OUT OF THE CRADLE
- The Migration of Early Modern Humans
History series
Target completion: Summer 2018
An extraordinary journey tracing the footsteps of early Homo sapiens leaving Africa, reaching the easternmost end of the Eurasian continent, and developing unique culture there. The latest paleoanthropological findings and CGI created by top game creators should stun the viewers.
Human ancestors ventured out of their home, Africa and made a dramatic first contact with the Neanderthals. Then they migrated north through the Eurasian continent and created the amazing cave culture in what is now Europe, while, other group headed east dispersing throughout Southeast Asia, crossing the open seas to Oceania and East Asia, built another kind of remarkable culture based on their offshore seafaring techniques... The great journeys of the humanity will be delineated through important discoveries from latest research like an archaeological dig in West Asia and a test sailing with an ancient boat in the Far East powered with stunning CGI created by a world-famous game unit.
ANTARCTICA - The Frozen Time Capsule
1 hour science program
Target completion: 2018
A team of NHK crew and SETI scientists embark on an expedition to Antarctica to unlock the secrets behind how Earth became so perfect for life. Antarctic underwater lakes are known to hide pristine primordial ecosystem still today. At an ice-covered lake on Antarctica more than 100 kilometers away from the nearest station, the team bored a hole in the thick ice and started dives to capture the underwater world with 8K UHD cameras. In the bottom of the lake an ancient strain of bacteria is still thriving, silently producing oxygen just as they did in the primordial sea billions of years ago and forming a mysterious microbiotic landscape of unearthly beauty; the lake bottom seems as if an alien planet. This unique, precious time capsule of Earth's history will be presented for the first time ever in stunningly high resolution video images compatible with giant screens.
THE BODY - Miracles of The “Inner Social Network”
Science series
Target completion: Spring 2018
How does the human body work? To answer the age-old simple but intriguing question, medical science has traditionally segmented the body into parts for analysis. Today it has further been sectioning the body into far smaller parts than individual organs and scrutinizing body cells and even smaller elements like molecules. The focus into the microscopic levels, however, has unexpectedly yielded a big picture of our body functions – a paradigm-breaking discovery of “organs' cross-talks”. For instance, the kidneys are involved in blood pressure control and thus affect our longevity; bones have an important function of delaying aging; and substances released from muscle tissues activate the workings of other organs and thus can alleviate diabetes and even cancers. By combining cutting edge science and the latest UHD imaging technology, the series offers a spectacular view of our inner microcosm where organs and cells curiously interact with each other in a dynamic way through mutual communication.
LIFE FORCE III
6 x 60 min.
Target completion: 2019
In co-production with NHNZ
Building on the success of the multi-award winning previous series, NHK and NHNZ will launch the 3rd season series of LIFE FORCE. Each of the six episodes will explore a unique biodiversity hotspot in the world. Again it will unravel the science underlying compelling mysteries about the evolution of the curious ecosystems with unforgettable super shots of the vibrant worlds of animals there. Combining the exceptional expertise of the international team of producers and cutting edge 4K cinematic photography, the series will deliver never-before-seen, breathtaking wildlife images in glorious details and moving insights into the rich environments that are all however rapidly declining now.
Space Spectacle Series: OUR LIVABLE UNIVERSE
Science series
Target completion: 2019 to 2020
Dramatic revisions to the “Book of Life” may be coming soon. Our Universe may not be as barren as we once believed. Beyond Earth some places inhabitable to life can exist. The series explores new important atstobiological discoveries through spectacular images and the results of latest explorations.
2019 will be a memorable milestone for cosmology and also see a new beginning of our grand voyage into space. The space probe Hayabusa2 will arrive at a C-type asteroid to collect 'fresh' samples by digging its surface with explosives; NASA’s mission to search for another Earth will start to receive results from their TESS' telescope; and the JWST, the successor to Hubble, will try to catch the first lights of the universe. They're expected to show how this universe is perfectly designed for life. Also, a new mission with Orion will send astronauts to Moon again... This is a stunning series to commemorate the great strides in space science.
