National Geographic Explorer

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This article is about a television documentary program. For the passenger cruise ship, see MS National Geographic Explorer.
National Geographic Explorer
National Geographic Channel
(2004–present)
ReleaseApril 7, 1985 (1985-04-07) –
present
Related
  • National Geographic Specials
  • National Geographic Ultimate Explorer

National Geographic Explorer (or simply Explorer) is an American

National Geographic Specials by Pittsburgh station WQED. The first episode ("Herculaneum: Voices from the Past") was produced by WQED and featured long-time Explorer cameraman Mark Knobil, who is the few staff members with the franchise during all 24 seasons. The program is the longest-running documentary television series on cable television. Presented every Sunday from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, the original series was three hours in length, containing five to ten short films. Although the National Geographic Society
had been producing specials for television for 20 years prior to Explorer, the premiere of the series required an increase in production from 4 hours of programming a year to 156 hours. Tim Cowling and Tim Kelly were the executive producers for the series during this transition.

In its 36 years on television, Explorer has worked for five television outlets. In February 1986, Explorer moved to

National Geographic Channel
.

National Geographic Explorer has earned more than 400 awards, including 52 Emmy Awards, 13 Cable ACE awards, the Family Television Award, the Genesis Award, the DuPont-Columbia Silver Baton Award, the Peabody Award, four gold medals at the International Film and Television Festival of New York, as well as being nominated for two Academy Awards.[1][2]

The original Explorer series ended in 2011 and then was started again in 2015 with the help of original programming president Tim Pastore, hosted by British journalist

National Geographic's 171 channels around the world.[4] In 2018, Bacon was replaced by Phil Keoghan who is best known for hosting The Amazing Race.[5]

Plot / Format

Variety magazine described the series: "The new-model 'Explorer' is described as a weekly 'docu-talk' series that will feature magazine-style field reporting, celebrity guests and talk show segments shot in front of a studio audience."[4]

Background

National Geographic Specials were being produced by Pittsburgh station WQED for PBS.[6]

History

National Geographic Explorer began broadcasting in April 1985 on

TBS. Each episode was made by an independent production company with a National Geographic staffer serving as an associate producer. Local actor Bingo O'Malley was selected by Herculaneum: Voices from the Past producer Joe Seamans as host. Herculaneum was extended for broadcast on PBS in 1987 under the title, In the Shadow of Vesuvius".[6]

The show bounced between CNBC (which was subject to interruptions in the fall and late spring/early summer due to World Series and NBA Finals postgames from NBC Sports), then MSNBC and finally National Geographic Channel. In April 2010, the show celebrated its 25 year with a special, "Explorer: 25 Years".[6]

Hosts / narrators

Executive producers

  • Tim Kelly
  • Tim Cowling
  • Tom Simon
  • Michael Rosenfeld
  • Patrick Prentice
  • Jonathan Halperin
  • Robert Zakin
  • Lou Wallach,
  • Jeff Hasler
  • Brian Lovett
  • Laura Glassman
  • Drew Pulley

Episodes[7]

Episode list starting with the change in title to simply Explorer

Season 1 (2005)

Season 2 (2006)

Season 3 (2007)

Season 4 (2008)

Season 5 (2009)

Season 6 (2010)

Season 7 (2011)

  • "American Hostage"
  • "Lost Cannibals of Europe"
  • "How to Build a Beating Heart"
  • "Man vs Volcano"
  • "Megapiranha"
  • "Mystery of the Murdered Saints"
  • "Stormagenddon"
  • "Taking Down the Mob"
  • "Crime Lords of Tokyo"
  • "Gang War USA"
  • "Murder in the Roman Empire"
  • "Hostage Crises Massacre"
  • "Psychic Gold Hunt"
  • "To Catch a Smuggler"
  • "Marijuana Gold Rush"
  • "Guerrilla Gold Rush"

Season 8 (2015)

  • "Warlords of Ivory"
  • "Legend of the Monkey God"
  • "Bill Nye's Global Meltdown"
  • "The Cult of Mary"
  • "Call of the Wild"
  • "Eyes Wide Open"
  • "Fighting ISIS"
  • "Faces of Death"
  • "Point of No Return"
  • "Blood Antiquities"
  • "Battle for Varunga"
  • "What Would Teddy Do?", about Theodore Roosevelt

Season 9 (2016)

  • "Episode 1" originally broadcast November 14, 2016 - host Richard Bacon, stories of death and features interviews with comedian Larry Wilmore and environmental activist Erin Brockovich.
  • "Episode 2" originally broadcast November 21, 2016
  • "Episode 3" originally broadcast November 28, 2016
  • "Episode 4" originally broadcast December 5, 2016 -
    Gavin Mcinnes
    debate the meaning of manhood.
  • "Episode 5" originally broadcast December 12, 2016
  • "Episode 6" originally broadcast December 19, 2016

Season 10 (2017)

[7]

References

  1. ^ "NAT GEO: EXPLORER SERIES". rippleeffect.co. Retrieved 2017-07-28.
  2. ^ National Geographic Explorer, retrieved 2017-07-28
  3. ^ Nat Geo's Reborn Explorer Series Gets Premiere Date — Watch Sneak Preview, 27 September 2016, retrieved 2017-07-28
  4. ^ a b c National Geographic Channel Unveils Revamped 'Explorer,' 'Earth Live' Special and Other Shows, 15 March 2016, retrieved 2017-07-28
  5. ^ "Phil Keoghan to Replace Richard Bacon as Nat Geo 'Explorer' Host". SFGate. Retrieved 2018-01-16.
  6. ^ a b c "Tuned In: National Geographic's "Explorer" celebrates 25th anniversary". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2016-03-15.
  7. ^ a b National Geographic Explorer Episode Guide, archived from the original on March 20, 2015, retrieved 2017-07-28
  8. ^ Rare Interview with the Dalai Lama, 20 March 2017, retrieved 2017-07-28

External links

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