Terra X is a brand used by the German public broadcaster ZDF since 2008. Between 1982 and 2008, the brand name was ZDF Expedition. Some topics under the brand Terra X are documentaries about history, nature, archaeology and science. The documentaries are broadcast on ZDF. Repeats are also broadcast on ZDFinfo, ZDFneo, Phoenix, Arte and 3sat.

A video by Terra X about climate factors (English subtitle)

Background edit

On 17 January 1982, the first ZDF Expedition documentary was broadcast.[1] In 2008, the name was changed to Terra X.[2] The brand includes documentary series, where a topic will be covered deeper than in usual documentaries. Since the mid 1980s simulations of the past are included for visualization and since the 1990s some historical events are re-enacted with actors.[3]

 
Harald Lesch receiving the Deutscher Fernsehpreis in 2018

Over 40 documentaries are produced per year under the brand of Terra X. The average cost of a 45-minute-film amounts to €250,000.[4] The documentaries of Terra X are sold and broadcast internationally, for example in National Geographic Channel in the United States.[5]

Terra X is also active on the internet. Beside the ZDF video on demand platform ZDFmediathek, they are publishing documentaries and clips on platforms like YouTube. The Terra X Lesch & Co channel presented by Harald Lesch was launched on 3 February 2016.[6] Later that year, their YouTube channel Terra X Natur & Geschichte started on 15 August, where Terra X is publishing full documentaries that are also airing on TV.[7] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Terra X started the YouTube channel Terra X statt Schule (Terra X Instead of School), where they are publishing different knowledge videos of content that has been already broadcast.[8] In 2019, Terra X published some clips about the topic climate under CC BY 4.0, so that the clips can be also used in Wikipedia.[9]

References edit

  1. ^ Prosit, Terra X!. Access: 2 April 2020.
  2. ^ Aus «ZDF Expedition» wird «Terra X». Access: 2 April 2020.
  3. ^ Terra X Access: 3 April 2020.
  4. ^ Dokumentationen und Reportagen. Access: 2 April 2020.
  5. ^ ZDF setzt auf Dokumentationen. Access: 9 March 2011.
  6. ^ ZDF startet YouTube-Kanal „Terra X Lesch & Co". Access: 3 April 2020.
  7. ^ Terra X Natur & Geschichte. Access: 3 April 2020.
  8. ^ "Terra X' statt Schule"; Neuer YouTube-Kanal des ZDF. Access: 3 April 2020.
  9. ^ „Terra X" wird Wikipedia. Access: 3 April 2020.

External links edit