NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PREMIERES FIRST-EVER FULLY SCRIPTED SERIES GENIUS

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FOX and National Geographic bring history to life with the launch of an original, fully scripted mini-series event exploring the ‘man behind the mind’ – Albert Einstein.

Genius premieres in the Philippines on Wednesday, April 26 at 8 p.m. on National Geographic

Although his scientific achievements still inspire awe, few know the full story of the 20th century’s most brilliant icon Albert Einstein. National Geographic’s new 10-part series GENIUS – the channel’s first fully scripted series – explores Einstein’s extraordinary professional achievements along with his passionate and complex personal relationships. The mini-series arrives in the Philippines, premiering on National Geographic on Wednesday, April 26, in the Philippines at 8 p.m. 

With GENIUS, National Geographic is taking a revolutionary step to becoming an original content creator, ready for battle on the scripted TV landscape. GENIUS follows Einstein’s journey from an imaginative thinker of humble origins, to fleeing the Nazis during World War II, to attaining global celebrity status for his scientific endeavors. National Geographic’s first-ever fully scripted series reveals the untold story of the man behind the mind, delving into Einstein’s happiness and heartbreak as he struggles to be a husband, a father, and a man of principle. Entertaining as well as educational, GENIUS will help viewers learn more about how Einstein unlocked the mysteries of the cosmos in a significant historical era spanning two World Wars.

A start-studded cast and behind-the-camera team join GENIUS. The fully scripted series stars world-famous Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech, Pirates of the Caribbean) as Einstein, while prestigious English actress Emily Watson (War Horse, The Theory of Everything) plays Einstein’s second wife. The GENIUS executive production team includes the multi Oscar-winning team of Ron Howard and Brian Grazer; and Howard also makes his scripted television directorial debut with the first episode of GENIUS. Other GENIUS stars include familiar faces from Game of Thrones, Grey’s Anatomy, Mad Men and more.

The series begins in Einstein’s teenage years, when he argues with his father and drops out of school in Germany to go to University in Switzerland. Einstein encounters romance, political drama and unexpected personal struggles, but he manages to make a name for himself as a rising scientific mind. As relief at the end of World War I turns to fear at Europe’s rising tide of anti-Semitism, Einstein seeks sanctuary in the United States. Here, he struggles to balance his identity as a lifelong pacifist and a remarkably talented scientist who is the only one in the world potentially capable of stopping the rise of Hitler. 

Lucien Harrington, SVP of Marketing & Communications for FOX Networks Group in Asia, says, “GENIUS is an evolution of National Geographic programing. Already the global leader in premium science, adventure and exploration programing, National Geographic is now firmly establishing itself as an original content creator bringing the best in education and entertainment to audiences in Asia and around the globe. We are delivering on the National Geographic renewed vision to take people one step to the edge of impossible and then, further. GENIUS is not only a global mini-series entertainment event – it is also a brand new way for National Geographic audiences to explore the past and learn the truth behind the legend of famous historical figures like Albert Einstein.” 

The “Everyday Genius” Contest

“I have no special talents, I am only passionately curious.” – Albert Einstein

Are geniuses born or made? Was Einstein destined from birth to become a brilliant scientist, or was his genius all down to hard work? To commemorate the launch of GENIUS, National Geographic is challenging viewers across Asia to harness the power of their minds and accelerate their genius. 

Join the “Everyday Genius” contest by submitting your brilliant ideas – the ones that could solve an everyday problem, and the ones that could change the world – for your chance to win exclusive access to the National Geographic Explorers Festival in Washington D.C across June 15-18, 2017. This exciting annual event brings together the world's most fascinating and innovative scientists, conservationists, explorers, and storytellers together in one place to share their latest discoveries and ideas.

Find inspiration for your entry in the long history of innovation in Asia; from silk cloth, to the umbrella, to the magnetic compass, to gunpowder and more. 

Visit http://www.everydaygenius.asia www.everydaygenius.asia for more information and to submit your ideas from now till May 7, 2017. 

Vote on who you think should be named Asia’s “Everyday Genius” from May 12, 2017.

GENIUS is a National Geographic original scripted series produced by Fox 21 Television Studios, Imagine Television and OddLot Entertainment. National Geographic is also partnering with the SNOW app, where users can use the face filter to look like Einstein. 

In the Philippines, the series will premiere at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 26.

Are You Ready? FOX Networks Group’s National Geographic Channel Presents Living on MARS in 2033

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Manila, Philippines – FOX Networks Group’s National Geographic Channel redefines television storytelling with new thought-provoking six-part series of MARS, premiered in the Philippines on Sunday, November 13 at 9:00PM. 

A brand-defining series for National Geographic Channel, MARS tells the story of mankind’s thrilling quest to colonize the Red Planet. 

Merging science and science fiction to depict the inevitable future, this global television event redefines on-air storytelling by combining film-quality scripted drama and visual effects with a powerful documentary interviewing some of the best and brightest minds in modern science and innovation, including Elon Musk. 

MARS: Created by Hollywood Award-Winning Directors and Actors

MARS is the work of Academy Award-winning and Emmy-winning producers Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Michael Rosenberg of Imagine Entertainment; and Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning producer Justin Wilkes and Dave O’Connor of Radical Media. 

The show’s stars include South Korean-born singer, composer, and multimedia artist JiHAE, playing Mission Pilot Hana Seung; and Ben Cotton, known for sci-fi productions ranging from Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome to The Chronicles of Riddick, who takes on the role of American Mission Commander Ben Sawyer.

Jude Turcuato SVP, General Manager - Fox Networks Group during the MARS mini series media launch and briefing on making MARS Home  held at the Abe Serendra, November 16, 2016. 

Making MARS Home

The scripted portion of MARS follows a crew of six fictitious astronauts in the year 2033 as they travel to Mars aboard the spacecraft Daedalus – Earth’s first-ever crewed mission to the Red Planet. The mission is funded by international partnerships and corporations, working together to get this once-in-a-lifetime voyage off the ground. When the uniquely qualified Daedalus crew arrive on Mars, they explore astounding wonders and grapple with unexpected challenges as they work to set up humanity’s first colony on the Distant Planet.

Bridging the space between science and science fiction, MARS also showcases an unprecedented collection of interviews with the world’s leading scientific minds. As the fictional story of the Daedalus crew unfolds, television audiences will hear real interviews with some of the most fascinating people on Earth, including astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson; business magnate and inventor Elon Musk; Andy Weir, author of The Martian, adapted into an Oscar-nominated film starring Matt Damon; and former NASA astronauts Charles Bolden, John Grunsfeld and James Lovell.

“Brian [Grazer] and I, along with our friends at Radical, had this ambitious idea, which was to create a documentary about the quest to go to Mars but also bring it to life in a really dramatic and cinematic way,” said Executive Producer Ron Howard. “The offer to the audience will be information meets vivid and experiential filmmaking. Nat Geo’s ambition was high, and we are really honored and thrilled to try and meet that challenge.”

Lucien Harrington, SVP of Marketing & Communications for the FOX Networks Group in Asia, said, “MARS is a first-of-its-kind program for the National Geographic Channel in that it fuses fact with fiction, based on scientific data and predictions. Like the fictional mission of the Daedalus in 2033, getting this show off the ground represents the exceptional efforts of a huge number of people – from our visionary producers, talented actors and out-of-this-world visual effects team, to the scientists and engineers who advised them. Today, at the premiere of MARS, we are delighted to see all of that hard work translate into an unprecedented global television event.”

The suspenseful story of humanity’s first manned mission to Mars will be revealed in one-hour episodes over the next six weeks. Tune in to National Geographic Channel for its continuing episodes every Thursday at 9:00PM beginning November 17, 2016. 

For more about the show including the experts, actors and storylines, visit: mars.natgeotv.com/

And if you’re up for learning more about your Red Planet readiness, visit www.makemarshome.com

LIVING ON MARS IN 2033: ARE YOU READY?

Catch National Geographic Channel’s thought-provoking six-part series - MARS , Thursdays at 9pm 

About Fox Networks Group Asia

FOX Network Group Asia (FNG) is 21st Century FOX’s international multi-media business. FNG develops, produces and distributes more than 300 wholly- and majority-owned entertainment, sports, factual and movie channels in 45 languages across Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa. FNG’s core channel brands include FOX, FOX Sports, FOX Life, FOX+ and National Geographic Channel. FNG’s movie channels include FOX Movies, FOX Movies Premium and SCM (formerly Star Chinese Movies. Non-linear brands include FOX Play, FOX Play+ and Nat Geo Play. These networks and their related mobile, non-linear and high-definition extensions, reach over 1.8 billion cumulative households worldwide. In addition, FNG owns and operates two production studios and produces thousands of local programming hours for its wholly owned channels and third parties. FNG has been in operation since August 14, 1993.

About National Geographic Channels

The National Geographic Channels (The Channels) form the television and production arm of National Geographic Partners, a joint venture between 21st Century Fox and the National Geographic Society. As a global leader in premium science, adventure and exploration programming, the Channels include: National Geographic Channel (NGC), Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo People and Nat Geo MUNDO. Additionally, the Channels also run the in-house television production unit, National Geographic Studios. The Channels contribute to the National Geographic Society’s commitment to exploration, conservation and education with entertaining, innovative programming from A-level talent around the world, and with profits that help support the society’s mission. Globally, NGC is available in more than 440 million homes in 171 countries and 45 languages, and Nat Geo WILD is available in 131 countries and 38 languages. National Geographic Partners is also a leader in social media, with a fan base of 250 million people across all of its social pages. NGC contributes over 55 million social media fans globally on Facebook alone. 

For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com and www.natgeowild.com.

National Geographic Channel presents "Breakthrough", an innovative science series premieres November 5

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National Geographic Channel (NGC) will be airing the highly anticipated science series Breakthrough this November.  Its Philippine premiere, the first in Asia, on November 5 at 9 PM, with all six one-hour episodes showing on Thursdays on NGC.

Breakthrough, a show that will bring to life the stories, people and technology behind the world’s most advanced scientific innovations that determine how our lives shall evolve. In one of the episodes, "breakthrough will uncover some of the most cutting edge new treatments and vaccines being developed to prevent deadly viral pandemics.

Executive produced by Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Steve Michaels, Jonathan Koch and Mark Dowley, this groundbreaking series will highlight the most important and fascinating innovations that are currently making waves in the scientific community and are set to affect how we live our lives in the immediate future and beyond.

Not only will Breakthrough outline the science behind these innovations, but it will also explore the courage, imagination, passion and self-sacrifice of the scientists who brought them to life. Their stories will be portrayed with compassion and yet instill a sense of wonder as each episode will be directed by a different Hollywood visionary including Ron Howard, Brett Ratner, Peter Berg, Angela Bassett, Akiva Goldsman, and Paul Giamatti.

Tackling diverse scientific realms ranging from brain science to cyborg technology, Breakthrough promises an exciting and thorough preview of the future, ably presented by Hollywood’s best talents. Howard undertakes human longevity and Giamatti expounds on innovations in technology, while Ratner explores the brain, Berg examines pandemics, and Bassett and Goldsman present on the necessary resources of water and energy, respectively.

Breakthrough is co-produced by NGC and GE, both long-time proponents of innovation, science and exploration. However, what makes their partnership for this project unique is that they not only financed the series but shared equally in its creative direction.

“Modern science and technology are the keys to addressing the challenges the world is facing today,” said Courteney Monroe, CEO, National Geographic Channels. 

“By partnering with GE — as dedicated to science and innovation as we are — and by working with top-tier directors at the helm, Breakthrough will celebrate the curiosity, innovation and exploration of our world, and spotlight the individuals and institutions at the center of these groundbreaking achievements.”

“GE’s involvement brings a certain poetic justice to this endeavor,” said producer Grazer. “Thomas Edison, GE’s founder, and Alexander Graham Bell, a founding member of the National Geographic Society, are two of our greatest inventors. Their breakthroughs laid the foundation for tremendous innovation and continue to inspire generations of scientists and engineers. That same spirit will, no doubt, be evident in every episode.”

NGC and GE have united to produce a series that will inspire and cultivate global interest in science and innovation, possibly spawning brilliant individuals who may one day become leading innovators in various scientific fields.Breakthrough is a remarkable television event that will leave its mark on young minds, especially in Asia, from which many of the world’s leading scientists have hailed.

“We take great pride in presenting Breakthrough to viewers in the Philippines as it is a celebration of the relentless efforts of the scientific community to better our lives and improve our environment,” said Jude Turcuato, Senior Vice President and General Manager of FOX International Channels Philippines, which carries NGC, said. “We hope that it helps viewers appreciate how science has shaped our existence and how it will continue to help us evolve into the future.”

Breakthrough premieres on NGC on November 5 at 9 PM, with succeeding episodes shown on Thursdays at the same time. The show’s premiere episode, a truly important milestone in Philippine television history, will also be simulcast on FOX, FOX Filipino Channel, Star Movies and Star World by FOX International Channels, which carries NGC in the country.

For more information, please visit www.natgeotv.com.

National Geographic Channel celebrates the glory of '90s with new documentary series

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Here's an exciting ride through nostalgia as we look back on a memorable decade. The ‘90s: The Decade That Connected Us will hit television screens!

From the channel that brought viewers the landmark series The ‘80s: The Decade That Made Us comes another amazing television event that will remind us of a golden decade of technological, political and entertainment milestones. 

This September 18, The ‘90s: The Decade That Connected Us will run exclusively on National Geographic Channel (NGC) to feature the biggest newsmakers of the 1990s that shocked, wowed or changed the world and helped make it what it is today. 

The 1990s saw a plethora of social and cultural events that rocked the world, including the popularity of grunge music, the advent of Viagra, a salacious White House scandal, innovations in personal computers, and various episodes of political upheaval around the globe. 

The ‘90s: The Decade That Connected Us looks back on these developments in history to show how the world reacted to the fledgling reality of globalization, as we slowly learned how connected human beings were becoming despite geographical and cultural differences.

The series uses memorable video footage from the ‘90s to recall the spirit of the decade along with 120 original interviews with the unsung heroes behind riveting events as well as well-known personalities from the fields of technology, politics and entertainment. Among the famous interviewees to be encountered in the show are Courtney Love, Arsenio Hall, Vanilla Ice, Jerry Springer, Tony Blair, Colin Powell, Connie Chung, and Dan Rather—celebrities whose voices will narrate the remarkable affairs that weave the story of this extraordinary decade.

This decade between the Cold War and the War On Terror saw numerous highs and lows as technology advanced the world into the digital age: Bill Clinton’s promise of change as he came into office in the US, the violent LA Riots, Nelson Mandela’s release from prison and rise as leader of South Africa, and the horrific civil war in Rwanda. Meanwhile, the ‘90s gave us cultural benchmarks such as the TV show Friends and the Macarena, along with the first successful reality TV shows of The Real World and Jerry Springer, which paved the way for reality TV in the succeeding years. The ‘90s: The Decade That Connected Us will guide us as we navigate this historical rollercoaster ride so we may better understand ourselves, our politics and our global culture in its current state.

Get ready for memorable decade. The ‘90s: The Decade That Connected Us will hit television screens every Thursday at 9PM, beginning Sept 18 only on the National Geographic Channel!

National Geographic Channel Rejoices Over Sky-High Ratings For ‘Science of Stupid’

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Starting with a big bang this April is a show that details the scientific principles behind the world’s most ridiculous stunts gone wrong—an apparent hit with Filipino viewers of National Geographic Channel (NGC) as it premiered on April 8, 2014 at 9 PM. Science of Stupid was launched with a screening of three consecutive episodes plus an immediate replay, which rated highly non-stop for three hours and garnered a combined rating of 1.875 for adults aged 16-49. In short, everyone loved the show!

NGC considers the premiere of Science of Stupid its highest rated launch ever, with the show peaking at 0.531 (A16-49) for the first replay of the first episode and averaging at 0.315 (A16-49) over the three hours for a consistently strong performance. Females aged 16-24 also tuned intoScience of Stupid in huge numbers, rating at 1.114 at the premiere’s peak.

Science of Stupid is hosted by Internet and TV sensation Ramon Bautista, whose humor is the perfect antidote to the humiliation and pain experienced by the wannabe daredevils featured on the show. Bautista serves as a witty and engaging guide through this wacky world of wipeouts, epic failure and painful realizations so viewers can learn the scientific principles that govern our physical world and sometimes foil the ambitions of amateur stuntmen.

Online reactions to Science of Stupid were overwhelmingly positive, with the show trending on Twitter on the day of the launch and Bautista being inundated with kudos through his personal social media accounts. IWC Media (@IWC_Media), the company that produced the show for NGC, even gave a shoutout for the show’s success online in the Philippines, tweeting “Congrats to #ScienceofStupid in the Philippines - top trend after the 3-ep series premiere with the great @ramonbautista! Hello from the UK!”

Science of Stupid is a 14-part series that explains why stunts go wrong when amateurs try to copy them. Each episode examines stunt videos with disastrous endings and explains in scientific terms what factors caused the stunts to fail. Catch Science of Stupid hosted Ramon Bautista every Tuesday at 9 PM, exclusively on National Geographic Channel!

“OMG” moments at 'Science of Stupid' with Internet and TV sensation Ramon Bautista

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“OMG” moments on the Internet! Here to explain why stunts go wrong and their videos go viral!

National Geographic Channel takes a funny look at the Internet’s most shocking viral videos in April 2014 when it premieres Science of Stupid, a show that explains why stunts go wrong when amateurs try to copy them. Each episode will examine stunt videos with disastrous endings and explain in scientific terms what factors caused the stunts to fail.

With the boom of Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, where people find it easy to post and share interesting information and content, it’s no wonder that some are foolhardy enough to try the crazy stunts that they see professionals do. Such attempts often have catastrophic results—which in turn are posted in the hopes of going viral! Science of Stupid makes sense of this nonsense by showing the necessary setup to make the stunt successful along with what the people in the video did wrong to make things go haywire. It uses visual diagrams to explain the scientific principles applied—or in these cases, not applied—during each attempt.

Each episode of Science of Stupid features a variety of stunts posted on the Internet, ranging from the dangerous to the silly. Thrill seekers collide with the invincible laws of physics as the show explains what happens when two women jump off the roof into a swimming pool, and how a potato canon can cause real damage to a man’s groin with a muzzle velocity of 300 kilometers per hour despite its innocuous name. Eating a spoonful of cinnamon may sound easy, along with other Internet myths that people might thoughtlessly want to try out for themselves, but Science of Stupid outlines the biological, physical and engineering mistakes behind each failed attempt.

Science of Stupid is a 14-part series hosted by Internet and TV sensation Ramon Bautista, whose likeable “everyman” humor will charm any viewer as he sets up each stunt and explains the science behind it. As the best example of one who has achieved Internet fame, he allows viewers to understand the skewed motivations of these wannabe daredevils while cracking jokes that will offset the intense pain and humiliation they’re about to witness on the screen. Bautista will be a witty, engaging guide through this wacky world of wipeouts, epic failure and painful realizations so viewers can learn the scientific principles that govern our physical world and see the humor in the unfortunate experiments these human “test dummies” so kindly staged for the rest of us.

Science of Stupid examines and explains the most cringe-worthy, “OMG” moments on the Internet so that we don’t have to figure them out for ourselves. As for the people who posted the videos of their failed stunts, getting the science wrong may have gotten them fame, but it also got them hurt!

WARNING: Please don’t try this at home! Now, you don’t have to because Science of Stupid explains it all for you. 

Catch Science of Stupid in April, only on National Geographic Channel!

Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey Redefines the Universe

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National Geographic Channel (NGC) and FOX will be featuring a fantastic new series in March 2014 that will change the way human beings think of astronomical events and our place in the universe. Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey is a long-awaited sequel to the landmark series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, written and hosted by renowned space visionary Carl Sagan in the 1980s.

The new show will premiere simultaneously on NGC and FOX on March 12 at 10 PM.

Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey tells us how human beings developed their concept of the laws of nature and their place in the universe. It offers a grand view of the cosmos as it covers their pursuit of knowledge and the ever-expanding boundaries of astrophysics. 

Besides re-inventing elements of the original series, such as the Cosmic Calendar and the Ship of the Imagination, the show will use new modes of scientific storytelling to communicate the ideas that have helped build our identity within the vastness of space. Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey unfurls each scientific discovery in the fields of astrophysics and cosmology to reveal a bloom of knowledge that has allowed us to behold the grandeur of the universe.

This television event was spearheaded by Seth MacFarlane, creator of the animated series Family Guy, who may be considered by most an unlikely champion for such a project. An enthusiast of astronomy and astrophysics, MacFarlane proved he was dead serious about the project by teaming up with Sagan’s original collaborators on Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, Ann Druyan and Steven Soter. Fans of Sagan’s Cosmos can rest assured that his closest collaborators have made certain that the update stayed true to Sagan’s vision while revealing new insights about the universe in which we live.

Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey will be hosted by popular astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, author of New York Times bestsellers Death By Black Hole and Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier. Tyson has the power to make the most profound secrets of the universe understandable in the simplest terms while remaining a firm and credible authority over the subject matter.

Confident that Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey would become as celebrated as the Emmy Award and Peabody Award winning series from the ‘80s, both NGC and FOX in the US aired the show, and this rare occurrence will happen again in Asia on March 12. The Asian premiere of Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey will happen simultaneously on NGC and FOX, reaching a far wider audience and inspiring a whole new generation of astrophysicists.

Tune in to Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey on March 12, 2014 at 10 PM on National Geographic Channel and FOX to witness a groundbreaking television event!

Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey Redefines the Universe

 is brought to us by:

National Geographics Channel

http://www.natgeotv.com

Fox Internationals Channel (FIC)

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National Geographic Channel will be broadcasting Comet Of The Century

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NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL TURNS SPOTLIGHT ON “COMET OF THE CENTURY”

In anticipation of what could be one of the biggest astronomical events in our lifetime, National Geographic Channel will be broadcasting Comet Of The Century, a show that will introduce the world to Comet ISON as it passes near Earth by the end of the month of November this year. 

The special will combine CGI and breathtaking images captured by cutting-edge technology to show why the coming of Comet ISON is considered by many astronomers to be a once-in-a-lifetime cosmic event.

Comet ISON is bigger than Australia, its head measuring an impressive 4,900km across and dust trail extending more than 91,000km – more than twice the circumference of planet Earth! It is set to shoot by one of the harshest environments in our solar system, the sun, on November 28th, creating a solar slingshot by passing by Mars and Earth before going around the sun and whizzing back.

What makes this comet’s visit particularly interesting is the fact that our sun may rip it apart, a phenomenon that will provide viewers from Earth with a fantastic display of light. Alternatively, if Comet ISON survives its proximity to the sun, we will be seeing it blazing through our skies for some time after the event.

Comet ISON is over 4 billion years old and is hurtling through space at the speed of 684,000 kilometers per hour, allowing it to cover the distance between New York and Los Angeles in the US in under 20 seconds. It is brighter than other comets seen at the same distance. Besides giving the astronomers and stargazers alike an amazing illusion, Comet ISON is being watched by the most prestigious telescopes in the world in the hopes of providing scientists with crucial scientific data that could help them understand more about comets, the sun and the origin of our solar system.

Comet Of The Century will be featuring experts such as Adam McKay, one of the first astronomers to use spectroscopy with an earth-based telescope to observe the head of ISON, Karl Battams, a scientist from the British Naval Research Laboratory, and Gareth Williams, a scientist working with the Minor Planet Centre, which is responsible for keeping track of asteroids, comets and natural satellites. Scientists will be giving a historical perspective of Comet ISON along with greater insight into the nature of comets and how our understanding of intergalactic phenomena has developed throughout history. 

Comet ISON potentially carries a significant amount of information that may answer many questions, such as whether comets brought water to the newly born Earth, or if Comet ISON contains any organic molecules, which are the building blocks of our existence. Comet Of The Century explains these queries to viewers and draws them into the fascinating world of astronomy and how it links to musings on our very existence.

Catch the premiere on November 27, Wednesday at 10pm only on the National Geographic Channel!

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL REVEALS THE MIND’S POWER WITH BRAIN GAMES

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Premiering on September 24, 2013, Tuesday at 9 PM is National Geographic Channel’s new series Brain Games, a show that explores the human mind’s powers of perception as well as the skills that it affords us. Using mind-boggling experiments, brainteasers, optical illusions and hard science, Brain Games shows viewers how the human brain works and how their lives are affected as a result.

NGC will be showing a Brain Games special on September 24 for its premiere. In the premiere episode, viewers are lured into the world of sleight of hand, of advanced card play and card magic, with a focus on the oldest card trick in the world, the Three Card Monte. Card performers will be revealing the secrets behind their tricks as well as exploring the psychology that allows people to be tricked. Also, the connection between human beings and primates will be highlighted, giving us a better understanding of our social interactions and dynamics, and how we perceive our relationships because we are hard-wired in a certain way.

Viewers of the show will learn that seeing isn’t necessarily believing when they are presented with optical illusions that, when revealed, will illustrate how our brains help us build our ideas of reality. Brain Games will also examine the powers of persuasion and how marketers are trained to communicate with us in such ways that our brains can’t help responding to or be convinced.

Brain Games will leave no fold of gray matter unturned, no neuron untouched in its quest to help viewers understand how and why the brain works. With the help of experts in neuroscience and mind trickery, the show discusses and explains many aspects of thinking that affect our lives, from issues of trust and sanity to why we make certain decisions and how men and women’s brains work differently.

NGC has partnered with @IGersManila to promote Brain Games through the Instagram account’s #9PMHabit daily contest. The promo will run from September 24 to October 22 during the showing of Brain Games on NGC. @IGersManila will be making calls for photo entries based on weekly ad daily themes determined by NGC, and submissions must be made between 9 PM and 11 PM, with the following tags: #9PMHabit, @IGersManila, @NatGeoChannelsPH, #BrainGamesPH and the hashtag for the theme of the day. Four winners will be chosen daily, with winning photos to be posted on @IGersManila at 9 AM on the following day. Winners will receive premium items from NGC besides the bragging rights of having their photos seen by the more than 21,000 followers of @IGersManila.

Explore the human mind and discover its awesome power by catching Brain Games on National Geographic Channel every Tuesday at 9 PM, beginning on September 24.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL adapts Bill O’Reilly’s best-selling book on Lincoln assassination

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National Geographic Channel’s first original scripted drama “Killing Lincoln”, based on the best-selling book by controversial political commentator and TV personality Bill O’Reilly, will hit Philippine television on April 14, 2013. Tackling a monumental event in American history, Nat Geos's film  “Killing Lincoln”  portrays the dramatic events that led up to the assassination of US President Abraham Lincoln in 1865 and reveals the mysterious motivations of its perpetrator John Wilkes Booth.

“Killing Lincoln” is a film produced by Ridley and Tony Scott’s Scott Free Productions and written by the Emmy Award-winning Erik Jendresen, writer for the acclaimed TV series “Band of Brothers”, who based his script on the book Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever co-written by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard. 

“What people never knew, and what both the book and the film capture, is the great tale of action and conspiracy surrounding the manhunt for Booth. It is ultimately a fascinating story, and that’s what makes it the perfect fit for us at Scott Free,” said Scott.

The book was a runaway hit when it was published in 2011, placing No. 2 on The New York Times’ list of best-selling non-fiction and finding a spot among Amazon’s best sellers in November of that year. Millions of readers were captivated by the way O’Reilly and Dugard wove together a compelling narration of the historic circumstances at the close of the American Civil War that led John Wilkes Booth to assassinate President Lincoln as well as the thrilling manhunt that ensued to capture a ruthless killer.

Bill O’Reilly is best known as the outspoken anchor of “The O’Reilly Factor,” an opinion-oriented news show on Fox News Channel that has consistently garnered the highest ratings among US cable TV news channels. Previously, he was a correspondent for ABC News before becoming the anchor of “Inside Edition” from 1989 to 1995. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Marist College in New York and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. O’Reilly is widely considered one of the strongest voices in media today.

“Killing Lincoln” is brought to life by a wealth of acting talent, beginning with narration on camera from Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks. Billy Campbell (“The Killing,” “Once and Again”) gives an impressive portrayal of Lincoln, while Jesse Johnson plays John Wilkes Booth in a breakthrough performance. “Killing Lincoln” also stars Geraldine Hughes as Mary Todd Lincoln, the president’s wife, Graham Beckel as Edwin Stanton, Lincoln’s secretary of war during the American Civil War, and Shawn Pyfrom as Private John W. Nichols. The two-hour film is directed by Adrian Moat (“Gettysburg”) and produced by Mark Herzog’s Herzog & Co. (“Gettysburg”).

National Geographic Channel’s viewership records were broken when the film premiered on February 17 in the US and recorded 3.4 million viewers. “Killing Lincoln” was hailed by critics as “fascinating,” “heart-pounding” and “constantly illuminating,” and is sure to captivate Asian audiences when it premieres in the region at 9 PM on April 14, Sunday on National Geographic Channel.

“Inside Malacanang” by National Geographic Channel

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The National Geographic Channel (NGC) will soon broadcast the documentary about the Presidential Palace, “Inside Malacañang.”

Directed by filmmaker Marnie Manicad, the documentary gives viewers a peek into the country’s most tightly guarded address – the official residence and workplace of President Benigno Aquino III.

Manicad didn’t go into the project blindly; she was fully aware of the challenges. Securing all the necessary permits and gaining the insiders’ trust were only the beginning.

“We got access to the most secluded parts of the Palace,” Manicad recounted. “We also had to convince the Presidential Security Group (PSG) that we needed to film their training sessions and operations.”

 Manicad and her team had to justify their every move, especially if it involved the four people who are closest to the President – the group commander of the PSG, the personal security aide, the food tester and the presidential photographer.

She was stunned to discover that there actually was a person assigned to taste the President’s meals beforehand. She admitted, “I thought the food tester was an urban legend.”

Making the docu yielded other discoveries as well. “I learned more about the history and evolution of the place. It provided us with a deeper insight on the Palace – not just the physical structure, but its meaning to us, as Filipinos.”

In making “Inside Malacañang,” Manicad said, she was inspired by the NGC docus “Inside the Vatican,” “Inside: The Obama White House,” “Air Force One” and “Restrepo: Outpost Afghanistan.”

                         

These “nontraditional” stories encouraged Manicad to “push the limits” of local docu-making. “It’s difficult to make docus, especially if it’s about a heavy topic,” she admitted. “In doing narrative feature films, you can adjust on the set. But with docus, you need complete grasp of the subject, because you can’t make excuses once you start shooting.”

Things are made more arduous by the very high journalistic and filmmaking standards set by NGC, whose editors went over every line of the script with a fine-toothed comb. “For this docu, I had a 16-page voiceover script,” Manicad related. “But with the added research annotations and references, it reached over 84 pages. NGC is that strict when it comes to facts and details.”

NGC doesn’t accept popular online sources such as Wikipedia for the kind of information she needed. “You should only rely on books, actual reports and first-hand interviews,” the filmmaker said. “The script had to be cleared by NGC Singapore, Hong Kong and Washington DC before we could record the final narration, done by veteran actor Joonee Gamboa.”


It’s a landmark docu. It will not just give viewers an unprecedented, all-access pass to the Palace; it will also be shown on National Geographic channels all over the globe in the first quarter of this year.
“It’s unbelievable. I only used to dream about making docus. Now, not only did I finish one; as a bonus, it will be aired on NGC,” Manicad said.

It was once dubbed as a “foremost home” by Spanish governor generals. The Americans made it a social hub for the country’s elite while the Japanese transformed it into a garrison.

Yet after all these changes, Malacañan Palace still stands proudly by the Pasig River today. One would wonder what is now inside the cordoned-off areas of the palace.

On March 18, at 9pm catch the premiere of the original documentary Inside Malacañang as National Geographic Channel (NGC) takes you to an exclusive guided tour inside the official residence of the country’s chief executive.

This exclusive feature, which took one and a half years to produce, delves into chambers of the palace that were previously off-limits to the media and the public.
Inside Malacañang also examines and breaks long-held myths and beliefs about the President’s entourage. Get to know the everyday routines of the Presidential Security Group commander, the close-in security aide of President Benigno S. Aquino III, the presidential photographer, and even the presidential food tester.

                           

“NGC has been aiming to feature more relevant programs to the Filipino audience. With Inside Malacañang we hope more Filipinos would appreciate the office of the President and the people who help run it everyday,” said Jude Turcuato, Fox International Channels vice president and territory head for Philippines.

“Through this documentary that was proudly made by a Filipino production team, Marnie Manicad Productions International, in the hallmark standards of the NGC, we also wanted to show the world-class talent of Filipinos in producing long-form documentaries.”

The Inside Malacañang production team is composed of director, producer and head writer Marnie Manicad, writer Cris Lim and narrator Joonee Gamboa.

                               Film Trailer of "Inside Malacañang" by National Geographic Channel

(Stories courtesy of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and press release)