Discovery Networks International (DNI) today announced that it has commissioned Emmy© Award-winning Nutopia to produce a new landmark documentary series HOW WE INVENTED THE WORLD. The announcement was made today by Luis Silberwasser, Chief Content Officer, Discovery Networks International, and Eileen O’Neill, Group President, Discovery and TLC Networks.
Commissioned under the leadership of Julian Bellamy, Creative Director and Head of Production and Development for DNI, the five-hour series uses state-of-the-art filming techniques, cinematic CGI and dramatization to reveal the most iconic inventions and breakthroughs of the modern age – from the black box inside every plane to the cellphone inside every pocket. Introducing the people who shaped each innovation in ways they could never have imagined, the series reveals the extraordinary leaps of imagination, risks taken, fortunes made and lost that lie behind the things that define our world now – and will do so for future generations. This series explores the secrets of what is to come – from guns that check your DNA fingerprint before they can fire, to transparent planes that save fuel and allow passengers astonishing views of the world.
HOW WE INVENTED THE WORLD will be filmed around the planet and using a new global creative model, and will be adapted and customized for each of Discovery’s key territories. Audiences from London to Warsaw, from New York to Sydney, will watch customized versions with their own stories and local high profile experts. The series is set to premiere on Discovery Channel worldwide, in 210 countries and reaching 400 million households, in 2012.
“Discovery Channel’s HOW WE INVENTED THE WORLD is DNI’s biggest and most ambitious commission to date, and we’re delighted to be working with Nutopia on this exciting genre-busting project,” said Bellamy. “As the prototype for globalized TV in the future, this series is epic in scale, idea and budget, while simultaneously retaining local flavour. It’s a fantastic way to kick-start our drive into more original productions that are international ideas that feed Discovery Channel’s global footprint.”
“Discovery is the world’s #1 non-fiction media company and we are uniquely positioned to tackle this project on such a global scale,” said O’Neill. “It is fitting to kick off this new model about a topic where people think big and push boundaries, because that is exactly what we are doing.”
Jane Root, CEO of Nutopia commented, “It is really exciting to be part of a new model for making impactful global television. We’re really looking forward to partnering with the DNI team to bring Julian’s vision to viewers across the world.”
HOW WE INVENTED THE WORLD is executive produced by Sarah Davies for Discovery Networks International and Christine Weber for Discovery Channel US.
About Nutopia
HOW WE INVENTED THE WORLD is produced by Nutopia, the company created by CEO Jane Root, managing director Laura Franses and board members Michael Jackson and Peter Bazalgette. Nutopia is the producer of History’s Emmy®-Award winning AMERICA THE STORY OF US.