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Discovery’s Serengeti: What you need to know about this stunning August TV event

A lion from Serengeti, airing on Discovery.
The stark beauty of Africa will be brought to you on Serengeti, airing on Discovery. Pic credit: Discovery

The stunning expanse of the African Serengeti is coming to your TV this summer and the previews promise that it is a visual trip you won’t want to pass up.

One of the most anticipated TV events this summer is being previewed at a special event tied to the coming Television Critics Association on July 23, the kickoff of cable days (CTAM) as Discovery will screen the latest from American Idol producer Simon Fuller who partnered with renown wildlife filmmaker John Downer.

This docu-series from Discovery Channel will be presented in a six-part series created by Fuller and wildlife filmmaker John Downer in partnership too with BBC-TV.

The footage shows African wildlife over the course of a year, the joy, suffering and day-to-day lives of these magnificent animals who call Serengeti home.

In a press release distributed at the TCA, Simon Fuller said:  “Of all the shows I have created or worked on, nothing compares to Serengeti…I am also proud to have Discovery and The BBC as the best possible partners for such an important television event.”.

A special industry-only preview is scheduled July 23rd at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.

What is Serengeti about?

The plains of Tanzania are filmed over a one year period for this six-part series highlighting the regal beasts of the wild, the animals and their day-to-day lives living together.

Emmy winner Simon Fuller is working with wildlife filmmaker John Downer who has captured the heart-stopping footage in pristine and unspoiled corners of Africa.

The filmmakers have paired their incredible footage with an original score performed by Lola Lennox and the entire effort is narrated by Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o.

Viewers can look forward to what Discovery describes as “heartwarming stories of a cast of African wildlife including lions, zebras, baboons and cheetahs over the course of a year, showcasing the dramatic moments that make each day of survival on the Serengeti a feat.”

Facts about Serengeti

Serengeti National Park is located on Tanzania’s northern border with Kenya and is an extension of the Kenyan Maasai Mara National Park.

It is considered one of the oldest ecosystems with unique vegetation and animal life not found anywhere else.

The park is home to the million+ wildebeest Migration that crosses the Mara River in Maasai Mara National Park in Kenya.

African crocodiles and other carnivores have staked out these migrating herbivores such as wildebeests and zebras as they cross the Mara River.

June and July are the rainy season months. The Serengeti has one active volcano in the area – the Ol Doinyo Lengai, that feeds the soil.

Serengeti is home to zebras, elephants, hippos, giraffes, hartebeests, wildebeests, antelopes, gazelles and buffaloes, plus lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, jackals and more.

The Maasai live in the Serengeti still. The Serengeti spans about 12,000 square miles and its name comes from the Maasai language meaning “endless plains.”

Make plans to put Serengeti in your record and watch list!

https://youtu.be/WkA7W_i8OQQ

Serengeti begins Sunday, August 4th at 8/7c on Discovery and Discovery GO!

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