Dare to Explore National Geographic Channel's Adventurous New Prime Time Programming

NGC Ends 2004 With the Fastest Ratings Growth in TV and Continues Momentum With Awesome, Adventurous and Amazing Shows for 2005

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 -- From predators to parajumpers, crop circles to car racers, hobbits to hogzilla, the National Geographic Channel kicks off 2005 by announcing a fascinating slate of new shows designed to build on the network's unprecedented success in 2004. The 4-year-old network ended last year with the fastest primetime ratings growth in TV, record back- to-back quarters and a special that attracted 4.1 million viewers in a single night (the highest rated show on cable that evening after Sunday night football on ESPN).

NGC achieved significant ratings benchmarks last year, including annual growth of +56% in P25-54 and +50% in HH ratings, the fastest primetime growth of any network. 4Q 04 was NGC's fourth consecutive record quarter across key metrics including ratings in households, P25-54 and P2+.

The network aired a series of specials that each set new records for NGC, culminating with the premiere of "Unlocking DaVinci's Code: The Full Story" which attracted more than 4.1 million viewers and achieved a 1.6 HH rating. Additionally, several new fall series have set records for the network, including "MegaStructures," "Seconds from Disaster" and "Naked Science," all of which will return for second seasons.

NGC's programming highlights for the first two quarters of 2005 include:

January

PREDATORS AT WAR (Sunday, January 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT)

"Predators at War" takes an innovative look at some of Africa's most fearsome predators as they battle the environment and each other during a brutal drought. This two-hour special employs military metaphors to cover the deadly competition, putting the viewer virtually on the super-predator battlefield.

RESCUE WARRIORS (Monday, January 17 from 8-11 p.m. ET/PT)

NGC goes behind the scenes at Pararescue indoctrination -- a demanding selection course designed to weed out all but the toughest and most dedicated students. Within the first three weeks, one third drop out of a training that lasts for two years! Go inside this brutal training, and see who makes it out in the end.

EXPLORER: "Killer Cats" (Sunday, January 23 at 8 p.m. ET/PT)

Wild animals are hunting humans... in our own backyards! Squeezed by diminishing habitats, big cats from California to India are entering heavily populated areas to hunt. And more and more, their prey is human.

BEHIND THE MYSTERIES WEEK (Monday, January 24 through Sunday, January 30)

NGC explores the unexplained mysteries and puzzling phenomena that have held our attention for hundreds of years and continue to intrigue us today. Beginning Monday, January 24, "Behind the Mysteries" week kicks off and culminates with back-to-back world premieres:

"Egypt's Warrior King" (Monday, January 24 at 9 p.m. ET/PT)

"Tomb Robbers" (Monday, January 24 at 10 p.m. ET/PT)

"Bigfoot" (Sunday, January 30 at 9 p.m. ET/PT)

"Crop Circles" (Sunday, January 30 at 10 p.m. ET/PT)

EXPLORER: "The True Face of Hurricanes" (Sunday, January 30 at 8 p.m. ET/PT)

When a series of devastating hurricanes barraged Florida this summer, "Explorer" deployed an army of film crews into the paths of these terrifying monsters with the scientists studying them. Now, for the first time, the amazing footage they captured is presented as the experts analyze startling information uncovered from inside the eye walls.

FEBRUARY

BEST OF NGC WEEK (February 7-12 from 8-11 p.m. ET/PT)

Following the excitement of the Super Bowl, NGC keeps the adrenaline pumping with a week of hand picked episodes from series "Naked Science," "MegaStructures" and "Taboo" and the specials "Bounty Hunters," "Thrill Rides" and "Strike Planes."

MOTHER OF ALL (Wednesday, February 23 from 8-10 p.m. ET/PT)

Imagine a refrigerator that includes a bicycle-powered blender and a cannon that fires soda cans. Or a steel framed river raft complete with a fire hose water cannon! Mother of All is a fast-paced and engaging look at the challenge of creating extraordinary things on extremely tight deadlines ... and even tighter budgets.

MARCH

INDY CAR RACER (Thursday, March 3 from 8-11 p.m. ET/PT)

From the spectacle of race day, to the smell of burning rubber, to the unleashed fury of 675 horsepower engines -- this is a sport you feel in your guts... and the competition is brutal. At 240 miles per hour, failure can be devastating... or even deadly. Welcome to the IRL -- the Indy Racing League.

IN THE WOMB (Sunday, March 6 at 8 p.m. ET/ 9 p.m. PT)

This two-hour special takes you from conception to the moment of birth, using cutting-edge technology to open a window into the hidden world of the fetus and explore each trimester in amazing new detail. Revolutionary 3-D and 4-D ultrasound imagery sheds light on the delicate, dark world of a fetus as never before.

SURVIVING THE ... (March 7-8 from 9-11 p.m. ET/PT)

Powerful earthquakes. Explosive volcanoes. Horrific hurricanes. Deadly tornadoes. Nature's power can inspire a combination of fear, awe and curiosity. But it is the extraordinary human stories underlying all disasters that stay with us. Each episode brings you compelling true stories of survival, heroism, luck and tragedy in the face of nature's fury.

EXPLORER: "Hogzilla" (Sunday, March 13 at 8 p.m. ET/PT)

When the story broke that hunting guide Chris Griffin had killed a giant feral hog, he never expected it to spark a worldwide controversy. Now, "Explorer" literally unearths the truth behind the legendary Hogzilla -- the reputed 1,000-pound hog killed in the Georgia swamps.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL'S MOST AMAZING MOMENTS II & III (Sunday, March 13 from 9-11 p.m. ET/PT)

Two riveting back-to-back specials count down dramatic events captured on film through the National Geographic lens. Action-packed segments feature spectacular imagery and firsthand accounts that let viewers experience thrilling moments of discovery, heart-pounding adventure and rarely seen animal behaviors.

SEARCH FOR THE ULTIMATE SURVIVOR (Sunday, March 20 at 9 p.m. ET/PT)

New evidence reveals our prehistoric ancestors did not walk the earth alone. From giants of unmatched size and strength to prehistoric "hobbit-like" people half the size of humans today, scientists are reconstructing the past to find many different species competing for survival at the same time. Why were we the ultimate survivor?

QUEST FOR TRUTH

"Crucifixion" (Sunday, March 27 at 9 p.m. ET/PT)

"Bible Code" (Sunday, March 27 at 10 p.m. ET/PT)

Return to the Holy Land as forensic detectives investigate the greatest story ever told. Using modern science to unlock ancient clues, these shows seek to shed new light on the dawn of Christianity. "Quest for Truth" examines the crucifixion from a physiological as well as historical perspective, conducting a series of experiments that offer new theories that challenge conventional wisdom.

MAY

EXTRATERRESTRIAL (Sunday, May 29 from 9-11 p.m. ET/PT)

Prepare for the ultimate encounter. Join leading scientists in the field as they put "alien" evolution into motion, search for habitable planets and investigate what life forms could exist on the outer planets of our solar system.

JUNE

INSIDE THE MAFIA (Monday and Tuesday, June 13 and 14 from 9-11 p.m. ET/PT)

Organized like a multi-national corporation, the Mafia is headquartered in Italy and the U.S. Now, NGC infiltrates the legendary secrecy of one of the world's most powerful criminal organizations to expose the stark realities deep Inside the Mafia. With remarkable access to FBI and DEA agents and former mobsters, Inside the Mafia reveals in intimate detail the cutthroat deals, gangland assassinations and secret rituals within the infamous global mob.

Based at National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channel is a joint venture between National Geographic Television & Film (NGT&F) and Fox Cable Networks. National Geographic Channel debuted to an initial 10 million homes in January 2001, and has been one of the fastest growing networks in history. The Channel has carriage with all of the nation's major cable and satellite television providers, making it currently available to 52 million homes. For more information, please visit http://www.nationalgeographic.com/channel.

SOURCE National Geographic Channel
Web Site: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/channel