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Media Kit

1. The STory 

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1. SynopSiS 

Planet egypt – the Secrets of the Pharaohs’ empire 

More than 5,000 years ago, the territories of Upper and Lower Egypt were 

first united into a single Kingdom. It was a seismic moment in history – 

the beginning of one of the most successful civilizations the world has ever 

known. The Nile Kingdom would flourish for over 3000 years. Ruled by 31 

dynasties of “divine” Pharaohs, Ancient Egypt’s achievements are without 

parallel, including the world’s first territorial state and some of the most 

outstanding monuments known to man. Few civilizations displayed as 

much artistic and creative power as that of the Ancient Egyptians. How did 

they do it? What was the secret of their success? 

For decades, experts have been trying to solve the mystery of what kept the 

Nile civilization going for more than three millennia. Planet Egypt, 

a groundbreaking documentary series produced for international television, 

delves deep into the history of the Pharaohs. The series examines the 

unification of Egypt under King Narmer, the rise of the Nile Kingdom to 

world power under Thutmose III, the religious revolution at the time of the 

heretic king Akhenaten and the enormous surge in construction activity 

during the rule of Ramses the Great. With the help of dramatic 

re-enactments and lavish computer animations, Planet Egypt recreates 

the world of the Ancient Egyptians. Entire cities like Hierakonpolis, 

Thebes and Amarna are brought back to life through 3-D animations. 

Each episode sheds new light on one of the foundation stones at the base of 

this extraordinary civilisation. 

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2. The epiSodeS 


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epiSode 1 

Planet egypt – Birth of the empire 

The history of Egypt is one of unparalleled success. For 3,000 years the 

Pharaohs ruled the land without interruption. But how was the Kingdom of 

Egypt united in the first place? New archaeological clues shed fresh light on 

the mysteries surrounding the birth of Ancient Egypt. 

The Narmer Palette, a 5,000 year old stone tablet, is crucial. One of the 

oldest documents in the world, the palette depicts the brutal subjugation 

of the enemies of Egypt by the mysterious King Narmer. It also includes 

images depicting the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. Taken at face 

value, this ancient stone document suggests that Narmer was the country’s 

first true Pharaoh. 

But was the Nile civilization really united through a huge battle, as the 

palette suggests, or are its images of warfare an early example of political 

propaganda? To solve the mystery of how Egypt was first united, we follow 

archaeologists as they examine the very beginning of the rule of the 

Pharaohs. It’s the time now known as Dynasty Zero – Egypt’s pre-dynastic 

period – a previously little known episode that sets Egypt on course for 

some of the greatest achievements in the history of mankind. The film 

discovers that, through both war and peace, it was the mysterious King 

Narmer who laid the foundations for the continuing rule of the Pharaohs – 

a success story lasting more than 3,000 years. 

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epiSode 2 

Planet egypt – Pharaohs at War 

For many centuries the Pharaohs managed to shield Egypt from the influences 

of the outside world, protected by the desert in the east and west, and by the 

inaccessible Nile Delta in the north. But in the second millennia BC, foreign 

tribes began to infiltrate the north. Eventually, the immigrants became so 

powerful that they would rule the north of Egypt for almost a century. To the 

Egyptians they became know as the Hyksos, the foreign rulers. 

Although the foreigners were eventually driven out, Hyksos rule marked the 

end of Egypt’s period of ‘splendid isolation’. From now on, foreign kings 

would regularly threaten the Nile Kingdom from their base in the Middle East. 

So how did the Egyptians go about defending themselves against their 

rivals in the North? What were the military secrets behind the Egyptian 

success story? 

The film focuses on the time around 1400 BC, when an invasion by the 

warrior tribes of Canaan (today’s Palestine and Syria) loomed. To secure 

Egypt’s borders, the young Pharaoh Thutmose III decided to flex his military 

muscle. For 20 years, Thutmose mounted military campaigns against the 

Canaanite principalities, even crossing the Euphrates in what today is 

southern Turkey. One of the most brilliant war leaders of Antiquity, Thutmose 

employed new weapons technology, a standing army and all his diplomatic 

skills to expand the Egyptian Empire. After defeating his neighbours, he 

shrewdly entered into military alliances with them, thus securing Egypt’s 

borders for centuries to come. 

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epiSode 3 

Planet egypt – temples of Power 

Ancient Egypt is unimaginable without its gods. Over the course of centuries, 

the Egyptian priests and temples steadily gained in power. The Amun Temple 

in Karnak, the most sacred site in the whole country, came to wield almost as 

much power as the Pharaoh himself. Until the year 1351 BC, when King 

Akhenaten comes to the throne. He declares war on the ancient gods and 

breaks with the cult that has kept the country together for more than 1,500 

years. He sweeps away the power of the priesthood and their temples. 

Huge numbers of Egyptians lose their livelihoods and face starvation. It is 

the greatest cultural revolution in the history of Egypt. 

The film explores the roots and impulses that underpinned this radical 

break with the past. 

Archaeologists excavating at the most important sites of Akhenaten’s rule 

find clues to the motives of the Heretic King. Evidence from Luxor and Tell 

el Amarna suggests that Akhenaten’s father, Pharaoh Amenophis III, 

had an important role to play in paving the way for his son’s revolution. 

Egypt’s Solar God is the focal point of the revolution instigated by the 

Pharaohs. The sun had always been the highest deity in Egypt. But now its 

status is enhanced even further. The old imperial God Amun is banned 

– a challenge to the age old religious tradition and continuity underpinning 

the Egyptian civilization. 

This documentary depicts the dramatic rise and fall of Akhenaten and the 

central role religion played in the 3000-year success story of the Pharaohs. 

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epiSode 4 

Planet egypt – Quest for eternity 

From the days of the first Pharaoh’s tomb to the end of their era, Egyptians 

were united by one burning desire: to extend their lives to all eternity. This 

is why they built the gigantic pyramids, the splendid temples and the many 

magnificent tombs that have become the hallmark of Egyptian civilization. 

The cult of the dead also became an important commercial factor. 

It was both an emotional bond and a way of glorifying life. The Egyptians 

regarded their existence on the Nile as paradise on Earth. It was in order 

to extend this paradise to all eternity that they developed visions of the 

afterlife in elaborate detail. 

To unravel the secrets of this seemingly morbid obsession with death, 

episode 4 of Planet Egypt examines Egypt's most elaborate tomb builder 

– Ramses the Great. His long rule is also considered Egypt’s Golden Age. 

Ramses became the biggest tomb builder in Egyptian history. Excavations 

in Egypt’s oldest royal cemetery and in the famous Valley of the Kings help 

archaeologists track down the mysteries of the Egyptian afterlife. Planet 

Egypt also investigates the magical rituals associated with the Egyptian 

death cult, from mummification to the tradition of equipping the dead body 

with all items that could possibly be required after death. 

The film discovers how the ancient Egyptians crafted an intricate balance 

between the world of the living and what lies beyond. Strange as it seems, 

Egypt's celebration of death might hold the secret to the culture's longevity. 

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3. CrediTS 


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3. CrediTS 

A Gruppe 5 Film production for ZDF in association with Arte, History 

and ZDF Enterprises 

Written by: Susanne Utzt, Tilman Remme, Christian Feyerabend 

directed by: Stephan Koester Daniel Gerlach 

edited by: Dieter Dehn, Jörg Dixius 

Music by: Paul Rabiger 

Commissioning editors ZdF: Uta von Borries, Heike Schmidt 

Commissioning editor History: Susan Werbe 

Producer: Susanne Utzt 

Production Manager: Svenja Wolter 

executive Producer, Gruppe 5: Uwe Kersken 

Production Company 

In the year 2002 ZDF Enterprises secured a participating interest in Gruppe 

5 Filmproduktion, which was founded in 1989 to develop and produce 

high-quality and popular TV productions in the non-fiction sector with a 

view to the international market. 

Productions completed to date and in preparation at present have concentrated 

on one-off and multi-part features in the sectors of history and contemporary 

history. Travel, culture and society, ecology and science, and nature and 

wildlife. Multi-part productions such as “Storm over Europe – The Mass 

Migrations”, “Europe in the Middle Ages – Paths out of Darkness”, and 

“Medicine in the Third Reich” have attracted considerable audiences in 

Germany and also been sold to other countries with significant success. 

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