the AI-driven format as a test of transparency with defined guardrails following controversy over Particle6’s synthetic performer.

Overview

  • The 10-episode short-form series will feature Dutch investigator and author Corjan Mol using AI to ‘step back in time’ on notable streets, squares and canals.
  • AI-generated scenes will be built from archival materials such as paintings, engravings and photographs, combining real historical figures with imagined characters to convey verified facts.
  • Eline van der Velden says this is Particle6’s first series with major on-screen AI deployment, blending live-action footage with AI imagery under human oversight.
  • Hearst says it will disclose when AI is used and apply clear ethical guardrails, with release planned in January on The History Channel Netherlands plus Hearst VoD/SVoD and social platforms.
  • Prior backlash over Particle6’s Tilly Norwood informs scrutiny of the project, as unions previously criticized the synthetic character’s creation and use.