THE ORIGINAL "PLANET EARTH" PREMIERES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE U.S. ON BBC AMERICA

In celebration of Earth Day, BBC AMERICA premieres landmark series in its entirety with original narrator, world famous naturalist Sir David Attenborough

New York - March 15, 2012 - The original Planet Earth series, which has captivated audiences around the world in over 130 countries now makes its first ever US broadcast premiere on BBC AMERICA as part of a very special two-day celebration of Earth Day. The momentous event marks the first time that the landmark series will broadcast in the US in its entirety with its original narrator, world famous naturalist Sir David Attenborough. The Planet Earth marathon begins Saturday, April 21, 6:00am ET and continues through Sunday, April 22, 9:00PM ET/PT. The marathon will be followed by the world premiere of a new two-hour special, The Making of Planet Earth, at 9:00pm ET/PT.

The world's premier wildlife filmmakers traveled all over the planet, even to the most far-flung reaches, to create, Planet Earth, one of the biggest series the BBC's Natural History Unit has ever made. Now, go behind-the-scenes for an all-new eye-opening two-hour special, The Making of Planet Earth, which details the incredible adventures of the 21st century explorers who risked their lives to film in some of the most dangerous and remote places on Earth. Featuring exclusive interviews with the award-winning team behind the epic eleven-part series, including director and executive producer Alastair Fothergill, who has worked alongside Sir David Attenborough for over 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the world's top wildlife filmmakers. Producers Vanessa Berlowitz and Huw Cordey, and leading cinematographer Doug Allan are all among those who discuss the secrets behind Planet Earth's spectacular footage.

"BBC AMERICA is honored to share with viewers the first ever US premiere of the original Planet Earth, as we celebrate Earth Day," commented Richard De Croce, SVP of Programming, BBC AMERICA. "The Making of Planet Earth special, produced by BBC Earth, provides a unique opportunity to take a look back with the extraodinarily talented team responsible for bringing the series to life, providing viewers with entirely new insight and a timely perspective."

Following the Earth Day weekend marathon, BBC AMERICA will air back-to-back episodes of Planet Earth at 8:00pm and 9:00pm ET/PT on Sundays beginning April 29. Following each week's episodes, viewers can take an up close look at Planet Earth's most amazing moments in four new specials dedicated to the world's most fascinating wildlife. The Planet Earth series is re-imagined in these specials - portraying an astonishing range of animals in all corners of the planet and focusing on a core aspect of animal behavior. The Planet Earth specials premiere over four consecutive weeks, beginning Sunday, April 29, 10:00pm ET/PT.

Also just in time for the Earth Day - BBC Home Entertainment's Frozen Planet DVD and Blu-ray hits shelves Tuesday, April 17. This astonishing seven part UK series narrated by Sir David Attenborough is the largest BBC Earth release.

Planet Earth is a BBC/Discovery Channel/NHK co-production, in association with the CBC for BBC AMERICA

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BBC AMERICA delivers US audiences high-quality, innovative and intelligent programming. Established in 1998, it has been the launch pad for talent embraced by American mainstream pop culture, including Ricky Gervais, Gordon Ramsay, Graham Norton, and successful programming formats including ground-breaking non-scripted television like Top Gear and top-rated science-fiction like Doctor Who. Owned by BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, BBC AMERICA has attracted both critical acclaim and major awards including an Emmy(R), five Golden Globes(R) and ten Peabody Awards. The channel attracts one of cable's most affluent and educated audiences and is available on digital cable and satellite TV in more than 76 million homes. It broadcasts in both standard and high-definition, with content available On Demand across all major digital platforms. Online, www.bbcamerica.com is the place to go to dig deeper into pop culture with a British twist.

BBC Earth is the global guardian brand created by BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC. We represent the BBC's heritage of over 50 years creating award-winning natural history content including the most recent landmark series Frozen Planet, Life and Planet Earth.