Not satisfied with bringing us constant updates from the town of Emmerdale, ITV has announced a new partnership that will bring us live footage of Earth from the International Space Station.
In partnership with the private "space media company" Sen, ITVX will broadcast 4k Ultra HD imagery direct and continuous from the ISS as of 15 October, via a camera mounted on the European Space Agency's Columbus module.
While we probably can't expect engaging plots of thrilling drama, we can expect fabulous views and a cosmic sense of chilled-out oneness with the rest of the planet. (Or we can hope so anyway.)
“Sen was founded to democratise space through video," said its founder Charles Black, who credits his experience of Asperger's Syndrome with giving him the focus and determination to achieve his goal.
"Partnering with ITV Studios brings our vision to life," he said, "giving millions of people the chance to see Earth exactly as astronauts see it.”
These are some of the most spectacular views to look out for as the station gently wafts overhead (at 7.66 km per second):
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The Nazca lines in Peru
In the '60s some were claiming these ancient geoglyphs were alien landing sites, but cooler heads have reasoned that the gigantic markings, dug into the Peruvian desert soil between 500BC and 500CE, are probably the consequence of astrological beliefs about the gods.
There are hundreds in total, mostly geometric shapes but also depictions of mammals, insects, birds and fish.
The Great Barrier Reef
OMG the BLUENESS. We have billions upon billions of tiny coral polyps to thank for their tireless work consuming minerals from seawater and secreting them as calcium carbonate exoskeletons.
The result is the multicoloured playgrounds for fish and anemones that we all know and love from Finding Nemo. Fun fact: the Great Barrier Reef is actually 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands all hanging out in the same stretch of water off the coast of Queensland, Australia.
The Pyramids at Giza
Despite the old saw about the Great Wall of China being visible from space, you can't actually detect it, it's too narrow. But you can see the Pyramids under certain circumstances.
Satellites mostly orbit higher than the ISS, and they've managed to pick up the majesty of the Great Pyramid of Khufu (or Cheops), which has a square base of 230m by 230m. So there's still hope for you picking up your house on ITVX's broadcast, as long as you live in an oligarch's megamansion.
The Grand Canyon
Probably the USA's No.1 biggest natural attraction – sorry Niagara, but they share you with Canada – the grand Canyon is a mile-deep gorge cut into the Arizona landscape over millions of years by the Colorado river.
The Grand Canyon National Park contains not only the gorge itself but also the Kaibab National Forest, the Grand Canyon–Parashant National Monument, the Hualapai Indian Reservation, the Havasupai Indian Reservation and the Navajo Nation.
What it doesn't contain is any part of Thelma and Louise's final scene, which may have been set there but was actually filmed at Utah's poetically named Dead Horse Point State Park.
Dubai's palm islands
Perhaps the most visually striking example of reclaimed land in the world, the man-made islands of Dubai were built in 2001 by transporting 110m cubic metres of sand and rocks into the Arabian Gulf.
There is no underlying metal or concrete structure, just miles more beaches and symmetrical geography than the city-state had before.
You can see Space Live on ITVX from 15 October.
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Editor, Digital Spy Chris has over 25 years' experience as a writer and editor, having worked as a journalist covering TV and movies since the '90s. Starting out as a TV listings editor at the Press Association, he was quickly hired by the nascent Heat magazine, where he rose to become Senior Editor, interviewing the likes of Simon Cowell, Boris Johnson and Paris Hilton. Over the years he has written about entertainment with clarity and wit for Heat, Elle, Q, The Telegraph and of course Digital Spy, and has served many times as a judge in the Royal Television Society awards. He has written and recorded a novelty single with Lord Lloyd-Webber, written scripts for the National TV Awards, made Noel Edmonds cry, accidentally punched an Inbetweener and stolen a small piece of rubble from the Battle of Hogwarts movie set. (They can't have it back.) LinkedIn
