The Discovery Channel has decided not to air the Oscar nominated documentary Taxi to the Darkside. According to Variety, the pay cable channel HBO has stepped in and picked up the TV rights to the controversial film.

The project takes an investigative look at the murder of a taxi driver which occurred at the U.S.' Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. This case is used to further explore the American use of detention and condoning of torture in interrogations.

About the pick-up, HBO's Sheila Nevins stated, "We heard it was available, and now it's ours. We're happy to put it on, especially before the election. When we see something we want and it's available, we go after it. It's raw, it's truthful, it's sad, and it's important for people to see. It has all the things we like in documentaries."

After the film was dropped by the Discovery Channel, director Alex Gibney was worried that it wouldn't get aired on television, where most audiences watch these types of documentaries. He says, "I was upset. This is a big election year, and these issues are important right now."

The film will now air without any cuts, something that would have been impossible on The Discovery Channel. HBO plans to debut the film sometime in 2009.