Planet Green Dives Headfirst Into Its Third Annual Blue August Campaign

Hosted by Ian Somerhalder, BLUE AUGUST Offers Programming Focused on the World's Oceans from August 21-26

This August, Planet Green presents a week-long robust line-up of aquatic programming that brings the mysteries and wonders of our oceans and waterways to life.  BLUE AUGUST is hosted by the star of The Vampire Diaries and Lost, Ian Somerhalder whose non-profit organization, The Ian Somerhalder Foundation, aims to empower, educate and collaborate with people and projects to positively impact the planet and its creatures. Featuring some of television's most renowned natural history documentaries, BLUE AUGUST kicks off on Planet Green on August 21 at 8PM (ET).

As host of BLUE AUGUST, Somerhalder will advocate for enhanced appreciation of Earth's amazing water resources.  Throughout the week, Somerhalder will appear on-air and online via a variety of visually striking short-form features filmed on location in exotic natural locales.  Viewers will travel along with Somerhalder to Trinidad and Tobago as he explores the life cycle of the endangered leatherback sea turtle.  The audience will witness as a pristine beach in this beautiful location is turned into a nesting ground for over 150 leatherback sea turtles who come to they lay their eggs.  Somerhalder and the BLUE AUGUST team also head inland to hike through one of the planet's densest and most untouched rainforests.

Planet Green's Blue August primetime programming is headlined by the encore presentation of BLUE PLANET, premiering Sunday, August 21, at 8 PM (ET).  BLUE PLANET is narrated by Sir David Attenborough and explores previously never-before-seen portions of Earth's marine environment. The week will also bring the awe-inspiring series, PLANET EARTH.  Filmed in over 200 amazing locations, PLANET EARTH offers viewers a close look at life on our planet.   BLUE AUGUST also will feature the acclaimed series OCEANS BLUE, and BLOOD DOLPHINS.

Planet Green's official partners for BLUE AUGUST are leading environmental advocacy and conservation organizations; the Alliance for Global Conservation and the Ian Somerhalder Foundation.

The following is a full listing of programming featured during BLUE AUGUST (in chronological order by premiere date):

BLUE PLANET (Series)
Encore Presentation: August 21, 22 and 26, 8-11 PM ET
Sir David Attenborough narrates this landmark series about the earth's marine environment.  Blue Planet is a definitive exploration of our planet's oceans and reveals the sea and its inhabitants at their most fearsome and alluring.  Episodes chronicle the mysteries of the deep and the intrigues of coastal sea mammals; investigate tidal and climatic influences; and depict the creatures and systems that revolve around our Blue Planet.  Blue Planet is a BBC/Discovery co-production.

OCEANS BLUE (Series)
Encore Presentation: August 23, 8-11 PM ET
A team of underwater explorers including Philippe Cousteau embarks on a yearlong mission to unlock the mysteries of some of the world's most famous oceans.  This spectacular series will tell the most exciting stories from the world of undersea archaeology, geology, marine biology and anthropology, taking viewers on an amazing underwater ride.  Oceans Blue is a BBC/Discovery co-production.

PLANET EARTH (Series)
Encore Presentation: August 24, 8-11 PM ET
Filmed in more than 200 locations, each of PLANET EARTH's episodes focuses on a specific habitat, illustrating life in the highest mountains and the darkest caves; the shallowest water and the deepest oceans; ice-covered lands and Great Plains; untamed jungles and giant forests; fresh water and the harshest deserts. PLANET EARTH offers a fresh understanding of how all these habitats are interconnected.  PLANET EARTH is a BBC/Discovery co-production.

BLOOD DOLPHINS
Network Premiere: August 25, 8-11 PM ET
Former Flipper trainer, Ric O'Barry and his son Lincoln are on a redemptive mission to save dolphins at the peril of man. The O'Barrys lead a team of operatives armed with an arsenal of cameras on an undercover mission to a dolphin hot spot.  BLUE DOLPHINS is produced by Creative Differences.