NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL REVEALS THE COMPETITIVE FORCES BEHIND HISTORY'S MOST REMARKABLE RACES FOR INNOVATION IN NEW MINISERIES EVENT "AMERICAN GENIUS"

BEHIND EVERY GREAT GENIUS LIES AN EVEN GREATER RIVALRY.

(WASHINGTON, D.C. - Jan. 7, 2015) For America's boldest, most daring and most creative inventors, the greatest challenge wasn't beating the odds - it was beating the competition. Behind every iconic innovator is a rival with vision, determination and ambition to match theirs: Tesla vs. Edison, Gates vs. Jobs, Hearst vs. Pulitzer. These are their stories.

Premiering spring 2015, National Geographic Channel's American Genius chronicles the competitions in innovation that pit history's brightest minds against each other in the race to lay claim to the future. The eight-part docudrama event from Stephen David Entertainment, the producers of the multiple-award-winning miniseries "The Men Who Built America," features the brilliant and irrepressible inventors that have made the United States the greatest hotbed of business in the world over the past 225 years.

From Steve Jobs vs. Bill Gates to the Wright brothers vs. Glen Curtiss, each hour of American Genius focuses on a specific rivalry, delving into the fierce power struggles, deceit, fluke timing and raw ambition out of which innovation was born. Powerful dramatic scenes tell the story of how iconic masterminds pushed themselves to the limits of human genius, overcoming equally brilliant and ruthless competitors, to turn history's greatest ideas into reality.

Bold reenactments are woven together with expert interviews - many with modern-day visionaries in their own right - to shed new perspective on the backstories of innovations that have shaped our world. Expert interviewees include Steve Wozniak, will.i.am, Bill Nye, Biz Stone, Mitt Romney, Craig Venter, Steve Wynn, Jack Welch and Michio Kaku.

American Genius episodes include:

Colt vs. Wesson: The invention of the perfect revolver pits Samuel Colt and Daniel Wesson in a race for patents that will forever revolutionize the firearm industry.

Tesla vs. Edison: Eccentric genius Nikola Tesla enters a rivalry with Thomas Edison that will forever change the world - it is born out of a simple solution to a simple problem and a $50,000 wager.

Hearst vs. Pulitzer: William Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer push the limits of journalism in unthinkable ways, forever changing the media landscape.

Wright vs. Curtiss: The race for flight is chronicled as aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright face off against Glen Curtiss in a rivalry that puts lives at risk.

Sarnoff vs. Farnsworth: The invention of television is born out of a gritty David vs. Goliath competition between David Sarnoff and Philo Farnsworth, who both lay stake in a precious claim.

Oppenheimer vs. Heisenberg: Would the Second World War end with a whimper or a bang? The answer hinges on a heated contest between Werner Heisenberg and Robert Oppenheimer.

Space Race: America and the Soviet Union set out to conquer the moon, but much more than space flight is at stake.

Gates vs. Jobs: Two of America's most brilliant minds, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, battle to dominate a new age and, in the process, revolutionize billions of lives.

American Genius is produced for National Geographic Channels by Stephen David Entertainment. For National Geographic Channels, executive producer is Michael Kovnat and president of original programming and production is Tim Pastore. For Stephen David Entertainment, executive producer and president is Stephen David.

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National Geographic Channels

Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channels US are a joint venture between National Geographic and Fox Networks. The Channels contribute to the National Geographic Society's commitment to exploration, conservation and education with smart, innovative programming and profits that directly support its mission. Launched in January 2001, National Geographic Channel (NGC) celebrated its fifth anniversary with the debut of NGC HD. In 2010, the wildlife and natural history cable channel Nat Geo WILD was launched, and in 2011, the Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo was unveiled. The Channels have carriage with all of the nation's major cable, telco and satellite television providers, with NGC currently available in 85 million U.S. homes. Globally, National Geographic Channel is available in more than 440 million homes in 171 countries and 45 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com.

Stephen David Entertainment

Stephen David Entertainment (SDE) is an Emmy(R) Award-winning New York-based production company. The company counts "The Men Who Built America" and "The World Wars" among its popular event series. In the five years since its inception, SDE has developed numerous docudrama miniseries and specials, frequently utilizing CGI and state-of-the art technology. SDE is currently in production on shows for HISTORY and Xbox.