National Geographic to Premiere New Series YUKON GOLD, 9/5

It is a job few would want: 18-hour work days. Unforgiving landscapes. Mechanical struggles. All risk, and sometimes no reward. On the surface, it might look like the famous Klondike Gold Rush of the late 1800s. But this is a modern-day take on the quest for the ultimate dream - to strike it rich with one lucky strike. In National Geographic Channel's new series Yukon Gold, follow four family-run mining camps as they risk everything in the hope of hitting the paystreak. Working grueling days under the midnight sun, the crews give it their all to battle the elements ... and each other. Yukon Gold airs Thursdays at 7 p.m. ET/PT beginning September 5 on National Geographic Channel.

Yukon Gold delves into the real lives of these mining crews and the uncompromising challenges facing them. These miners lay everything on the line - their relationships, bank accounts, reputations and lives - to get their next gold fix, worth potentially millions of dollars. It's genuine gold fever.

Even though the price of gold hit an all-time high in 2011, these days it takes mining even more gold just to break even. But there are still riches to be won through hard work ... and sometimes sheer luck. The determined, die-hard men of the Yukon are banking on finding 1,000 or more ounces of gold this season, and with good reason. The costs of wages, fuel, food and equipment are as high as ever. But these resilient miners never give up. Over the past two years, they've spent close to half a billion dollars exploring gold, silver, copper, zinc and other minerals in the Yukon.

"Mining is our way of life," says miner Ken Foy. "Worst case scenario, you can lose everything you have. But the best case scenario means an opportunity to get rich. You just never know."

The four gold mining crews profiled in Yukon Gold are novice "Big Al" McGregor; ornery Bernie Kreft and his two sons, Justin and Jarrett; best friends Ken Foy and Guillaume Brodeur; and Karl Knutson and his demanding father, Marty. From spring thaw to the mid-October freeze-up, the miners have only four short months to strike it big. The days are long, the work is exhausting, and anything that can go wrong usually does. Add to this the stunning but dangerous Yukon landscape and harsh living conditions, and you've got high stakes in the exotic Northern wilderness.

YUKON GOLD: PAYDIRT MOUNTAIN
Thursday, September 5, at 7 p.m. ET/PT
Gold mining season begins in Dawson City, Yukon, and the countdown to winter is on. Newcomer Big Al worries his season could be over before it starts when his excavator, named "Big Girl," fails. Further south, Bernie struggles not only to find gold, but also to teach his young sons how to be miners. In Moose Creek, best friends Ken and Guillaume cannot get their sluice machine, "The Beast," up and running - and without it, their entire season could be a bust. Despite all these setbacks, by the end of the episode, one of these teams will walk away with $250,000 worth of gold.

YUKON GOLD: HANDFUL OF GOLD
Thursday, September 12, at 7 p.m. ET/PT
It is week three for mining crew Ken and Guillaume and nonstop rain jeopardizes their cut. On Sulphur Creek, young crew boss Karl has no sluice machine, and no sluicer means no gold. Karl's father, Marty, a highly respected self-made miner, builds another one from scratch. While Karl waits, he struggles to keep his crew on task - and live up to his father's high expectations. Big Al tests new strategies - and new equipment - on a fresh claim. If only he could keep all of his machines running.

Produced by Paperny Entertainment, executive producers are David Paperny, Cal Shumiatcher, Audrey Mehler, Beth Wichterich and Lynne Kirby. Trevor Hodgson is co-executive producer. Producers are David Paperny, Vera Lubimova, Cal Shumiatcher and Christine Brandt. Sarah Sharkey Pearce is supervising story producer, Megan Cameron is line producer and Rachel Coe and Paula Pawlovich are associate producers.

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