Following The Success Of The '80s: The Decade That Made Us, National Geographic Channel Announces Its Next Event Special: The '90s: The Last Great Decade?

WASHINGTON, June 10, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The popularity of email, the beginning of the Human Genome Project, grunge music, women in high office, the Clinton era, "The Rachel" haircut and a "Friends" phenomenon. Two decades have passed since the 1990s — the final pre-9/11 era — and now, on the heels of the record success of the three-night, six-hour event The '80s: The Decade That Made Us, National Geographic Channel announces the network's next epic miniseries event: The '90s: The Last Great Decade? (working title).

The '90s will celebrate the people, the inventions and the decisions that shaped our current world, told from the perspective of notable history makers, celebrities, sports stars, politicians and musicians who lived these iconic moments. Partnering again with Nutopia, the critically acclaimed creator of mega-documentaries including "America The Story of Us," The '90s will be another multipart series premiering in 2014 on National Geographic Channels globally — in 440 million homes in 171 countries and in 46 languages.

"Similar to The '80s: The Decade That Made Us, our goal is to create the defining biography of another generation as told through unexpected game changers, history makers, world leaders and entertainers of the '90s," said Alan Eyres, Senior Vice President of Programming and Development. "Nutopia proved to be an amazing creative partner and we want to recreate the success on the next groundbreaking, cinematic special event. And maybe I will grow out my 'Beverly Hills, 90210' sideburns again."

In this landmark series, we'll take a look at a period known for unprecedented peace and prosperity — arguably the last time the United States reigned on the global stage — a time of innocence and innovation in a pre-9/11 world. We'll also satisfy an urge for nostalgia with classic '90s music, scenes from iconic movies and TV shows, best of fashion and key sports moments. The decade included a turn to counterculture and retro style, widespread proliferation of new media, a revolution in sports marketing, a record number of women elected to high office and a political transition from the Reaganomics of the 1980s to the Clinton dynasty that still reigns today.

"Now that I've put my '80s fingerless gloves away, I am excited to start production on a series that will bring new insight to the decade that spawned Harry Potter, The Spice Girls, women in power cabinet positions, the Hubble Telescope and MP3s," said Jane Root, executive producer, Nutopia. "The miniseries event will be fun and entertaining, but it will also expand the understanding of the decade in smart and surprising ways."

Rejoining Root is executive producer from The '80s: The Decade That Made Us, Peter Lovering. Supervising producer for Nutopia is Fred Hepburn. For National Geographic Channels, Erik Nelson is executive producer; Alan Eyres is senior vice president, programming and development; Lynn Sadofsky is vice president, production and development; and president is Howard T. Owens.

About Nutopia
Nutopia is a leading independent television production company, with offices in both London and Washington, D.C. Nutopia creates groundbreaking, factually inspired shows on an international scale, with titles such as The '80s: The Decade That Made Us (National Geographic Channel), "America The Story of Us" (History), "How We Invented the World" (Discovery), "Targeting Bin Laden" (History) / "Bin Laden: Shoot to Kill" (Channel 4) and "9/11 State of Emergency" (History US and Channel 4 UK). Founded by Jane Root, former BBC2 controller and president of Discovery US, Nutopia has created Emmy Award–winning and record-breaking programs.  

National Geographic Channel
Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channel (NGC) is a joint venture between National Geographic Ventures (NGV) and Fox Cable Networks (FCN). Since launching in January 2001, NGC initially earned some of the fastest distribution growth in the history of cable and, more recently, the fastest ratings growth in television. The network celebrated its fifth anniversary in January 2006 with the launch of NGC HD, which provides the spectacular imagery that National Geographic is known for in stunning high definition. NGC has carriage with all of the nation's major cable and satellite television providers, making it currently available in over 71 million homes. For more information, please visit www.natgeotv.com.

SOURCE National Geographic Channel