Happy 25th Anniversary, to NG's "Explorer" series!!!

[Scott T. Shier]

 

In April 2010, Explorer marks 25 years on the air. Today its the longest-running documentary series in cable television history, honored with nearly 60 Emmys and hundreds of other awards. In the course of more than two thousand films, Explorer has taken 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.

 

Synopsis of "Explorer" as a program:

Explorer premiered in 1985 on Nickelodeon, then moved to TBS in February the following year. In September 1999, the series moved to CNBC and later relocated to sister network MSNBC in October 2001. Relaunched as “Ultimate Explorer” in June 2003 on MSNBC, the series moved in 2004 to National Geographic Channel. Over the years, Explorer has evolved from a magazine format to a weekly series of hour-long documentaries, providing in-depth coverage of single topics.

The two-hour special titled "Explorer: 25 Years" hosted by Lisa Ling, takes a look back at how the world has changed in a quarter century, and how Explorer has covered our changing world. It is also available now at the NG Store online in dvd format. Airdate premieres are April 19, 2010 at 9pm and again April 26, 2010 at 5pm.

 

See this:

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/25-years-4999/Overview

 

 

My personal favorite "Explorer" episode is 1987's "Secrets of the Titanic", which was narrated by Martin Sheen, and featured Dr. Robert Ballard and his team. The link above also has (under "Credits" link) a partial listing of many of the past Explorer episodes.

 

 

See also:

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/explorer-25 (main page with links to several features about "Explorer")

 

 

And: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/explorer-25-article-1 (various people involved speak about "Explorer")

 

 

 

~ Scott T. Shier