MUMBAI: His story of courage under fire is known to millions; and now cricketer Yuvraj Singh will narrate tales of people displaying true valour in the face of calamity in National Geography?s ?The Unbreakables? series.

Premiering on Christmas Eve 24 December at 10 pm, the show that will air Monday-Friday will salute the spirit of never giving up, rendering tales of individuals emerging victorious after landing in ill-fated circumstances.

From being captured and held hostage by guerrilla groups while on an adventure tour, to being forced to smuggle cocaine at gun-point - the series showcases testing times and how a fighting spirit makes ordinary people do extraordinary things. Known for this dauntless spirit, Singh would be introducing audiences to these gripping stories as the face of the show.

National Geographic Network, Fox International Channels India VP marketing Debarpita Banerjee said, "This series is an amazing collection of nerves of steel, for which one has to keep sanity in the face of direst of adversities. The Unbreakables will take viewers inside firsthand accounts of unexpected captivity, imprisonment and pure terror. We are very excited to have Yuvraj Singh present this series as for our country he is the epitome of life back on track."

Singh said, "I have tremendous respect for people with a profound positive attitude who face dire situations head-on and emerge stronger from them. The Unbreakables is a series that recounts formidable incidents, while outlining sheer strength that people exude when the going gets tough. It?s truly an honour to be associated with the National Geographic Channel and be a part of their endeavour to celebrate undying spirit."

MUMBAI: Fox Networks Group?s president, COO David Haslingden has decided to step down at the end of the calendar year in order to return to Australia and spend more time with his family.

Haslingden was instrumental in the creation and growth of Fox International Channels (Fic), a business unit that now encompasses more than 350 channels in over 55 countries. Prior to his current role, he was CEO of both FIC and National Geographic Channels Worldwide for more than 10 years, and has served News Corporation in a variety of executive roles in the U.S., Asia, Australia and Europe over the past two decades.

News Corp president, COO Chase Carey commented, "Since joining News Corporation, David has been a driving force in the evolution of the pay-TV industry in every corner of the world. His leadership in the international television marketplace has uniquely positioned Fox to succeed for years to come in what has quickly become one of our company?s fastest-growing business segments. I respect his decision to return to Australia to spend more time with his family, and we wish him nothing but the best during the next phase of his career."

Fox Networks Group chairman, CEO Peter Rice commented, ?David has built an incredible foundation for us domestically and across Asia, Australia Europe and the Middle East. As we look to continue FNG?s incredible growth trajectory, our future successes will in many ways be the result of David?s innovative leadership over the last several years. He will be missed by all of us."

MUMBAI: Amar Chitra Katha (ACK) Media has launched National Geographic Traveller, the travel magazine from National Geographic, and will be available on newsstands across the country from the first week of July.

ACK Media and the National Geographic entered a magazine partnership in 2011 following which the former gets to publish the Indian edition of National Geographic Traveller. The magazine?s distribution will be handled by ACK Media?s subsidiary India Book House (IBH). IBH also manages the distribution of National Geographic?s flagship magazine in India.

ACK Media COO and National Geographic India publisher Manas Mohan said, "I am honoured to be associated with National Geographic Traveller India. It is a huge achievement for ACK Media to partner with National Geographic Society to bring out the Indian edition of National Geographic Traveller. The hard work has paid-off, with a fantastic response from advertisers, and I am eagerly waiting for the positive review from our readers."

National Geographic Traveller has taken up the tagline ?No One Knows This World Better? and its content is about immersive travel experiences that inspire the readers to travel. More than 80 per cent of the content in National Geographic Traveller India has been generated locally according to a statement from ACK Media.

National Geographic Traveller India editor-in-chief Niloufer Venkatraman said, "At National Geographic Traveller India we bring together travel and culture, travel and experience, travel and story-telling. Our intention is to inspire more travel to more places, in our vast country and across the world, for the whole family. National Geographic Traveller India tries to bring variety to the experience of travel, inspiring all kinds of journeys from sedentary to super-active ones. Additionally, we are committed to spreading awareness about sustainable travel, and to ensuring that travel destinations endure for future generations."

National Geographic Traveller India will follow the steps of its international partner, with the same look, and the familiar yellow-bordered cover.

IBH director Abizar Shaikh added, "IBH is proud to be the exclusive India distributor of the ?National Geographic Traveller?. All of us at IBH have been waiting with bated breath for months for the launch of this truly global, world class product. IBH will bring in all its energy, passion and drive to ensure the ready accessibility of NGT for readers across the country by making it available at every possible retail outlet in India. We are confident that NGT will be the crown jewel in the IBH range of magazine offerings."

MUMBAI: National Geographic Channels (NGC) has announced that actor Josh Brolin will narrate ?Untamed Americas? ? the four-hour high-definition miniseries event that reveals the grit and glory in the wilds of North America, Central America and South America.

Premiering globally later this year, ?Untamed Americas? marks the first US simulcast on all three National Geographic Channels: National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo Wild and recently launched Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo.

Narrated by Brolin in the US on NGC and Wild and internationally in English-speaking territories, each hour explores some of the greatest wildlife spectacles, delicate dances, instances of unbelievable endurance and against-the-odds survival in episodes dedicated to the continent?s Mountains, Deserts, Coasts and Forests.

Brolin said, "National Geographic is an iconic brand known for its storytelling, and I am thrilled to be a part of this project. This series is absolutely breathtaking, and really inspires my passion for the great outdoors."

The series producer Karen Bass said, "We could not have found a more perfect narrator for this series. Josh really brings to life what our crew captured ? the intimate, the epic and the dramatic stories of wildlife facing the extreme challenges of surviving in the Americas."

The ?Untamed Americas? team spent almost two years in the field, traveling thousands of miles from Alaska to Patagonia, to capture the extreme wildlife of the continent. To film the rare moments, Untamed Americas cameramen and producers rappelled down Peruvian cliffs in sea lion territory incurring bruised shins and battered heads; endured jellyfish stings in Monterey, Calif.; slipped down mud paths and stumbled through dark, dense underbrush in the Ecuadorean cloud forest; faced subzero temperatures (-22F) as well as extreme heat with 100 per cent humidity; maneuvered through freak out-of-season hurricanes; lost sleeping bags (and sleep!) in 80 mph winds in Chile; gasped for breath at 15,000 feet in the Altiplano of the Andes; and were even stalked by a puma.

The result: footage that captures previously undocumented animal behaviour and the gorgeous, wild landscapes of Untamed Americas.