From: jo_march@discovery-europe.com
Sent: Monday, March 08, 2004 9:51 AM

Thought that you might be interested in this new Discovery Channel series on trains premiering the UK shortly:

MARK WILLIAMS ON THE RAILS
Premieres on Wednesday 17th March at 8.oopm

This March, actor Mark Williams, star of the Fast Show and Harry Potter films, returns to Discovery Channel to present a brand new ten part series celebrating two hundred years of railways. The series travels the world racing from the momentous day that Trevithick's first locomotive hauled iron along its rails in 1804 to the trains of today.

Mark Williams on the Rails¸ premiering on Wednesday 17th March at 8.00pm allows Mark to indulge his passion as a train enthusiast. Mark really relishes the opportunity to get close to some of the big locomotives featured in the series. In every episode he gets to grips with the engineering of the rail network and get his hands on trains such as the magnificent 160 ton Duchess of Sutherland about which he says:

“No wonder people became train spotters- just look at this! In the 1920’s and 1930’s most people travelled by rail not by car. You could go to a station, buy a ticket and get on a train pulled by a locomotive like this. It was the fastest you could go unless you were in a Bentley going round Brooklands. Ha ha!”

Episodes in the series are:

Episode 1, Wednesday 17th March at 8.00pm
Cornish Steam Giant – Join Mark in Cornwall where he discovers that the true founding father of the railways is a Cornish mine engineer Richard Trevithick who was the victim of a ‘dirty tricks’ campaign from the steam ‘establishment’. Mark has a bone shaking ride in a full size replica of Trevithick’s first road locomotive.

Episode 2, Wednesday 24th March at 8.00pm
George Stephenson – Mark tracks the birth of the railways in North East England. George Stephenson and his son, Robert developed locomotive designs and huge civil engineering projects that were ground breaking. It is a testament to their excellence that so much of their work still survives in use today.

Episode 3, Wednesday 31st March at 8.00pm
Brunel – Mark investigates the evolution of the Great Western Railway, brainchild of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The building of the Great Western Railway spans a time of great technological breakthroughs and strenuous manual labour that created the most advanced and respected railway network in the world.

Episode 4, Wednesday 7th April at 8.00pm
Moving Mountains – Mark discovers how the curious Double Fairlie engine used in Wales to transport slate down the mountains to the ports was the inspiration for General Palmer’s amazing railway through the mountains of Sierra Nevada.

Episode 5, Friday 9th April at 8.00pm
Carriage Kings – The introduction of railways had a major effect on society. Mark begins his journey in an early 3rd class carriage, a converted travel truck and concludes it by travelling in style on the Orient Express.

Episode 6, Sunday 11th April at 11.30am
Death on the Tracks – In the early days of train travel death on the tracks was tragically common. Mark climbs inside boilers, revisits the site of early train disasters and gets his hands on the gadgets, from flags to electric levers that helped reduce the numbers killed on the rails.

Episode 7, Sunday 11th April at 12.00am
Big Country - Mark Williams rides the American railroad to explore how the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad between 1862 and 1869 linked the east and west coast of America. The railroad literally united all the states of America – especially important for freight. Mark explores how politicians, civil engineers and entrepreneurs satisfied all their ambitions by single-mindedly organising the impossible.

Episode 8, Sunday 11th April at 12.30am
Speed and Power --– The 1920’s and 30’s were the golden age of the railways. More people were employed by the rail industry than any other. Mark explains how the race for speed led to locomotives setting records that are still a match for modern rail travel.

Episode 9, Sunday 11th April at 1.00pm
Going Underground – Mark gets to grips with the oldest underground train network in the world – London’s Underground. The hazardous building project was an instant success. Mark jumps into the cab of a train to journey through one of the first tunnels built under the Thames.

Episode 10, Sunday 11th April at 1.30pm
Out of Steam – In the aftermath of WWII British Rail was created and a major opportunity to modernise the railways was missed when a crucial decision to stay with steam was made. In 1953 this decision was reversed and diesel electric systems were introduced. Mark gets to drive a Class 31 enjoying the comfort of a cab with hot-plate, windscreen wiper and ashtrays.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Mark Williams on the Rails is a new ten part series premiering on Wednesday 17th March at 8.oopm on Discovery Channel. It continues on Wednesdays at 8pm. The series was produced by OSF Productions for Discovery.

For further information, interview requests, preview tapes or images please contact:

Jo March, Press Officer - Tel: 020 7462 3683 / Email: Jo_march@discovery-europe.com

Claire Drinkwater, Press Co-ordinator - Tel: 020 7462 3675 / Email: Claire_drinkwater@discovery-europe.com

Discovery Networks Europe, launched in 1989, reaches a cumulative subscriber base in excess of 100 million. DNE’s portfolio comprises nine channels across 51 countries in the Europe, Middle East and Africa territories; Discovery Channel, Discovery Home & Leisure, Discovery Health, Animal Planet, Discovery Civilisation, Discovery Science, Discovery Travel & Adventure, Discovery Kids and Discovery Wings. Programming is customised into 20 languages and broadcast on 7 unique feeds.

DNE’s parent, Discovery Communications Inc., is the leading global real-world media and entertainment company, which runs 14 unique TV brands. Launched in the US in 1985, the company now operates in 155 countries and territories with more than 950 million cumulative subscribers. DCI also consists of Discovery.com, Discovery Consumer Products and Discovery Channel retail stores. DCI is privately held; ownership consists of four shareholders: Liberty Media Corporation (NYSE: L), Cox Communications, Inc. (NYSE: COX), Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, the Company’s Founder, Chairman and CEO.

Joanna March
Press Officer, Discovery Networks UK
Tel: 020 7462 3683

Discovery Channel
Discovery Civilisation
Discovery Science
Discovery Travel & Adventure

Dean

I'm afraid that the press release won't help you much in Tempe. It's the UK Discovery Channel that's being discussed (note the forum this thread is in ).

Everything on a flanged wheel,
Dorr

The programme is well featured in the listings magazines, the Radio Times (BBC) and TV and Satellite Week, where it has equal billing with a Biography of Piers Brosnan, with which it clashes

Decisions, decisions

Harold J Curnow (UK)

Well, as much as I appreciate Brosnan's acting ability (he's almost as good a Bond as Connery), I don't think I'd have much trouble deciding which program to watch.

Everything on a flanged wheel,
Dorr

Ah, but there are ways over that small pond for the common tinkerer.

Dean

That's true. All ya have to do is find the satellite with the right transponder frequency to point yer dish at.

Dorr