History of mankind in just 12 hours

“MANKIND: The Story of All of Us” on History

“It was an enormous challenge to undertake such a bold idea, to tell the entire story of humanity within 12 hours,” said History vice president for programming and development Julian Hobbs in an exclusive phone interview with Inquirer Entertainment.

Hobbs, executive producer of the ambitious 12-part “Mankind: The Story of All of Us,” admitted to some inevitable oversights, but insisted that certain exclusions were justified. “We focused on shared tipping points, key moments in which humanity unlocked certain powers that made us what we are today,” he said.

Global endeavor

Among these “shared” moments are key inventions and transformations that affected humanity, like the harnessing of fire and the introduction of agriculture. Narrated by actor Josh Brolin, “Mankind” required an “enormous” amount of research.

“Before we started filming, we spent a year consulting dozens of leading historians around the world to come up with this list of key moments,” Hobbs elaborated. “We filmed in China, Africa, the United Kingdom—it literally was a global production.”

Historical consultants were present during filming to ensure accuracy.

Hobbs wanted the docu-drama series to appeal to all, not just to history buffs: “We worked to create a very populist form of telling history. To make history come alive for people, you must re-create those moments and immerse the viewer in the excitement, the dangers and the stakes!”

The makers of the series assure viewers that “Mankind” is not history as learnt in textbooks. “It’s visceral, surprising and dangerous.” The scenes are embellished and complemented by imaginative computer graphic sequences, drawing inspiration from computer games. “We build the Pyramids, the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal. We climb the Golden Gate Bridge, we travel through a Roman aqueduct; we sail on the RMS Titanic.”

“Mankind” premieres November 14 at 9 p.m. on History. Inspired by breakout movie franchises like “The Bourne Identity,” the 12 hours are broken up into six two-hour nights, each one comprising two individual episodes strung together to feel like a two-hour movie. Each one opens with a shocking scene and ends with a cliffhanger.

In the premiere episode titled “Inventors,” man becomes the dominant creature on the planet.

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On CinemaWorld this month are “A View of Love,” starring Oscar-winning actor Jean Dujardin, and “Chocolate Kisses,” starring Luca Argentero of “Eat, Pray, Love.”

“CHOCOLATE Kisses” on CinemaWorld

CinemaWorld is available on Cable Link, and through the a la carte subscription or the HD Movie Package of SkyCable.

5-night Christmas special

“The 700 Club Asia” kicks off the Christmas season with “Buti na Lang May Pasko” TV special, from Monday night until November 16, 11 p.m., on GMA News TV.

‘Island of the Gods’

Director, producer and actor-host Simon Yin, presenter of “Hidden Cities Extreme,” visits Bali, “Island of the Gods.” Simon leaves the world-famous beaches and experiences the people. He learns to make coffee from civet cat poo, takes on a King Cobra, tries his hands at mud wrestling and rides a water buffalo.

This feature on Bali airs on History Monday at 9:30 p.m.

Shark week

“SHARK Week” on Discovery

Witness more breaches, brushes and bites with all kinds of sharks in this year’s “Shark Week” on Discovery Channel, which premieres Monday at 9 p.m.

‘Star Trek’ marathon

Catch the legendary science fiction film franchise on Friday, November 16, 10 p.m., on Cinemax. Watch all 10 original installments back to back: “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,”  “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock,” “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home,” “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier,” “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country,” “Star Trek: Generations,” “Star Trek: First Contact,” “Star Trek: Insurrection,” and “Star Trek: Nemesis.”