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.
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| 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
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.
