reported by Samuel Grigsby, CyberScreenwriter.com

History.com is bringing history into the digital age with the launch of five original digital brands. They include exclusive short-form original series, featuring rarely seen historical footage and a military blog that will enable users to experience soldiers' stories directly from the front-lines.

The History Channel has acquired the rights to a collection of 94 never- before-seen documentaries that are a companion to the critically lauded The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones television movies. Created and executive produced by George Lucas, the documentaries will premiere on History.com in late 2007. The television movies will air on The History Channel and History International.

"There is no question that the industry has reached a new level in terms of what digital multi-media can provide," said Dubuc. "Just as The History Channel is where television audiences go when they want the best in insightful and thought provoking programming, History.com is the number one online destination for the history enthusiast. Technology is enabling us to bridge the gap in how we interact with our audiences and is changing where content is born. No matter what the platform, it is about enabling history fans to experience great content any way they want it."

-- BAND OF BLOGGERS - The well-documented use of handheld video cameras by soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan has given us a perspective on war never before seen in history. This destination will collect raw and riveting "soldier generated content" from an ever-expanding band of military bloggers who use the internet, digital cameras and cell phones to deliver honest, powerful and uncensored news from the battlefield. Anchoring the site will be daily video posts from dedicated bloggers offering exclusive updates for History.com. In addition, BAND OF BLOGGERS will solicit soldiers to post their own videos about their war experience. (3rd Quarter 2007)

-- YOUNG INDIANA JONES DOCUMENTARY COLLECTION - To complement the fictional television movies, George Lucas oversaw the creation of 94 historically accurate half-hour documentaries. Years in the making, these superbly-crafted, in-depth premieres cover a vast array of topics that will help significantly diversify our broadband library. Each is based on events that took place during the early part of the 20th century and provide context to the fictional adventures of the Young Indiana Jones. Topics range from The History of Slavery, What is Archaeology and The History of the Ballet to biographies of Al Capone, Ernest Hemingway and Vlad the Impaler. History.com will develop a rich media broadband site that will feature the documentaries, along with other relevant content. They will also air on History International and History Classroom. (4th Quarter 2007)

-- HERO SHIPS - Short form broadband series that brings to life fascinating moments in a legendary ships' history. Veteran crew members provide firsthand accounts of the dramatic episodes that have come to define the legend of a particular vessel, from the USS Missouri to the USS Omaha. (4th Quarter 2007)

-- HISTORY UNCUT - Moments of history are featured unedited and unfiltered, just as the cameramen recorded them. This series will put the spotlight on memorable events through time such as; the Wright Brothers' first flight attempt; Einstein's first trip to the United States in 1931; the scene after President Reagan was shot in 1981 by John Hinckley. (2nd Quarter 2007)

-- THE NAKED UNDERGROUND - This exclusive broadband series is an off-shoot of Cities of the Underworld, the new weekly series, which premiered Monday, April 23 at 9:00 pm ET/PT on The History Channel. The four to five minute short form pieces explore an urban myth linked to a particular city. Some of the stories to be featured are a Roman myth that links the word "testify" to a man's private parts, and in Edinburgh, it is in dispute whether or not Braveheart was a real person. (2nd Quarter 2007)

-- GREATEST STORIES NEVER TOLD - The original short form series is based on the Greatest Stories Never Told books by Rick Beyer. Every episode tells a fascinating, little known story from history with a surprise twist. From the world conqueror that died of a nosebleed to the development of the pigeon guided missile to Annie Oakley's shot at stopping World War I, host Timothy John Smith relates stories of the absurd. (4th Quarter 2007)

Website: History.com