Discovery Channel announced a new family-friendly series from some of today’s hottest recording artists; it was announced today by Rich Ross, Group President of Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, and Science Channel.
Presented in association with World Wildlife Fund (WWF), HELLO WORLD! is a six-part series taking a look at the wonders of the natural world through the eyes of some of today’s most celebrated musicians. The series brings out the universal themes of the artists’ music by using it as a soundtrack for the stories of animals in the wild. HELLO WORLD! debuts Saturday, July 9 with two back-to-back episodes for three weeks. The series is produced by RadicalMedia on behalf of Discovery Channel.
“It’s a thrill to have six Grammy®-winning or -nominated artists working on HELLO WORLD!” says Ross. “All of these artists bring a powerful love for wildlife and the environment, and we cannot wait to share these films with families across the world.”
HELLO WORLD! takes viewers deep into the environments of animals as varied as sea turtles, jumping spiders, rhinos, and hawks as they live their daily lives. Whether they are searching for water, looking for love, or caring for their families, these animals all have a singular way of surviving. Each episode features the artist’s vibrant storytelling and one of their well-known songs, as well as a lush musical score.
Episodes Include:
• It’s a big, tough world out there, where animals face harsh environments and voracious predators. Usher’s new track “Stronger,” also the title of the episode, provides the backdrop as the sea turtle and red fox demonstrate how adversity only makes them more resilient.
• In “Crazy Love,” Goulding uncovers the amazing (and hilarious) lengths some animals go to to attract a mate. Her hit, “Something in the Way You Move,” sets the mood for animals as diverse as polar bears and garter snakes.
• Just about every animal needs water. Yet each creature’s search for it is unique. With “Save Me,” Matthews follows the stories of three very different species—rhinos, spadefoot toads, and manatees—as they search for the fresh water on which all life on Earth depends.
• A mother’s love is something so fierce that anyone who gets in her way better beware. In “Don’t Mess with Mama,” Aguilera uses “Light up the Sky,” to showcase the strategies of such strong maternal caregivers as a mountain goat and a cheetah, as each protects her young.
• Tyler’s recently released country song “RED, WHITE & YOU,” is a perfect backdrop to “Summer Wild.” This episode shows how several North American critters–prairie dogs, hawks, and wild mustangs—like to spend their summer vacation.
• Our favorite bad girl, Jett, highlights the stories of many of the creatures we love to hate. Featuring wolves, alligators, and sharks, “Bad Reputation,” featuring the hit song of the same name, makes the case that for all the fear they put into the world, these guys might just be getting a bad rap. And more than that, they each are really a crucial part of their native ecosystem.
“Not many people may know of my strong affinity for animals and nature,” comments Grammy®-winning artist Usher. “HELLO WORLD! gave me an opportunity to not only look cool to my boys, but also help introduce a new and modern way of learning about the world and the animals living within it.”
“I was thrilled when I was asked to come aboard to be part of HELLO WORLD as I had never done voiceover work prior and the experience was amazing!” says Grammy®-winning artist Aguilera. “Discovery does such great work in educating people in an entertaining way and I know I will enjoy watching the series with my kids.”
Comments Grammy-nominated artist Joan Jett, “It is important for us to learn about misunderstood animals and how they affect the ecosystem and support human life.”
“Discovery’s HELLO WORLD! provides a compelling new platform to engage people about wildlife and wild places,” said Terry Macko, senior vice president of communications and marketing at WWF. “As we’re faced daily with news and information about the declining state of our natural world, this series brings a hopeful message that bridges generations to inspire conservationists of any age.”
“The wonders of our planet never cease to amaze and there’s no better way to capture the joy, drama, fear and love all species experience than with our oldest form of storytelling, music,” comments John Hoffman, EVP of Documentaries and Specials, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, and Science Channel. “We’re blown away by how these great artists’ music and voices lend themselves to telling stories of the natural world and by their commitment to WWF and animal conservation.”
HELLO WORLD! is produced by Discovery in association with RadicalMedia. The series is a co-presentation with WWF. Christina Aguilera, Ellie Goulding, Joan Jett, Dave Matthews, Usher, and Steven Tyler each narrate one episode; executive producers, Joe Killian, Dave Sirulnick, Jon Kamen, Justin Wilkes; producer and director, Sara Enright; writer and supervising producer, Andy Yerkes; original score by Bill Sherman; music producer, Scott Seviour. For Discovery Channel: supervising producer, Alexandra Moss; executive producer, John Hoffman.
About Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel 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 is distributed to 100.8 million U.S. homes, can be seen in 210 countries and territories, 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.
About Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the leader in global entertainment reaching 3 billion cumulative viewers in more than 220 countries and territories. Discovery satisfies curiosity, entertains and inspires viewers with high-quality content through global brands, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Animal Planet, Science and Turbo/Velocity, as well as U.S. joint venture network OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, and through the Discovery Digital Networks portfolio, including Seeker and SourceFed. Discovery owns Eurosport, the leading pan-regional sports entertainment destination across Europe and Asia-Pacific. Discovery also is a leading provider of educational products and services to schools, including an award-winning series of K-12 digital textbooks, through Discovery Education.
For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.
About RadicalMedia
RadicalMedia has produced a number of films telling nuanced, multi-faceted stories including: the Academy Award-nominated, Grammy-Nominated documentary What Happened, Miss Simone? and the acclaimed Keith Richards: Under the Influence, both for Netflix; the Academy Award and Independent Spirit Award-winning documentary The Fog of War; Grammy-winning Concert for George; Under African Skies, Joe Berlinger’s Emmy Award-winning documentary examining the making of the groundbreaking and controversial Paul Simon record Graceland; The Ron Howard-helmed Jay-Z documentary, Made In America, Joe Berlinger’s critically-acclaimed and Independent Spirit Award-winning documentary Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, the Academy Award and multiple Emmy-nominated Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory and Whitey: The US vs. James J. Bulger. Television credits include Oprah’s Master Class, Iconoclasts, David Blaine: Real or Magic, Park Bench with Steve Buscemi, and the upcoming Mars for National Geographic and Judgement Day: Prison or Parole? for Investigation Discovery.
About World Wildlife Fund
WWF is one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, working in 100 countries for over half a century. With the support of almost 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat climate change. Visit www.worldwildlife.org to learn more and keep up with the latest conservation news by following @WWFNews on Twitter.
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