MUMBAI: National Geographic Specials, the award-winning series for PBS, and National Geographic Explorer, both won the News and Documentary Emmys at the National Television Academy’s 2005 News and Documentary Awards ceremony.
National Geographic Television & Film executive producer of specials and event programming John Bredar won the Emmy for best direction for Arlington: Field of Honor.
National Geographic Ultimate Explorer won an Emmy for music and sound for On Thin Ice. Composers were Chris Biondo and Harry Leonard Williams. National Geographic Specials and National Geographic Explorer are productions of NGT&F.
"We were delighted that NGT&F was nominated for 12 Emmys spanning a variety of program and craft categories. And we're proud that two of our signatures shows, Explorer and the National Geographic Specials, both won Emmys last night,” said NGT&F executive vice president, programming and production Michael Rosenfeld.
Arlington: Field of Honor, gave viewers a backstage tour of this national landmark. The film follows groundskeepers, volunteers and members of the cemetery and military staff who help Arlington National Cemetery function day-to-day with flawless ritual and solemn reverence, as they pay tribute to the fallen military and help grieving families bid a final farewell.
On Thin Ice tells of the search for the bowhead whale, a giant that can live over 200 years in the icy cold of the Arctic. "Directing is so much easier when you have great material to work with. Arlington comes with its own remarkable, poignant stories. Everyone should go there, everyone should take the time to walk through our history — see the tragedy, see the glory — it’s all written in stone," said Bredar.
Explorer moved to the National Geographic Channel in January 2005. The series is known for bringing to cable TV audiences provocative stories of adventure and exploration, world history, international culture, science and natural history.
National Geographic Explorer has earned more than 400 awards, including 55 Emmy Awards and 13 CableACE Awards, and has been nominated for two Academy Awards. The series premiered in 1985 on Nickelodeon and moved to TBS in February 1996. In September 1999 the series moved to CNBC, then relocated to sister-network MSNBC in October 2001. It relaunched and aired on MSNBC as Ultimate Explorer from June 2003-December 2004.
