The new Discovery network, Planet Green
Hopes to soft sell its mission with its eco-tainment philosophy.

June 9 | archive | subscribe

 

Planet Green, will soft sell its mission, making entertainment a bigger priority than education. O’Neill calls it “eco-tainment”. The network is immediately available in 50 million homes, nearly half the cable or satellite customers in the United States, because it replaces Discovery Home.

Viewers who tune in the new Planet Green network expecting a sober documentary on the plight of the yellow-breasted whooping finch will be in for a surprise. Instead, they will see celebrities such as Tommy Lee, Ludacris, Tom Bergeron, and Adrian Grenier – and absolutely no lectures, promises the network.

Planet Green is starting with an unusual amount of fresh, original programming. Fortunately for Planet Green, no place is greener than Hollywood, here are a few.

HBO Entourage star Grenier is host of Alter Eco, a program on which he and a team of experts show celebrities and ordinary people “the way to a hip green lifestyle”.

Supper Club with Tom Bergeron brings a chef who cooks a “green meal” while special guests talk about what’s new in the environmental movement.

Hollywood Green With Maria Menounos, made with Access Hollywood as partner, showcases celebrities helping the environment.

Bill Nye shows what happens to everyday items before and after they are consumed, on Stuff Happens.

Traditionally souped-up vehicles are pitted against eco-friendly counterparts on Mean Green Machines.

Discovery also realized that a company starting an environmentally friendly television network ought to walk the walk. They’ve installed 1,500-litre reservoirs to collect rainwater. It put in motion-detector lights, and toilets that use less water. Employees who bicycle to work are given a small bonus. And the Planet Green website is solar-powered.