MUMBAI: National Geographic is beefing up its prime hour of nine pm - Nat Geo Max - with specials targeted at the thinking viewer.

The Space Week that commences today, will start with Destination Space that will give viewers an insider's view of the next space race - as astronauts, scientists and entrepreneurs share their vision of the future. Similar one hour specials are lined up for the rest of the week - Solar Blast on Tuesday, Asteroids - Deadly Impact on Wednesday, Cold & Space and Star Wounds on Thursday and Cosmic Fireball on Friday.

Says Nat Geo senior VP, content and communication Dilshad Master: "Nat Geo Max is our prime hour wherein we give high value high-interest, award winning shows to our viewers. Being a Prime time slot, each show is a great example in both entertainment and information. This is a something which few channels can claim to have."

Nat Geo Max, the channel's prime hour programming block that started in April this year, plays the best of the channel's programming where all programmes playing on the slot are are thematically linked.

The Space Week (29 July - 2 Aug) will be followed by the Violent Earth Week (5 Aug - 9 Aug) which will showcase the best of programming that NGC has to offer in the field of natural disasters, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and desert storms, says Master.