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PBS AND WIRED ENGINEER A FUSION OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENTERTAINMENT WITH GROUND-BREAKING NEW SERIES, 'WIRED SCIENCE'
Next-Generation Science and Technology Series, Produced by KCET in Association With Wired Magazine, Premieres October 3
PBS will unveil a new take on science and technology programming this fall when its newest series, WIRED SCIENCE, a production of KCET Los Angeles in association with Wired magazine, premieres nationwide October 3, 2007 (8:00 p.m. PT/ET). Combining the breakout journalism, irreverent attitude and award-winning design of Wired magazine with the skills and experience of PBS, the nation's most trusted institution, WIRED SCIENCE will untangle the complex research that defines 21st-century culture and innovation -- and introduce viewers to the people making it happen.
"WIRED SCIENCE imports the DNA of Wired into an exciting new medium for us," says Melanie Cornwell, WIRED SCIENCE executive producer for Wired. "We're delighted to partner with KCET and PBS, as their viewers and our readers have a lot in common -- we're all fascinated by the many ways that science and technology are changing the world."
"More than ever before, advances in science and technology affect people's daily lives," says WIRED SCIENCE executive producer David Axelrod. "Our goal is to keep our viewers two steps ahead of those changes -- and entertain them at the same time."
WIRED SCIENCE will combine reportage and narrative from Wired with stories developed by the show's producers to create a fast-paced weekly series. Field correspondents will work on location, and two hosts will present in-studio content, including interviews, explanations and how-to segments. The core subjects will be as varied as those covered in the magazine -- anything from brain-scanning lie detectors and unmanned aerial vehicles to how homeland security fears are changing the contents of kids' chemistry sets.
The series also will use cutting-edge technology on the production side. To enable WIRED SCIENCE to be produced entirely in High Definition, KCET's Los Angeles facility built an HD production control room complete with HD cameras for both the studio and the field. KCET is also providing HD systems for editing. The series is being produced for multiple platforms, including mobile applications.
WIRED SCIENCE also will showcase a comprehensive online presence with its Web site (www.pbs.org/wiredscience). In addition to including aired episodes, the site will offer Web-exclusive extras with more detail on stories and people seen on the series. The hosts and correspondents will be blogging and writing extended content, and the show also will include an online educational component for students and educators.
Even the process of putting the show into production was innovative. PBS wanted to find the next new PBS science series with input from viewers, so with a special grant co-managed by Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and PBS, WIRED SCIENCE and two other series pilots launched New Year's Day 2007. The shows appeared as broadcasts a week apart and as online video -- streamed from PBS' Web site and available as video podcasts on iTunes. It was the first time PBS had introduced full specials online in advance of a television broadcast, offering a unique interactive dialogue with viewers about the programs they seek from PBS.
The executive producer of WIRED SCIENCE is David Axelrod, Emmy(R) winner for the NOVA special "Galileo's Battle for the Heavens." Executive producer for KCET is Karen Hunte. Executive in charge of production for KCET is Mary Mazur. Vice president of new media for KCET is Jackie Kain. Executive producer for Wired Magazine is Melanie Cornwell. Chris Anderson is Wired's editor in chief.
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