Richard Engel, NBC’s chief foreign correspondent, is launching his own monthly documentary series Wednesday when NBC moves “Rock Center with Brian Williams’ to its new night.
But the show, titled "Hidden Planet," will not air on television, it will stream on the iPad (a product, by the way, which Engel does not own).
The series, exclusive to the “Rock Center” iPad app and the show’s website, will explore remote but glorified locales, such as the tunnels beneath the Giza Pyramids and the Lost City of Timbuktu.
TheWrap spoke with Engel from Istanbul, where he was delayed during traveling on assignment. He talked about the new show, the tour bus from hell and his romantic side.
TheWrap: Let’s start by filling everyone in on this new series.
Engel: The last 10 years I’ve been primarily doing war reporting because the last 10 years have been full of wars. This is a totally different thing. These are travel stories, adventure stories, and -- not a word used as much anymore -- romantic stories. Like the 18th-century, 19th-century romance, not the candlelit dinner and holding hands on the beach. This is why I got into journalism, not so I could watch people get shot.
Watch a preview of the series here:
How did it come about? Was it something you’ve been angling to do or did NBC approach you?
It was more organic. The “Today Show” wanted a series before the Arab Spring called "Secret Kingdoms." They aired a few, and the series was relatively short-lived, but I didn’t want to stop, so I kept going.
A lot of times when I am on a story, we break off and do a side shoot. In middle of the war in Libya, we took half a day and snuck off to see these Roman and Carthaginian ruins with Greek ruins on the other side. You sneak off for half a day even just to clear your head. Crews like this; people like going to see the Parthenon or historic ruins.
And you mentioned a philosophical motive as well?
I do mostly short and now longer news reports. Somebody gets hurt, some dictator gets overthrown, something bad happens to somebody. Actually, I think the world is a beautiful, exciting, interesting place.
You don’t need to be scared of the world around you. Yes, there are terrorists out there, there are bad things out there, but you can’t see world as just a dangerous place within the realm of the other. The world is also exciting and wonderful and romantic and to be explored, appreciated and pondered about.
Now one of the other unique things about the show is that it will debut on the iPad rather than television.
I don’t have an iPad.
