NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THE WORLD IS FULL OF STORIES THAT MOST WILL NEVER HEAR
Hideouts. High Seas. High Stakes.
30 YEARS AFTER LAUNCHING, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL TO
BRING BACK THE LONGEST-RUNNING DOCUMENTARY SERIES IN
CABLE HISTORY WITH THE RELAUNCH OF EXPLORER
(PASADENA, CA/WASHINGTON, D.C. – JAN. 7, 2015) National Geographic Channel’s awardwinning and critically acclaimed documentary series Explorer will return in 2015 after a five-year
hiatus, announced National Geographic Channel CEO Courteney Monroe. In this groundbreaking
reboot, Explorer will return to the front lines with intrepid correspondents, traveling the world to hunt
down cultural and political stories that are the global headlines of tomorrow. Fully immersed in the
thick of the action, raw and in-your-face, viewers go directly to the source through the same
incredible inside access that has been the hallmark of the National Geographic brand since its
inception.
“Explorer is the quintessential blue-chip National Geographic Channel series, and we’re excited to
be bringing it back,” said National Geographic Channel President of Original Programming &
Production Tim Pastore. “Thanks to the access granted by that unmistakable yellow border, we’ll be
bringing audiences new stories using new technologies and new twists that will be the talk of the
water cooler.”
Produced by National Geographic Studios, Explorer is in the DNA of what National Geographic has
always done best: going where others cannot (or will not) to forever change the way we see the
world. In each fast-paced episode our cameras get in when no one else can, to report with depth,
heart and visual explosiveness. Over the course of its original 25-year run, Explorer took viewers
inside North Korea; on the bloody trail of the world’s most dangerous gang, MS-13; to the gambling
dens of Japan’s Yakuza gang; on the hunt for the mysterious Afghan Girl, whose striking eyes
stunned readers of National Geographic magazine in 1985; and to the heavily guarded warehouses
of Brazil’s wild animal trade.
The original Explorer series, the longest-running documentary series in cable television history,
was honored with nearly 60 Emmys and hundreds of other awards during its run from 1985 to 2010.
Over the course of more than 2,000 films, Explorer took viewers to more than 120 countries,
opening a window on hidden parts of the world, unlocking mysteries both ancient and modern and
investigating stories of science, nature and culture.
Following in the footsteps of acclaimed journalists Lisa Ling, Boyd Matson and Salvatore Vecchio,
will be five new correspondents, to be announced soon, who will put their necks on the line to bring
home the story.
“The world is filled with incredible and often unbelievable stories, like those National Geographic
has been covering for more than 126 years” said Brooke Runnette, president of National
Geographic Studios. “With the return of Explorer we will leave no stone unturned, no border
uncrossed, and no trail cold to find those stories and more.”
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Explorer will also air on National Geographic Channels internationally in 171 countries and in 45
languages.
Explorer will be produced by National Geographic Studios for National Geographic Channel. NGS
president Brooke Runnette and Brian Lovett are executive producing, and Margaret Ebrahim is coexecutive producer. For National Geographic Channel, Robert Palumbo is executive producer;
Charlie Parsons is vice president, development; Alan Eyres is senior vice president, programming
and development, and Heather Moran is executive vice president, programming & strategy. Tim
Pastore is president of original programming and production
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National Geographic Channel
Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic
Channels US are a joint venture between National Geographic and Fox Networks. The Channels contribute to
the National Geographic Society’s commitment to exploration, conservation and education with smart,
innovative programming and profits that directly support its mission. Launched in January 2001, National
Geographic Channel (NGC) celebrated its fifth anniversary with the debut of NGC HD. In 2010, the wildlife
and natural history cable channel Nat Geo WILD was launched, and in 2011, the Spanish-language network
Nat Geo Mundo was unveiled. The Channels have carriage with all of the nation’s major cable, telco and
satellite television providers, with NGC currently available in over 85 million U.S. homes. Globally, National
Geographic Channel is available in more than 440 million homes in 171 countries and 45 languages. For
more information, visit www.natgeotv.com.
Contacts:
Chris Albert, National Geographic Channel, (202)-912-6526, calbert@natgeotv.com
Stephanie Montgomery, National Geographic Channel, (202) 912-6636, smontgomery@natgeotv.com