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DISCOVERING ARDI is the result of a ten-year collaboration between the Middle Awash research project and Primary Pictures of Atlanta. Director Rod Paul and his team worked closely with the scientists to develop an unprecedented level of detail, accuracy and coverage of the discovery of Ardipithecus ramidus, much of it as it happened, on location in Ethiopia. Through permissions granted by the Ethiopian Government, initial filming took place in 1999 and was followed by three additional shoots in the desert research area and at the National Museum in Addis Ababa. Additional filming was done at The University of Tokyo laboratory of project scientist Dr. Gen Suwa and locations in the United States.

The world premiere special begins its story with the 1974 discovery of Australopithecus afarensis in Hadar, northeastern Ethiopia.   Nicknamed "Lucy," this 3.2 million year old skeleton was, at the time, the oldest hominid skeleton ever found.  As the Discovery Channel special documents, Lucy's title would be overtaken 20 years later by the 1994 discovery of "Ardi" in Ethiopia's Afar region in the Middle Awash study area.  It would take an elite international team of experts the next 15 years to delicately, meticulously and methodically piece together "Ardi" and her lost world in order to reveal her significance.

The film uses both location sequences and extensive computer-generated animation to detail the original research. Dramatic aerial footage was filmed in 2007, capturing the stark beauty and drama of the Middle Awash depression. No re-creations took place. In 2007, Primary Pictures reached agreement with Discovery Channel for that network to have exclusive broadcast rights for both DISCOVERING ARDI, as well as a companion hour to be broadcast in the coming year. Both programs are designed to bring the many discoveries of the Middle Awash team to a wide viewing public. DIRTY JOBS host Mike Rowe narrates.

www.discovery.com/ardi

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