If we can presume that David Livingstone — he of the 19th-century expedition to find the source of the Nile — was the original survivor of popular imagination, then why shouldn’t Mark Burnett — he of the television phenomenon “Survivor” — find common ground with him?

In an intriguing new example of unscripted television, Mr. Burnett will recreate the expedition of Henry Morton Stanley to find the missing Dr. Livingstone in a series he will produce for the History Channel.

“This is really a return to my roots,” said Mr. Burnett, who first broke through in television producing the nature race “Eco-Challenge.” “This is taking the element of nature in the raw and adding the truth of history.”

Abbe Raven, president of A&E Television Networks, which includes the History Channel, will announce the Stanley-Livingstone show next week when her company presents its programming plans for next season.