Pioneer travels to the centre of the earth for Discovery

Pioneer Productions will use CGI to journey to the centre of the Earth in a 120-minute film for Discovery Channel.

Inside Planet Earth will take viewers through the crust, into the mantle and right to the planet's inner core. It will also visit locations around the world where the effects of the Earth's internal structure can be clearly seen.

The indie has also been commissioned by Discovery to produce an 8 x 60-minute sequel to its 1997 series Raging Earth. The second series will explore extreme natural forces that govern our planet, such as hurricanes and avalanches.

Pioneer head of development Jeremy Dear said there was strong demand for "big science" shows combining spectacular visuals and surprising information.

Both shows are executive produced by Stuart Carter for Pioneer and were ordered by John Ford for Discovery Channel.