Cultural package to raise tone as TVB aims higher

TV viewers tired of daily quiz shows and sitcoms are to be treated to a package of cultural programmes as TVB attempts to go upmarket.

The shows - ranging from a documentary on the mystery of Mesopotamia to a profile of cellist Yo-yo Ma - are mostly overseas productions.

The series starts tonight with an hour-long documentary on the history of Egypt on TVB's Chinese Jade channel.

Messages from the Past, is part of a four-episode series on ancient civilisations, produced by Japanese TV station NHK.

The other episodes, on Mesopotamia, India and China, will be shown on the following three Sundays at 10.30pm.

TVB spokeswoman Sophia Chan said they were targeting an audience eager for education. 'We are a commercial broadcaster and the majority of our programmes are mainstream, but every now and then we'd like to instil a cultural touch for the public to learn something they don't normally come across in daily life,' she said.