Discovery greenlights 'Invented'

LONDON -- Discovery Networks International has greenlit what it claims is its most ambitious and most expensive show to date. "How We Invented the World," to be produced by shingle Nutopia, is a 5-hour docu that aims to set a new template for the cable web's "globalized" strategy. Show has been commissioned by Discovery's London-based head of production Julian Bellamy and will deploy what was described as "cinematic CGI" and "dramatization" to reveal the most iconic inventions of the modern age. Subjects to be covered include cell phones and black box flight recorders, plus such improbable future inventions as energy-saving transparent plants and guns that only fire once the person using them have had their fingerprints checked. "How We Invented the World" will be customized for four international regions with local stories and experts. Due to bow on DNI in the second half of 2012, Bellamy said the series was "epic in scale, idea and budget, while simultaneously retaining local flavor." Bellamy added: "It's a fantastic way to kick-start our drive into more original productions that are international ideas that feed Discovery Channel's global footprint."The executive producers are Sarah Davies for DNI and Christine Weber for Discovery Channel U.S.Nutopia, run by former Discovery topper Jane Root, made the Emmy-award winning "America: The Story of Us" for History. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com