National Geographic is a British

pay television Pay television, also known as subscription television, premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel, refers to Subscription business model, subscription-based television services, usually provided by multichan ...

channel that features

documentaries A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in term ...

produced by the

National Geographic Society The National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational organizations in the world. Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, and ...

. It features some programming similar to that on the

Discovery Channel Discovery Channel (known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery) is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. , Discovery Channe ...

such as nature and science

. The channel was launched in Europe in September 1997 and time shared initially with the failing

NBC Europe NBC Europe (formerly Super Channel, and later NBC Channel) was a satellite television network based in the United Kingdom that broadcast across Europe, and it was picked up by various European cable systems where available. The network was base ...

until NBC Europe's demise in 1998, at which point it began timesharing with

Fox Kids Fox Kids (originally known as Fox Children's Network and later as the Fox Kids Network; stylized as FOX KIDS) was an American children's block programming, programming block and branding for a slate of international children's television channel ...

(in the UK, replacing the failed first iteration of

Sky 2 Sky Replay is a British pay television channel operated by Sky as a sister channel to Sky Max and Sky Witness. The current channel began broadcasting (as Sky One Mix) in December 2002. The 'Sky 2' name and format had earlier been used for a sim ...

); with analogue transmission of the channel ending, and the sale of Fox Kids to Disney, timesharing was eventually superseded by 24-hour broadcasting. It was later launched worldwide including in Asia and the United States. Today, the channel is available in over 143 countries, seen in more than 160 million homes and in 25 languages. It is owned by a company called the "NGC-UK Partnership", which initially was jointly owned by the

and

British Sky Broadcasting Sky UK Limited is a British broadcaster and telecommunications company that provides television and broadband Internet services, fixed line and mobile telephone services to consumers and businesses in the United Kingdom. It is a subsidiary of ...

(BSkyB), but in 2006, Sky's parent company News Corporation (now

The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

) purchased 25 percent of the stake in the partnership, followed by the acquisition of BSkyB's remaining 50 percent stake by its sister company, the

Fox Entertainment Group Fox Entertainment Group was an American entertainment company specialised in filmed entertainment owned by 21st Century Fox. Following the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney, the group's assets were folded into various Disney units. Th ...

. This includes an English-language version for the United Kingdom, Ireland,

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

and Iceland. It also includes Dutch, Italian, Norwegian and Turkish speaking channels among others. The channel's musical signature is the

Elmer Bernstein Elmer Bernstein ( '; April 4, 1922August 18, 2004) was an American composer and conductor. In a career that spanned over five decades, he composed "some of the most recognizable and memorable themes in Hollywood history", including over 150 origi ...

composed theme that has also appeared on the ''National Geographic'' broadcast-TV specials.

Company

The channel is owned by the NGC-UK Partnership, which was formed in 1997 as a joint venture between National Geographic Television & Film, a division of the National Geographic Society and British Sky Broadcasting through its Sky Ventures division. The NGS provides programming expertise, while BSkyB provides its expertise on distribution, marketing, commercial and advertising sales. The partnership builds and operates National Geographic channels and services across Europe. It is headquartered in London. In December 2006, News Corporation purchased 25 percent of the Society's stake in the company. This meant that BSkyB owned half company, while the National Geographic Society and News Corp held 25 percent share each.News Corp · 10-Q · For 12/31/06
/ref> In December 2007, BSkyB sold its stake in the partnership to the Fox Entertainment Group, through its

Fox Networks Group Fox Networks Group (FNG) is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company that oversees international television assets that were acquired from 21st Century Fox. It produces and distributes more than 300 entertainment, film, sports and factual chan ...

subsidiary.

HD feed

The channel launched its own high-definition feed on 22 May 2006 on

Sky The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from outer space. In the field of astronomy, ...

. The channel joined

Virgin Media Virgin Media is a British telecommunications company which provides telephone, Cable television, television and Internet access, internet services in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters are at Green Park in Reading, Berkshire, Reading, Engla ...

's cable TV line-up on 30 July 2009. On 5 August 2009, it was also made available on

UPC Ireland Virgin Media Ireland is Liberty Global's telecommunications operation in Ireland. It is the largest digital cable television provider within the country. As of 31 December 2014, the company offers broadband internet, digital television and d ...

's cable TV service. The HD version available in the UK and Ireland was not originally a simulcast of the standard definition version of the National Geographic Channel, with some of the content coming from

Rush HD Rush(es) may refer to: Places United States * Rush, Colorado * Rush, Kentucky * Rush, New York * Rush City, Minnesota * Rush Creek (Kishwaukee River tributary), Illinois * Rush Creek (Marin County, California), a stream * Rush Creek (Mono Cou ...

, however from 1 December 2010 National Geographic Channel HD became a simulcast feed.

Programmes

Air Crash Investigation ''Mayday'', entitled ''Air Crash Investigation'' in Canada (alternatively known as ''Air Crash Investigations'' on Seven Network), New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom (alternatively known as ''Air Crash: Disaster Revealed'' on 5Selec ...

* Ape Man *

Banged Up Abroad ''Banged Up Abroad'' (rebadged as ''Locked Up Abroad'' in Asia and the United States, and ''Jailed Abroad'' in India, for the National Geographic Channel) is a British documentary/ docudrama television series created by Bart Layton that was p ...

Be the Creature ''Be the Creature'' is a TV series created by the Kratt Brothers (Chris and Martin). A wildlife series designed to immerse both the brothers and the viewers in the world of animals, unlike the brothers' previous works, '' Kratts' Creatures'' and ' ...

Big Bang The Big Bang event is a physical theory that describes how the universe expanded from an initial state of high density and temperature. Various cosmological models of the Big Bang explain the evolution of the observable universe from the ...

* Britain's Greatest Machines with Chris Barrie *

Built for the Kill ''Built for the Kill'' is a nature series made by Granada Wild for the National Geographic Channel. It was produced from 2001–2004, with a total of 31 episodes. Each episode runs for approximately 48 minutes including the credits and opening ti ...

* Car S.O.S. *

Doomsday Preppers ''Doomsday Preppers'' was an American reality television series that aired on the National Geographic Channel from 2011 to 2014. The program profiles various survivalists, or "preppers", who are preparing to survive the various risks to civilizat ...

Drain the Oceans ''Drain the Oceans'' is an Australian and British Television documentary, documentary television series that premiered on 28 May 2018 on National Geographic (U.S. TV channel), National Geographic. The 25-part factual series is hosted by Russell ...

End Day ''End Day'' is a 2005 docu-drama produced by the BBC. It aired on the National Geographic Channel, on the TV series, ''National Geographic Channel Presents'', and BBC Three that depicts a set of five doomsday scenarios. The documentary follows ...

* Escape Tech * Explorations Powered by Duracell *

Explorer Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians. Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...

Family Guns Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...

* Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted *

Gospel of Judas The Gospel of Judas is a non-canonical Gnostic gospel. The content consists of conversations between Jesus and Judas Iscariot. Given that it includes late 2nd-century theology, it is widely thought to have been composed in the 2nd century (prior ...

Highway Thru Hell ''Highway Thru Hell'' is a Canadian documentary TV series that follows the operations of Jamie Davis Motor Truck & Auto Ltd., a heavy vehicle rescue and recovery towing company based in Hope, British Columbia. Quiring Towing, Aggressive Towing, ...

*Hollywood Science * Hunter Hunted *

Interpol Investigates ''Interpol Investigates'' is an American docudrama television series which aired on National Geographic Channel. The program follows Interpol The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale ...

Is It Real? ''Is It Real?'' is an American television series that originally aired from April 25, 2005 to August 14, 2007 on the National Geographic Channel. The program examines popular or persistent mysteries to determine whether the featured cryptozoolog ...

* Living Wild *

Megacities A megacity is a very large city, typically with a population of more than 10 million people. Precise definitions vary: the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs in its 2018 "World Urbanization Prospects" report counted urban ...

Megafactories ''Ultimate Factories'', also known as ''Megafactories'' in non-US markets, is an American documentary television series that premiered in 2006 on the National Geographic Channel. The program explored the inner workings of factories worldwide. Each ...

MegaStructures ''Megastructures'' is a documentary television series appearing on the National Geographic Channel in the United States and the United Kingdom, Channel 5 in the United Kingdom, France 5 in France, and 7mate in Australia. Each episode is an ed ...

* Mysteries of the Deep *

Naked Science ''Naked Science'' is an American documentary television series that premiered in 2004 on the National Geographic Channel and ran through November 2011. The program featured various subjects related to science and technology. Some of the views e ...

No Borders ''No Borders'' is the forty-fourth and final studio album by South African jazz trumpeter Hugh Masekela. The album was released on 11 November 2016 via Universal Music label. Background The album takes on a journey through the diverse culture, ...

* Planet Football *

Planet Mechanics ''Planet Mechanics'' is a British TV program shown on the National Geographic Channel in 2008. The show has ended after the first series. Background ''Planet Mechanics'' sees two engineers, Dick Strawbridge and Jem Stansfield, travelling in an ...

* Predators at War * Rough Trades *

Scam City ''Scam City'' is a television show which started airing on Travel + Escape in June 2012, and has subsequently aired on the National Geographic Channel, and in Australia on the subscription channel Nat Geo People. Host Conor Woodman travels to ...

* Science of the Bible * Seconds From Disaster *

Situation Critical ''Critical Situation'' (also known as ''Situation Critical'' in the UK) is an American documentary television series. Produced in conjunction with the National Geographic Channel, the series examined various disasters or violent incidents. Th ...

Storm Stories ''Storm Stories'' is an American non-fiction television series that airs on The Weather Channel (TWC) and Zone Reality. It is hosted and narrated by meteorologist and storm tracker Jim Cantore. ''Storm Stories'' showcases various types of severe w ...

* Strange Days on Planet Earth * Strippers: cars for cash *

Taboo A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...

The Dog Whisperer ''Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan'' is a reality television series that featured dog trainer Cesar Millan's work with problem dogs. After nine seasons, the series finale aired on September 15, 2012. Episodes of ''Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan ...

The Living Edens ''The Living Edens'' was a Public Broadcasting Service series that aired from 1997 to 2003. Narrators included Peter Coyote and Linda Hunt. It was partially funded by ''Reader's Digest'' in exchange for various marketing rights. Episodes The ser ...

Thrill Zone Thrill may refer to: Music * ''Thrill'', a 2000 album by Eleni Mandell * "Thrill", a 1995 song by Tomoyasu Hotei * "Thrill", a song by Band-Maid from the 2015 album '' New Beginning'' Other uses * Thrill (TV channel), a Southeast Asian movie cha ...

* Thunder Beasts *

Totally Wild ''Totally Wild'' is an Australian children's television series which premiered on Network 10 on 12 July 1992. The series aired on 10 Peach from 2013 to 2020, and 10 Shake from 2020 to 2021. It had a current affairs program format, and did stor ...

* Trading Faces *What Would Happen If...? *

Wicked Tuna ''Wicked Tuna'' is an American reality television series about commercial tuna fishermen based in Gloucester, Massachusetts, who fish for the lucrative Atlantic bluefin tuna in the North Atlantic Ocean. The teams of fishermen battle each other to ...

* World of Wildlife

Continuity / Voiceovers

Rob Jarvis Robert S Jarvis (born 1965) is an English television and film actor. He is best known for his roles as Eddie in ''Hustle'' the long running BBC series, Graham Shand in ''Luther'' and as Russell Posner in ''Emmerdale''. From the Wirral, he is fre ...

, who is well known as Eddie in '' Hustle'' is one of the two main male promo voices for this channel, along with Adam Longworth from XFM radio station.

References

External links