DISCOVERY CHANNEL JOINS BBC TO CO-PRODUCE SPECIAL TELEVISION EVENT, GREAT BARRIER REEF

New York, NY and Silver Spring, MD -- BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, and Discovery Channel today announced a co-production deal for the magnificent natural history special GREAT BARRIER REEF.

Discovery Channel, together with the BBC, Digital Dimensions and The Nine Network in Australia will create the stunning three-part event revealing the natural history of Australia's iconic natural wonder and the world's largest single structure made by living organisms. GREAT BARRIER REEF will paint viewers a beautiful, revelatory and in-depth portrait of one of the world's great biological miracles, from Fraser Island in the south to its northernmost limits in Torres Straits.

"The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most iconic natural structures in the world," said Clark Bunting, President and General Manager, Discovery Channel and President, Science Channel. "Joining forces with the BBC's Natural History Unit and Digital Dimensions guarantees that GREAT BARRIER REEF will deliver on the best in storytelling, filmmaking and innovative technology. Viewers will see this amazing living reef and the creatures that inhabit it."

Matt Forde, EVP of Sales and Co-Productions for BBC Worldwide, Americas said: "We've had great success with our partners at Discovery Channel, and have captured incredible images of the natural world and wildlife on film - some for the very first time - in our past collaborations. The Great Barrier Reef is another exciting project, offering U.S. audiences an intimate depiction of one of the world's most renowned natural treasures."

Neil Nightingale, BBC Executive Producer, says "This is the first ever definitive wildlife television series on the Great Barrier Reef. With the fantastic joint team we have brought together from the BBC Natural History Unit and Queensland production company Digital Dimensions, and using the latest filming technology, we'll capture the magic of the reef as it's never been seen before - showing this iconic natural miracle to worldwide audiences in a new light."

The first episode explores how the extraordinary structure of the Great Barrier Reef was created and continues to flourish, featuring cutting edge close-up technology to reveal the world of tiny animals which are the crucial foundation of the reef itself. The second episode moves to the giant lagoon inside the reef where the land meets the sea, with the third episode focusing on the remote outer reefs - vast, isolated and rarely visited.

GREAT BARRIER REEF is currently filming on location and will premiere in the U.S. in 2012.

About BBC Worldwide Sales & Distribution

BBC Worldwide Sales & Distribution is one of seven core businesses under BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm and wholly-owned subsidiary of the UK public service broadcaster, BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation). BBC Worldwide exists to maximize the value of the BBC's assets for the benefit of the BBC, and invests in programming in return for rights. The Sales & Distribution business negotiates, sells and distributes television programs to networks and secures co-production partners, in the Americas region.

About Discovery Channel

Discovery Channel (DSC) is dedicated to creating the highest quality non-fiction content that informs and entertains its consumers about the world in all its wonder, diversity and amazement. The network, which reaches 98.1 million viewers in the US, can be seen in over 170 countries, offering a signature mix of compelling, high-end production values and vivid cinematography across genres including, science and technology, exploration, adventure, history and in-depth, behind-the-scenes glimpses at the people, places and organizations that shape and share our world. For more information, please visit www.discovery.com.