Arte Abenteuer Der Menschheit

Editorial tone

Epic, narrative, personified. Grand human history made tangible through individual fates. Marveling at the achievements of past civilizations, but never romanticizing. Spectacular in staging, grounded in science. Adventurous in tone, without slipping into sensationalism.

What this format covers

• ●History of civilizations and their achievements
• ●Inventions and innovations that changed humankind
• ●Spectacular expeditions and voyages of discovery
• ●Personified stories from past epochs
• ●Cultural encounters and exchange between peoples
• ●Archaeological discoveries that rewrite history
• ●Time frame: prehistory to 19th century

What this format does NOT want

• ●20th/21st-century history (belongs to ARTE Geschichte)
• ●Purely political or military historical presentation
• ●Academic treatises without narrative personification
• ●Topics without spectacular visual potential
• ●Pure talking-head formats with experts
• ●Investigative or journalistic formats
• ●Contemporary reportage

Visual expectations

Cinematic staging with high production value. CGI and computer animation for past worlds. Spectacular shoots at historical sites. Drone footage, reenactments, elaborate reconstructions. Visual opulence befitting the Saturday primetime slot. Reference: BBC Civilisations, National Geographic Specials.

Expected exposé structure

1. Title + subtitle (epic, evocative)
2. Logline (2–3 sentences: which epoch, which protagonists, what is the discovery)
3. Exposé body text as narrative with personified opening
4. Historical context and scientific foundation
5. Protagonist(s) — historical figures or present-day researchers
6. Visual execution / reconstruction concept
7. Episode breakdown (for 2×52)
8. Production company, author, contact

Example productions

• Die großen Entdecker — Auf den Spuren von Marco Polo
• Das Geheimnis der Kelten
• Die Seidenstraße — Auf den Spuren alter Handelswege
• Imperium Romanum — Aufstieg und Fall
• Die Wiege der Zivilisation — Mesopotamien