Internet to TV-The Future of Programming?

Next Sunday on the National Geographic Channel, a fascinating thing will take place that just might mark a fundamental change in television programming. At 9pm on May 11th, Nat Geo will broadcast a documentary called "Battle at Kruger". It's a harrowing event that takes place in the African wilderness. The star is a baby buffalo, who is captured first by a lion, then by a crocodile and ultimately survives it all when the entire herd of buffalo comes to his rescue.

OK, exciting enough, but why do I say it will change the TV landscape? Because Battle at Kruger has already been seen globally almost 30 million times. B.A.K is what is known as "User Generated Content". It is a You Tube video that was posted over a year ago and went super nova viral with millions of views.

Recognizing the potential in that popularity, Nat Geo has made a special out of the whole event. I will tune in next Sunday to see how they have expanded a 5 minute Internet video (posted above) into a full TV special. Fascinating stuff and a great time to be alive as we watch the online and offline worlds merge.

National Geographic’s “AFTERMATH: POPULATION ZERO” on Sunday

Put this one in the “great channels think alike category”: this coming Sunday, March 9th, National Geographic Channel premieres their new special AFTERMATH: POPULATION ZERO, which is exactly the same premise as History Channel’s excellent Life After People special from this past January. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course. It’s an irresistible notion -- what might happen to the Earth after all the people have disappeared -- and if Nat Geo’s offering is anything like LAP, it will be tremendously entertaining, educational and utterly fascinating television. Do expect to see some of the same things -- the Eiffel Tower crumbles, Lady Liberty tosses her torch -- but who's complaining?

Like the previous special, AFTERMATCH: POPULATION ZERO assumes that humanity has simply vanished. Poof! No decaying bodies left behind, no corpses for hungry animal survivors to dine on -- the people are just gone, ala the Rapture or some other entertaining fiction. It’s certainly an amusing way of dealing with the implications of a more probable wipe-out, such as plague or some other biological/environmental disaster that would likely affect other species as well. Not that it wouldn’t be a terrific premise in itself, but then you wouldn’t have all the exciting confrontations between newly-liberated wild animals and domestic pets who’ve toughened up to make it on their own, or eagles nesting in office buildings, or other similarly quixotic juxtapositions.

National Geographic has a pretty website for AFTERMATH: POPULATION ZERO, including a neat animated time-line with different points of interest that you might enjoy playing with. Be sure you click on "Experience the Aftermath" on the page. There are also samples of the show and other clips that you can explore. Not much text there, but plenty of video.

You know by now that The Flaming Nose is full of apocalyptic groupies, and I’m sure we’ll all be tuning in on Sunday night for our latest dose of doom! We couldn’t be more excited about it!

AFTERMATH: POPULATION ZERO premieres Sunday, March 9th at 8P et/pt, and repeats again at midnight, plus check the schedule for additional plays.

Six Degrees of National Geographic

Is it just me, or is it hot in here? Fans of real life doomsday scenarios -- and there are plenty of us out there -- will be enticed and enlightened by the new two-hour special premiering tomorrow night on National Geographic Channel called Six Degrees Could Change the World (properly written as in the above title art).

Based on the book of the same name by Marc Lynas, it's a sobering (as if any of us are still whoopee tipsy at the prospect of our global future) look at what's in store, theoretically, if the Earth's temperature rises by any number of degrees. Each degree rise brings its own set of horrors, as you'll find out when watch the special.

Six Degrees Could Change the World airs tomorrow night, Sunday, Feb. 10th, at 8pm, and encores at 10p and 12m, with other airdates also schedules. For a wonderful preview of the special plus extra features and background info, check out Nat Geo's wonderful website for the special and plan on spending some time exploring. This is the kind of TV that's not only good for you, but is good TV, exciting, riveting and absolutely essential viewing. Don't miss it!