Coming this fall, the National Geographic channel will present "Breakthrough," a new series produced by Imagine Entertainment and Asylum Entertainment.

Executive produced by Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Steve Michaels, Jonathan Koch and Mark Dowley, the series is an anthology about leading scientists and how their cutting-edge innovations and advancements will change our lives in the immediate future and beyond. The series intends to bring to life the stories, people and technology behind these breakthroughs, and show how they are changing our world.

Each hour-long episode will be directed by a Hollywood filmmaker, and Angela Bassett is one of them. She joins Peter Berg, Paul Giamatti, Akiva Goldsman, Ron Howard and Brett Ratner as the first six directors. Worth noting, she’s both the only black director of the six, as well as the only woman director.

The first episodes, now in production, explore remarkable breakthroughs in brain science, longevity, water, energy, pandemics and cyborg technology. Bassett will direct the episode that deals with water issues; Goldsman will direct the energy episode; Howard will direct the longevity episode; Giamatti will investigate the latest in technology; Ratner will explore the brain; and Berg will tackle pandemics.

Presented by National Geographic and GE, the series will air this fall on National Geographic Channels in 440 million homes in 171 countries and in 45 languages, as well as on the Spanish language network Nat Geo Mundo. 

Watch a first promo of "Breakthrough" below: