Tuesdays are ‘Green’ on TV’s Sundance

Well, whaddaya know? The Earth’s a star!

After languishing in the background far too long, Earth has landed on the covers of Time, Newsweek and Vanity Fair this month alone. It can also boast a starring role in an Oscar-winning movie (Al Gore’s documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth”).

Meanwhile, TV is jumping on the “eco” bandwagon, including the recent announcement of Discovery PlanetGreen, a network dedicated to living a green lifestyle. It begins next year.

Much sooner, Sundance Channel is (in its own words) displaying its commitment to ecological issues and environmentally sustainable approaches to modern living. “The Green” is its umbrella title for a weekly programming block that aims to do Earth justice.

The Green starts at 9 p.m. Tuesday.

“Other than the original launch of the network [in 1996], this represents the largest investment we’ve ever made in an initiative,” says Sundance Channel Chief Executive Larry Aidem.

“It’s going to be a regular prime-time destination, every Tuesday night, indefinitely.”

The Green is the network’s latest venture beyond its independent-film roots.

“We’re not just for film fanatics anymore,” Aidem says, adding that the Green reflects the passion for environmental issues long exhibited by Sundance Channel founder Robert Redford (who is partnered in the network with NBC Universal and CBS).

The Green will address such topics as global warming, pollution and energy depletion.

But emerging solutions will be highlighted too.

“It won’t be all gloom and doom,” Aidem says.

In its first 13 weeks, the night will begin with “Big Ideas for a Small Planet,” which zeros in on green strategies for modern-day challenges.

Topics include “Build,” “Furnish,” “Work” and “Kids.” Then each “Big Ideas” edition is followed by a thematically complementary documentary at 9:30 p.m.

On Tuesday, “Big Ideas” begins with “Fuel,” which poses the question: Can we imagine a world without gasoline?