David Attenborough’s Kingdom of Plants 3D will burst onto Sky 3D screens in May 2012

Sky 3D and Atlantic Productions today announce that the ground-breaking KINGDOM OF PLANTS 3D, a three part mini-series written and presented by David Attenborough, will begin airing in May 2012.

Filmed over the course of a year at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, which houses some 90% of all known plant species in one form or another, KINGDOM OF PLANTS 3D is multi-award winning natural history broadcaster David Attenborough’s fourth collaboration with Sky 3D and Atlantic Productions. The immersive and compelling series reveals a fascinating new look at plant life through the use of stunning 3D time-lapse filming techniques.

Each of the three 50 minute episodes will cover a different area of plant life. Life in the Wet Zone looks at the adaptation of plants to wet and humid environments, with episode two, Solving the Secrets, exploring the behind-the-scenes lives of plant movement, scent and communication. Survival, the concluding episode, focuses on the continual adaptation of plants as well as a look at Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, which houses almost two billion seeds of more than 30,000 species of wild plants to ensure their future for generations to come.

John Cassy, Director, Sky 3D, comments: “The combination of ground-breaking technology, high quality production, fascinating subject matter and captivating narrative from the master story teller himself ensures that KINGDOM OF PLANTS 3D is at once an immersive, compelling and truly breath-taking viewing experience which we’re thrilled to offer exclusively to Sky customers.”

Anthony Geffen, Executive Producer and CEO of Atlantic Productions adds: “Having already worked together on two 3D films, David and I were keen to really push the technological boundaries in macro. So when the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew suggested working together to create a film, it seemed a perfect fit. With David’s passion for plants, and one of the largest botanical collections in the world in which to film, we were able to push the 3D technology to capture the lives of plants like never before.”

David Attenborough commented: “One of the most wonderful things about filming plants is that you can reveal hidden aspects of their lives. You can capture the moment as one plant strangles another, and as they burst into flower. But whilst time-lapse photography allows you to see things that no human being has ever seen before, the added element of 3D takes the audience even further still. Stamens extend and burst to reveal their pollen grains in exquisite detail, and we can see close-up the incredible insects that partner up with these plants. The whole experience in 3D is just entrancing, and hypnotically beautiful.”

Professor Angela McFarlane, Director of Public Engagement and Learning at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew adds: “There is more to Kew than just a beautiful garden landscape. Every new perspective on Kew reveals new marvels and wonders, and never more so than through the remarkable technology of 3D. We have been delighted and amazed at the Atlantic footage, and coupled with the unique insights of Sir David Attenborough, the results are simply irresistible. We hope this fantastic series will instill a new enthusiasm in viewers for plants and show them as the compelling, dramatic organisms they are.”

Commissioned by Celia Taylor, Sky’s Head of Factual and Features, KINGDOM OF PLANTS 3D is part of Sky’s commitment to increase its investment in original British content by 50% over the next three years. By 2014, Sky expects to invest £600million a year in British programmes across its portfolio of channels.

Since launching Sky 3D in October 2010 Sky has broken new ground across a range of genres, including natural history, live music, the arts, spots and movies. Highlights have included David Attenborough’s THE BACHELOR KING 3D, a number of summer music festivals, opera and ballet, Kylie Minogue live from the O2, Got to Dance, the 3D TV world premieres of Avatar, Alice in Wonderland and the Toy Story Trilogy as well as more than 150 live sports broadcast spanning a range of domestic and international sports.

KINGDOM OF PLANTS 3D airs in May 2012 on Sky 3D and will be simulcast in 2D on Sky Atlantic HD.

www.sky.com