Company Announcement - GE and National Geographic are collaborating to launch ‘Breakthrough’, a TV series of six episodes, which will share compelling stories of the people, science, and technology that are defining our future. The series is not a content partnership, but rather a co-production of GE and NatGeo. Each hour long episode will be directed by Hollywood Visionaries and world-class storytellers, while being supported by GE scientists, technicians, directors, and thought-leaders, as well as cutting-edge GE technologies. The series follows innovators and their journeys as they work on projects that are on the cusp of a breakthrough. The episodes will tell captivating stories, introduce world changing innovations, and display the limitless potential for new ideas and solutions to register change. With its unmatched storytelling and A-List production value, ‘Breakthrough’ offers its audience a onetime opportunity to partake in solving humanity’s biggest concerns. The series will launch internationally in November 2015 on National Geographic Channels in 440 million homes, 171 countries, and in 45 languages.
Episodes
Longevity – the episode will address how scientific breakthroughs will dramatically increase human lifespan, affecting us spiritually and societally.
• Director: Ron Howard – A Beautiful Mind, How the Grinch Stole Christmas
The Brain – the episode will showcase the revolution in the exploration of the brain, sparked by the development of new tools and imaginative thinking.
• Director: Brett Ratner – Rush Hour, X-Men: The Last Stand
Pandemics – the episode will cover antibiotics, vaccines, computer programs that predict how viruses will spread in the near future, and new life-saving tools for fighting a wide range of viruses including HIV, influenza, dengue fever, malaria, and a host of other killer diseases.
• Director: Peter Berg – Friday Night Lights, Battleship, The Kingdom
More Than Human – the episode will explore breakthrough solutions fusing biology and technology to change the nature of the human body and mind, going beyond replacement parts such as artificial limbs and pacemakers. The episode will analyze how the fusion of natural and man-made worlds will make humans smarter, faster, and stronger.
• Director: Paul Giamatti – The Amazing Spider-Man 2, 12 Years a Slave, Downtown Abbey
Energy from the Edge – the episode will follow innovative alternative energy projects and the colorful people behind them.
• Director: Akiva Goldsman – Batman Forever, Batman & Robin, Cinderella Man, I Am Legend
H2OPocalypse – the episode will discuss the challenges of future widespread water shortages and water crises that are being met with a host of incredible solutions, showing the power of imagination at work.
• Director: Angela Bassett – Malcolm X, This Means War, What’s Love Got to Do with It