National Geographic Channel, Imagine Entertainment and RadicalMedia Redefine Television Storytelling with MARS — an Unprecedented Global Event Series

Executive Produced by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, MARS
Showcases the Dramatic Setbacks and Successes of the Modern Scientific
Space Revolution, While Envisioning Humankind’s First Harrowing Attempt
to Colonize the Distant Planet

MARS Premieres Monday, Nov. 14, at 9/8c in the U.S. and
Internationally on Sunday, Nov. 13

“When the first humans set foot on Mars, the moment will be more
significant in terms of technology, philosophy, history and exploration
than any that have come before it, all because we will no longer be a
one-planet species.” -Stephen Petranek, author of “How We’ll
Live on Mars”

WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Of all the planets in our solar system, none has captured our collective
imagination like Mars — a mysterious, indelible part of the zeitgeist.
The quest to send humans to Mars has engaged the top minds in science in
a modern-day space race, and it has infiltrated pop culture through
blockbusters like Andy Weir’s “The Martian” and through
out-of-this-world tweets from astronaut Scott Kelly. Now, National
Geographic Channel; Academy Award- and Emmy-winning producers Brian
Grazer, Ron Howard and Michael Rosenberg of Imagine Entertainment; and
Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning producer Justin Wilkes, Academy
Award- and Emmy-winning producer Jon Kamen, and Dave O’Connor of
RadicalMedia and visionary Mexican filmmaker Everardo Gout (“Days
of Grace”), have joined forces to launch viewers farther into outer
space than ever before with the global event series MARS.

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Premiering on the National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo Mundo in the
U.S. on Monday, Nov. 14 at 9/8c and internationally in 170 countries and
45 languages on Sunday, Nov. 13, MARS — which is set both in the
future and in the present day — will redefine television storytelling by
combining feature film-quality scripted drama and visual effects with
best-in-class documentary sequences to drive forward a cohesive,
edge-of-your-seat story of mankind’s thrilling quest to colonize Mars.
For more information, visit www.foxflash.com
and www.MakeMarsHome.com.

This epic six-part global event series tells the inspiring story from
the vantage point of a fictitious crewed mission to Mars in 2033. Executive
producers Howard and Grazer hand-selected Gout to direct all six
episodes of the series, filmed earlier this year in Budapest and
Morocco. The scripted portion focuses on Earth’s first crewed mission to
MARS aboard the spacecraft Daedalus. Its maiden voyage in 2033 is
crewed by a carefully selected international team of six uniquely
qualified astronauts, including:

American mission commander Ben Sawyer (Ben
Cotton), Korean-American mission pilot Hana Seung (Jihae),
Spanish hydrologist and geochemist Javier Delgado (Alberto
Ammann), French mission physician and biochemist Amelie Durand (Clementine
Poidatz), Nigerian mechanical engineer and roboticist Robert
Foucault (Sammi
Rotibi) and Russian exobiologist and geologist Marta Kamen (Anamaria
Marinca). Back on Earth, the Mars Mission Corporation (MMC) control
team based in London includes Hana Seung’s twin sister, capsule
communicator Joon Seung (also played by Jihae),
and French CEO of the MMC, Ed Grann (Olivier Martinez).

Once Daedalus successfully lands on Mars and sets up a preliminary base
of operations, British nuclear physicist Leslie Richardson (Cosima
Shaw) will lead a Phase 2 settlement team along with her husband,
world-renowned experimental botanist Dr. Paul Richardson (John
Light).

MARS truly brings together all of the world’s leading minds in a
way never before accomplished — think of the world’s largest TED talk
with the most fascinating people on Earth. Those interviewed on camera
for the series include the following:

• Charles Bolden, Administrator, Former Astronaut, NASA
• Neil deGrasse Tyson, Director, Hayden Planetarium
• Peter Diamandis, Chairman and CEO, XPRIZE Foundation
• David Dinges, Director, Unit for Experimental Psychiatry,
  University of Pennsylvania
• Casey Dreier, Director of Space Policy, The Planetary Society
• Ann Druyan, Creative Director, Voyager Interstellar Mission,
  NASA
• Charles Elachi, Director, LPL (Ret.)
• Jim Green, Division Director, Planetary Science, NASA
• John Grunsfeld, Associate Administrator, Former Astronaut, NASA
• Jennifer Heldmann, Planetary Scientist, NASA
• Jedidah Isler, award-winning astrophysicist; emerging Explorer,
  National Geographic
• Thomas Kalil, Deputy Director, White House Office of Science
  and Technology
• Roger Launius, Smithsonian Institution
• John Logsdon, Founder, Space Policy Institute, George
  Washington University
• James Lovell, Former NASA Astronaut, Apollo 13 Commander
• Elon Musk, CEO SpaceX
• Stephen Petranek, author, “How We’ll Live on Mars”
• Mary Roach, author, “Packing for Mars”
• Jennifer Trosper, Mars 2020 Mission Manager, JPL
• Andy Weir, author, “The Martian”
• Robert Zubrin, President, The Mars Society

National Geographic will extend the MARS storytelling in an
unprecedented cross-platform effort, including a six-part digital
companion prequel series. Before MARS, which will launch
prior to the premiere, is an extensive digital virtual reality
experience at www.MakeMarsHome.com.
There will also be the MARS Experience installation in New York
City this October. Further, MARS will be the November cover story
of National Geographic magazine and will be featured in a stand-alone
National Geographic book, “MARS: Our Future on the Red Planet,”
on sale Oct. 25. The NG Kids book, “MARS: The Red Planet,” will
go on sale Sept. 27. There will be media and educational materials for
kids a touring NG Live speakers series and ongoing MARS coverage
on nationalgeographic.com.

Premiere episodes include:

MARS: Novo Mundo
Premieres, Monday, Nov. 14, at 9/8c
In
2033, the first human mission to Mars enters the red planet’s atmosphere
but the crew of the Daedalus faces a life-threatening emergency when the
ship’s landing system goes offline. The crew’s commander risks his life
to fix the problem as mission control monitors back on Earth. In the
present-day documentary, SpaceX attempts to land the world’s first
reusable rocket in order to pioneer the critical technology that will
help humans reach Mars.

MARS: Grounded
Premieres, Monday, Nov. 21 at 9/8c
In
2033, the Daedalus crew battles across the harsh Martian terrain to
reach their prebuilt base camp. A race against the clock to reach the
safety of camp begins when the ship commander reveals he has been
injured during landing. In the present-day documentary, NASA astronaut
Scott Kelly undergoes a historic yearlong mission on the International
Space Station, revealing both the physical and emotional hardships
astronauts face for space exploration.

MARS: Pressure Drop
Premieres, Monday, Nov. 28 at 9/8c
In
2033, the Daedalus mission is in jeopardy as the crew struggles to find
a permanent shelter that can provide long-term protection from
radiation. The team must locate a suitable site for their settlement
before their mission is cut short. In the present day documentary, the
European Space Agency and Roscosmos, Russia’s former federal space
agency, partner to launch an orbiter that will help future Mars missions
prepare for settlement through advanced imagery.

MARS: Power
Premieres, Monday, Dec. 5 at 9/8c
Four
years have passed since the Daedalus crew landed on Mars and established
the first settlement, Olympus Town. A new crew arrives to help execute
plans for expansion and search for life. But a dust storm threatens the
outpost. In the present-day documentary, the bustling McMurdo Station in
Antarctica serves as a modern example of how humans will settle Mars, as
scientists look for insights on how to discover life on another planet.

MARS: Darkest Days
Premieres, Monday, Dec. 12 at 9/8c
In
2037, the dust storm has lasted for months and the Olympus Town
settlement’s infrastructure is suffering as well as the mental
well-being of its residents. The psychological pressures of life on Mars
reveal themselves while the crew is trapped inside the habitat. In the
present-day documentary, scientists study the effects of extreme
isolation in various long-term analog missions in order to prepare for a
future manned mission to Mars.

MARS: Crossroads
Premieres, Monday, Dec. 19 at 9/8c
In
2037, a devastating tragedy in the colony forces everyone on Mars and
Earth to question the mission. While the Olympus Town settlement tries
to cope and continue its mission, controlling groups back on Earth
struggle with a potential decision to end the mission. In the
present-day documentary, commercial space company SpaceX again attempts
to pioneer the rocket technology that would help mankind reach the red
planet.

MARS is produced by Imagine Entertainment and RadicalMedia for
NGC. For Imagine Entertainment, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Michael
Rosenberg are executive producers. For RadicalMedia, Justin Wilkes, Jon
Kamen, Dave O’Connor, Jonathan Silberberg are executive producers. For
NGC, Robert Palumbo is executive producer; Matt Renner is vice
president, production; and Tim Pastore is president, original
programming and production.

About National Geographic Channels

The National Geographic Channels (The Channels) form the television and
production arm of National Geographic Partners, a joint venture between
21st Century Fox and the National Geographic Society. As a global leader
in premium science, adventure and exploration programming, the Channels
include: National Geographic Channel (NGC), Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo People
and Nat Geo MUNDO. Additionally, the Channels also run the in-house
television production unit, National Geographic Studios. The Channels
contribute to the National Geographic Society’s commitment to
exploration, conservation and education with entertaining, innovative
programming from A-level talent around the world, and with profits that
help support the society’s mission. Globally, NGC is available in more
than 440 million homes in 171 countries and 45 languages, and Nat Geo
WILD is available in 131 countries and 38 languages. National Geographic
Partners is also a leader in social media, with a fan base of 250
million people across all of its social pages. NGC contributes over 55
million social media fans globally on Facebook alone. For more
information, visit www.natgeotv.com
and www.natgeowild.com.

About Imagine

Imagine Entertainment was founded in 1986 by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer
to create independently produced feature films, television programs and
other original programming. Imagine Entertainment has been honored with
more than 60 prestigious awards, including 10 Academy Awards and 40 Emmy
awards. Past productions include Academy Award Best Picture winner ”A
Beautiful Mind,” as well as “Apollo 13,” “American Gangster,” “The Da
Vinci Code,” “8 Mile,” “Liar, Liar,” “Backdraft” and “Parenthood,” to
name a few. Upcoming films include “Inferno,” the third installment of
the Dan Brown franchise; “American Made,” starring Tom Cruise; and “The
Beatles: 8 Days a Week – The Touring Years,” a documentary about The
Beatles. Current television productions include Fox’s “Empire,” “Shots
Fired!” and “24: Legacy,” as well as National Geographic Channel’s Breakthrough and
Genius series. Past television productions include NBC’s
“Parenthood,” NBC’s “Friday Night Lights,” Fox’s “24” and “24: Live
Another Day” and Fox’s and Netflix’s “Arrested Development,” as well as
HBO’s “From the Earth to the Moon,” for which Howard and Grazer won the
Emmy for Outstanding Mini-Series. Ron Howard and Brian Grazer began
their collaboration in 1985 with the hit comedies “Night
Shift” and “Splash.”

About RadicalMedia

Since 1993, RadicalMedia has produced numerous films and television
programs that tell nuanced, multifaceted stories, including the
Emmy-winning, Academy- and Grammy-nominated documentary, What
Happened, Miss Simone? and the critically acclaimed Keith
Richards: Under the Influence, both for Netflix; the
Academy Award and Spirit Award-winning documentary, The Fog of War; Grammy
Award-winning Concert for George; Paul Simon’s Graceland Journey:
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 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. Additional
Television credits include, Oprah’s Master Class, Iconoclasts,
David Blaine: Real or Magic, the Emmy-winning Park Bench with
Steve Buscemi, Judgement Day: Prison or Parole? for Investigation
Discovery, and the highly anticipated October 2016 documentary, Hamilton’s
America about Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony, Grammy and Pulitzer
Prize-winning Broadway megahit.

Contacts

National Geographic Channels
Chad Sandhas, 202-912-6537
Chad.Sandhas@natgeo.com
or
National
Geographic Channels
Nadia Aziz, 202-912-6585
Nadia.Aziz@natgeo.com