ITV

Category: Factual

  • History TV18 to air ‘Hunting Hitler’

    History TV18 to air ‘Hunting Hitler’

    MUMBAI: History TV18 is all geared up to premiere back to back episodes of the investigative series of Hunting Hitler. The series will be aired on 24 January 2016 from 12 pm and will continue to air every Saturday at 8 pm from 30 January 2016.

     

    In 2014, the FBI declassified over hundreds of confidential documents suggesting the possibility that Adolf Hitler may have survived and fled to South America after the fall of Nazi Germany as opposed to news of him having committed suicide. The new investigative series, Hunting Hitler follows a team of prominent investigators as they reopen the world’s most famous cold case in a definitive search to discover if one of history’s most notorious war criminals, Adolf Hitler, actually survived World War II or not?

     

    Armed with the most cutting edge technology and declassified worldwide intelligence providing a wealth of new clues, the series reopens this world famous cold case in hopes of solving the mystery surrounding the demise of Adolf Hitler. The series features world renowned investigators, CIA veteran Bob Baer and war crime investigator Dr. John Cencich as they focus on the tried and tested tenants for solving a fraudulent death case: follow the money, where was the subject last seen, eyewitness reports, make contact with known associates, and forensics.

     

    Is it conceivable that the world’s most wanted man pulled off history’s greatest disappearing act in hopes of possibly one day reclaiming the Nazi dream? The answer to this question is what the investigators chase to find out throughout the series. From uncovering a mysterious Nazi lair deep in the Argentinian jungle to mysterious plane wreckage in a Columbian marsh, and diving for evidence of a missing U-Boat that could have shuttled Hitler out of Europe as Germany collapsed, the team will stop at nothing to uncover the truth.

  • BBC One to broadcast Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations

    BBC One to broadcast Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations

    MUMBAI: This June, BBC One will broadcast a long weekend of live events to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s official 90th birthday on Saturday, 11 June.

     

    The weekend of birthday celebrations for the landmark anniversary begins on 10 June with a service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, and the traditional display of pageantry of the Queen’s Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour) will be held on 11 June on Horse Guards Parade, culminating with the Royal Family making their annual appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

     

    BBC One will also broadcast a special celebration on The Mall in St James’s Park taking place on 12 June to close the weekend of birthday celebrations. The iconic stretch will be transformed for its largest ever street party with 10,000 people gathered to celebrate The Queen’s patronage of over 600 charities and organisations on the occasion of her 90th birthday for The Patron’s Lunch.

     

    The one-off spectacle will be a classic British ‘street party’ where guests will enjoy a hamper-style lunch at tables positioned along the full length of The Mall, with entertainment and Union flags aplenty. The Queen will be joined by other members of the Royal Family to celebrate the occasion. The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry are Joint Presidents of The Patron’s Lunch.

     

    BBC One head of events production Phil Dolling says, “We are thrilled to be broadcasting three days of events in June to mark Her Majesty’s 90th Birthday. It promises to be a fantastic weekend, climaxing with a huge street party in the Mall on the Sunday. It is a very significant birthday for the Queen and BBC One will be right at the heart of the celebrations.”

  • NGC to launch ‘The Story of God with Morgan Freeman’

    NGC to launch ‘The Story of God with Morgan Freeman’

    MUMBAI: Who is God? Where did we come from? Why does evil happen? What happens when we die?

     

    Most of us have asked these questions at some point, and most likely each person has found a different answer. This spring, National Geographic Channel and Revelation Entertainment’s epic series The Story of God with Morgan Freeman, produced by Freeman, Lori McCreary and James Younger, will take viewers on a trip around the world to explore different cultures and religions on the ultimate quest to uncover the meaning of life, God and all these big questions in between.

     

    The Story of God with Morgan Freeman seeks to understand how religion has evolved throughout the course of civilisation, and in turn how religion has shaped the evolution of society. Although in our current geopolitical landscape, religion is often seen as something that divides, the series illuminates the remarkable similarities among different faiths, even those that seem to be in staunch contrast. This is a quest for God: to shed light on the questions that have puzzled, terrified and inspired mankind, not to mention Freeman himself.

     

    “Over the past few months, I’ve travelled to nearly 20 cities in seven different countries on a personal journey to find answers to the big mysteries of faith. I’ve sung the call to prayer at a mosque in Cairo, taken meditation lessons from the Buddhist leader of the oldest line of reincarnating Lamas, discussed Galileo with the head of the Papal Academy of Sciences and explored the first instructions for the afterlife rendered in hieroglyphs inside the pyramids. In some places I found answers, and others led to more questions. The constant through it all is that we’re all looking to be part of something bigger than us. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that we certainly are,” said Freeman.

     

    Each episode of The Story of God with Morgan Freeman is centred on a different big question about the divine including Creation, Who Is God?, Evil, Miracles, End of Days, and Resurrection.

     

    To explore each of these topics, host and narrator Freeman went on the ground to some of humanity’s greatest religious sites, including Jerusalem’s Wailing Wall, India’s Bodhi Tree, Mayan temples in Guatemala and the pyramids of Egypt. He travelled with archaeologists to uncover the long-lost religions of our ancestors, such as those at the 7500 B.C. Neolithic settlement Çatalhöyük in Turkey. He immersed himself in religious experiences and rituals all around the world, and became a test subject in scientific labs to examine how the frontiers of neuroscience are intersecting the traditional domain of religion.

     

    “As we put this series together, we sought answers to some of mankind’s biggest questions, but in the end what surprised us most was to find how personal those answers were for each of us,” said executive producers Lori McCreary and James Younger. “There is no wrong answer when it comes to God or what you believe, and we hope The Story of God will help open an interfaith dialogue about ideas and values that we all share, not that we disagree on.”

     

    The Story of God with Morgan Freeman is produced by Revelations Entertainment for National Geographic Channel. For Revelations Entertainment, Freeman, McCreary and Younger are executive producers. For National Geographic Channel, Michael J. Miller is executive producer; Kevin Mohs is vice president, production and development; Alan Eyres is senior vice president, programming and development; and Tim Pastore is president, original programming and production.

  • GRB Entertainment announces LatAm deals– Discovery LatAm and Brazil’s Globosat

    GRB Entertainment announces LatAm deals– Discovery LatAm and Brazil’s Globosat

    MUMBAI  GRB Entertainment announced deals of factual titles to Discovery and Globosat ahead of NATPE. GRB is represented at NATPE by CEO Gary R. Benz; International Distribution SVP Mike Lolato, and  Director of International Sales & Acquisitions Liz Levenson and will be located at stand #212 on the market floor.

     

    Discovery Latin America acquired ten new special episodes and five seasons of the long-running, real-life dramatic hospital emergency series, Untold Stories of the ER. Globosat picked up My First Home and GRB-produced Pregnant & Dating for Brazil.  

     

    “GRB Entertainment enjoys strong connections with our Latin American broadcast partners and we are thrilled to kick off 2016 announcing these deals. Discovery Latin America acquired Untold Stories of the ER which recently completed a week-long marathon of the first nine seasons on Discovery Life U.S., proving itself an audience favorite yet again. Globosat will offer its viewers a unique look at dating in the modern age with Pregnant & Dating as well as the opportunity to follow first time homebuyers through the process of purchasing their first property with My First Home,” said Mike Lolato, SVP, International Distribution, GRB Entertainment. 

     

    Untold Stories of the ER opens the door to the secret world of hospital Emergency Rooms showcasing real doctors and their actual amazing, bizarre, and emotionally explosive stories dealing with life and death situations.  Produced for Discovery Life.

     

    Pregnant and Dating profiles the lives of five successful women who are single, pregnant and still looking for love. The show follows this particular moment in their lives as they juggle demanding careers and pregnancy all while exploring relationships and dating. Produced for WeTV.

     

    My First Home follows first time homebuyers through the process of purchasing their first property, where “must-haves” and budgets don’t always meet. Produced for TLC.

  • Living Foodz to launch ‘I Love Cooking’ hosted by Maria Goretti

    Living Foodz to launch ‘I Love Cooking’ hosted by Maria Goretti

    MUMBAI: Foodtainment channel Living Foodz is all set to launch a new show titled I Love Cooking on 14 January at 9 pm, which will be hosted by Maria Goretti.

    Talking about the new show, Living Foodz business head Amit Nair says, “We at Living Foodz wanted to create a show that resonates with the modern, urban connected population who love whipping up a tasty meal or snack which can not only help to satisfy their hunger but also sometimes be their comfort food when they feel down and out. I Love Cooking is a first-of-its-kind show that caters specifically to this audience.”

    Viewers will get to see a fusion of Goretti’s quirkiness and her love for experimental cooking with her favourite ingredients and stress busting cooking in the night. The recipes on the show are Goretti’s personal favourites. She will also be seen adding a modern twist to traditional recipes creating exciting combinations.

     
    “They say that the atmosphere of a home depends on the mood of the cook on the day. I’ve come back to television after 14 years and I am ecstatic that it is in my own skin and comfort zone – as a passionate, home style chef,” added Goretti.

    In addition, the show will also have a DIY section that incorporates kitchen and home waste and knick knacks.

     

  • Animal Planet to air new season of ‘The Wild Life of Tim Faulkner’

    Animal Planet to air new season of ‘The Wild Life of Tim Faulkner’

    MUMBAI: Animal Planet is all set to air the new season of the popular series The Wild Life of Tim Faulkner. The new season will air on 18 January 2016 at 9 pm.

    The show follows the schedule of Tim Faulkner, as he tackles the daily challenges of running one of Australia’s most action packed wildlife parks.

     Tim will be seen encountering saltwater crocodiles, taipans, web spiders, sea lion, etc. He will come across the world’s weirdest, cutest, rarest and most fearsome animals.  

    Tim currently works as the General Manager of the award winning Australian Reptile Park, and has received accolades for his conservation work on Tasmanian devil breeding facility Devil Art. 

    Some of Tim’s adventures include:

    Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park – Tim travels far out west to Broome to help an old mate and his team moves a five metre saltwater croc to its new home at the Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park. Back over on the east coast Tim witnesses one of nature’s greatest sights as turtles nest and hatchlings make their way into the sea for the first time.

     
    Raising orphaned kangaroos – Tim provides a countdown of the most dangerous jobs at the Australian Reptile Park before introducing us to Reggie and Russell, two orphaned kangaroo joeys he’s helping to raise.

     
    Tracking Numbat – Tim travels to one of the last remnants of original vegetation in Western Australia in search of the numbat – one of the world’s rarest animals.
     

    Extracting Venom – Tim delves into a particular Aussie specialty – venom. Discussing why Australia has the most potent animals on the planet before a visit to Fraser Island in search of its most famous resident – the dingo.

     
    Red Backed Toadlet – Tiger snakes are different on Kangaroo Island and that’s a red rag to a bull for Tim so he pops over to see just how different they are before a visit to a friend who has been camping out in the forest for months researching the love life of the red backed toadlet.
     

    Kangaroo Island – Tim visits Kangaroo Island to check out what’s being done to halt the destruction of the island’s manna gum trees by an over zealous population of koalas. Back at the Australian Reptile Park it’s time to find out who the trouble maker is down at the gator lagoon.
     

    Tim tours Kangaroo Island to see how the wildlife there shapes up to life in the Southern Ocean. Along the way he encounters seals, goannas an echidna and of course kangaroos before a visit to a bird sanctuary.

  • Discovery Channel to air ‘Revealed: Siachen’

    Discovery Channel to air ‘Revealed: Siachen’

    MUMBAI: The Siachen glacier located at the Karakoram range in the Himalayas is the world’s highest and coldest battleground with army posts at over 21,000 feet. To stay atop on this 77 kilometers long glacier at 5,400 meters altitude means the Indian soldiers have to defy all their physical, mental and emotional limits to safeguard the motherland.

     

    Celebrating Army Day on 15 January and honoring the heroism and sacrifice of the Indian soldiers posted at the world’s most treacherous war zone, Discovery Channel will premiere Revealed: Siachen on 26 January 2016 at 9 pm.

     

    The one hour special Revealed: Siachen will take viewers through the extreme frontline in the world and what it takes to keep the Siachen glacier secure and peaceful. It will present the remarkable chronicles of the soldiers and their formidable challenges to manage the battlefield where temperatures reach minus 60 degrees.

     

    Commenting on the programme, Discovery Networks Asia Pacific executive vice president and general manager South Asia Rahul Johri said, “Revealed: Siachen is dedicated to every Indian soldier for their velour and sacrifice for the motherland. The program will offer viewers first-hand testimonies from the soldiers who have been at the battlefront and will present some intriguing facts to understand what makes Siachen toughest terrain in the world.”

     

    According to Col Narendra Kumar, first surveyor of Siachen for the Indian Army, “Siachen Glacier will always be one of the most compelling experiences for me and to my mind for all the Indian soldiers who have served tours of duty there. I am delighted to associate with Discovery Channel to experientially enable viewers to get a feel of the world’s toughest and coldest battleground through the experiences of those currently serving there, something that is not very frequently seen on Indian television.”

     

    Indian Army maintains a permanent military presence in the region and they are in a constant fight against nature, a fight for oxygen on icy mountain peaks at an altitude of 21,000 feet. The programme will give viewers an exclusive access to the intriguing facts about the extensive training in high altitude survival, rescue methods and excavation skills that soldiers undergo.

     

    Revealed: Siachen will narrate the first assault launched in the world’s highest battlefield, Operation Meghdoot in 1984 and the ceasefire in 2003. Starting from Col Narendra Kumar, a highly acclaimed mountaineer who led the first Indian expedition to survey the Siachen glacier in June 1978 to Honorary Capt Bana Singh who captured a crucial post in Siachen to Major Amit Aukta, Capt Deepshikha Pandey from the Army Medical Corps, Major Vikalp Sharma from the Army Aviation Corps and Col Hariharan, Base Commander at the Siachen Base Camp among others will recount their operations on land and in air under the Operation Meghdoot.

     

    Revealed: Siachen will also premiere on Discovery Tamil and Discovery HD World at 9 pm.

  • Discovery channel to air Spirit of India– Makar Sankranti

    Discovery channel to air Spirit of India– Makar Sankranti

    MUMBAI:  Discovery Channel will celebrate India’s traditional harvest festival with the premiere of a special programme Spirit of India– Makar Sankranti.  One of the most auspicious festivals in the Hindu calendar, Makar Sakranti is known by different names in different regions like Lohri in Punjab, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Uttarayan in Gujarat, Bhogi in Andhra Pradesh, Sankranti in Karnataka among others. Each festival is celebrated largely to observe the harvest season in different parts of India, the start of a new life.

     

     Spirit of India– Makar Sankranti will celebrate the festival that embodies the spirit of goodwill, brotherhood and reunion with family and will premiere on 14 January 2016 at 9 pm on Discovery Channel.

     

     According to Discovery Networks Asia Pacific EVP & GM-South Asia Rahul Johri, “Discovery Channel captures and presents India’s vibrant culture and traditions through its path breaking local programming. We are very happy to bring to our viewers a special series Spirit of India – The Festivals that will highlight the rich traditions and diversity of cultures in India. The episode Makar Sankranti will highlight how the traditional harvest festival is celebrated differently in different parts of India.”

     

     Makar means Capricorn and Sakranti means transition, a day when the sun enters the house of Capricorn leaving the house of Sagittarius. This auspicious occasion is celebrated in myriad cultural forms, with great devotion, fervor & gaiety. Spirit of India– Makar Sankranti will showcase how these festivals are rejoiced in India.

     

     The state of Punjab enjoys the spirit of Makar Sakranti through Lohri, a festival which is celebrated with great devotion, fervor and gaiety. Lohri is celebrated with the community coming together to engage in many activities like community bonfire, dancing bhangra and gidda to the fast beats of the dhol, flying kites and competing with one another. Even children follow Lohri Loot, a custom which has children going to the neighbouring houses to collect eatables peanuts, jaggery among others. In the evening offerings are made to the fire (agni) to seek his blessings and those of the sun for a bountiful harvest and a prosperous beginning to the year.

     

    Uttarayan is celebrated in Gujarat and it is the time of the year when kites dominate the sky. People across Gujarat come together with excitement to display their exotic kites of various designs. People make variety of delicacies like undhiyu, sweets to enjoy the festival together.

     

    In Tamil Nadu, Pongal is celebrated on the same date and the celebrations continue for four days. Pongal means boiling over and Tamilians start the day with the ritual of boiling pot of milk. Just as the sun is crucial to the Indian farmer, Indian agriculture would be lost without its cattle. On this day, villagers bathe their cattle and paint their horns in bright colours.  In the evening the cattle are all gathered together for a celebration where they are garlanded and revered, andare fed pongal, jiggery, fruits and sugarcane. 

     

    Discovery Channel through its special Spirit of India– Makar Sankranti will celebrate the rituals and celebrations of Makar Sankranti across India that is symbolic of a common thanksgiving to nature represented by the Sun God. 

  • NDTV Good Times is all set to air ‘My Yellow Table – By Invitation’

    NDTV Good Times is all set to air ‘My Yellow Table – By Invitation’

    MUMBAI: After a successful run of the show My Yellow Table, NDTV Good Times, is back with a second season of the series. The second season will air from 9 January 2016 every weekend at 9 pm.

     

    My Yellow Table – By Invitation, is helmed yet again by celebrity Chef Kunal Kapur. And this time, the charming Kunal amps up the fun, the food and his very own fundas on the show along with some celebrity guests! Yes, this season has a host of known faces visiting Kunal’s kitchen from Amyra Dastur to Himani Shivpuri and Amrita Raichand to Maria Goretti, Sapna Pabbi, Sandeep Soparrkar, Anuj Sachdev, it is quite the party!

     

    Talking about season 2, NDTV Good Times channel head Arati Singh said, “We are happy to present My Yellow Table – By Invitation, with Chef Kunal Kapur.  The previous season received great response from the audience and the new season will see the show take the recipes, fun and food talk a notch higher.”

     

     Sharing his excitement, Chef Kunal Kapur said, “I firmly believe that good company and warm conversations can add immense flavor to any meal! My Yellow Table- By Invitation is all about great conversations over delicious food. I want to revive the joy of friends and family getting together to cook a fun and wholesome meal, peppered with the jokes, the discussions and the differences!.” 

     

    The show promises the quintessential Kunal brand of simple yet delicious cooking, with a treasure trove of recipes and nuskhas to take home. As with the last time, the man with a plan to get everyone cooks hopes to inspire the latent chef in each one of us. The show will feature Indian cuisine with a Kunal touch – meaning a lot of flamboyance, innovation and experimentation!

     

    Look out for the Mischief Box, Kunal’s little box of mystery that stumps many a guest on the show. At the end of his challenge is a grand prize for every guest, awarded in inimitable Kunal style! So whether you are an aspiring cook, a challenged cook or a demanding diner, you can always find a hearty meal at My Yellow Table.

  • NatGeo’s ‘Original Sin’ to uncover sex in new six-part series

    NatGeo’s ‘Original Sin’ to uncover sex in new six-part series

    MUMBAI: National Geographic Channel has commissioned, from World of Wonder, of Original Sin: How Sex Changed the World, which is currently starting preproduction and will investigate how the sexual revolution over the past 50 years has impacted every aspect of our society, including pop culture, science, politics and social interaction.

     

    The six-part series will explore how sex has shed many of its taboos to increasingly permeate contemporary cultures all over the world, and how this new era of exploration is shaping our lives. Original Sin will take a frank look at how sex has become more visible, impacting the Internet, advertising, politics, education and the media. Hitherto marginalised sexual communities have entered the mainstream and new types of sexual aggression are on the rise. The series will air globally on National Geographic Channel in 2016, in 171 countries and 45 languages.

     

    Exploring how sexuality is represented in various countries and cultures around the world, Original Sin will reveal how sex on the Internet has led to a collapse of traditional privacy, how sex education over the years has taught us more about our fears and anxieties than sex itself, how sex scandals often expose political hypocrisy, and how concepts of gender and sexuality have become newly defined thanks to high-profile personalities like Laverne Cox and Caitlyn Jenner.

     

    The influence of sex on what is socially acceptable has also impacted cultures all around the world. The series will examine the sexual revolution globally, including the campaign against sex robots in the U.K., Japan’s bars where women can use vibrators in public while having a drink and Thailand’s moves to enshrine third-gender individuals in their constitution.

     

    “Clearly, sex is necessary for the continuation of our species, but its influence goes well beyond the need to procreate. In the footsteps of our decades-defining series about how pivotal moments, people and innovations shaped the ’80s, ’90s and 2000s, we now turn our attention to a subject that was once taboo, but that impacts everything around us. This series will explore the myriad ways sex has evolved in public, from ancient art to being front and center in best-selling novels, technology and politics,” said National Geographic Channel president of original programming and production Tim Pastore.

     

    “Sex is all around us, but it’s something that we seem reluctant to talk about. People decry it, moralise about it and get upset about it, but there are few attempts to understand this powerful and most fundamental of life forces. We feel it is time to cast aside modesty and examine without embarrassment the impact that sex has on our lives,” added World of Wonder co-CEO Fenton Bailey.

     

    Using archival footage, animation and interviews with experts like sex therapist Dr. Ruth, Original Sin will uncover the surprising ways sex impacts humanity and how societal conditions have changed over the past 50 years.

     

    Original Sin will be produced by World of Wonder for National Geographic Channel. For World of Wonder, Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, Tom Campbell and Dan Partland are executive producers. For National Geographic Channel, Kevin Mohs is vice president, production and development; Alan Eyres is senior vice president, programming and development; and Tim Pastore is president, original programming and production.