Discovery HD Theater is offering a preview of the upcoming 11-episode Discovery travelogue series “Planet Earth.”
The one-hour episode “Forests” will debut on HD Theater tomorrow tonight, ahead of the official premiere March 25. The preview will include the episode, behind-the-scenes footage and previews of upcoming episodes. The episode also will be available on Discovery On Demand, which Comcast carries in HD.
“Planet Earth” is the second major Discovery HD documentary series to debut in recent months.
Last fall, the network premiered the first four episodes of the globetrotting series “Atlas,” with each episode focusing on a different country. “Planet Earth” looks at different natural environments: deserts, mountains, caves, the poles, etc. Discovery is partnering with the BBC for the series, which is narrated by Sigourney Weaver.
Discovery HD Theater still plans to debut the HD version of the controversial James Cameron-produced documentary “The Lost Tomb of Jesus” on March 28.
“Tomb” has come under fire from prominent archeologists and religious scholars, who have accused the documentary of overselling the significance of a Jerusalem excavation. As TelevisionWeek first reported last week, the network has quietly attempted to downplay the explosive documentary, announcing the special shortly before its March 4 airing, not releasing it On Demand, pulling a repeat and then declining to tout the show’s record ratings.