New nature docuseries The Americas explores the diversity of our supercontinent
NBC is horning in on what has traditionally been PBS’ turf with The Americas, a new documentary series that “showcases the wonders, secrets and fragilities of the world’s greatest supercontinent.”
For this ambitious project, filmmakers with the renowned BBC Studios Natural History Unit utilized cutting-edge technology to uncover never-before-seen animal behaviour to highlight the extraordinary, untold wildlife stories that will deeply connect with millions around the world. “Five years in the making and filmed over 180 expeditions, The Americas’ unprecedented scale and ambition delivers remarkable world firsts; new species, new intimate courtship, dramatic deep sea hunting and some of nature’s strangest stories — even a frog that seems to defy death every day,” declares the NBC press release.
The Americas will showcase the entirety of the supercontinent’s massive and diverse landscape, spanning 14,000 kilometres — the only landmass on the planet that stretches from the Arctic to the Antarctic.
When it came to finding a narrator, producers did not skimp, with Oscar winner Tom Hanks enlisted to lend his voice to all 10 episodes. In addition, composer Hans Zimmer (whose extensive roster of movies include The Dark Knight, Gladiator and The Lion King) was tapped to produce the score.
Each hour-long episode features a different iconic location across the Americas: “The Atlantic Coast,” “Mexico,” “The Wild West,” “The Amazon,” “The Frozen North,” “The Gulf Coast,” “The Andes,” “The Caribbean,” “The West Coast” and “Patagonia.”
“I had this idea for many years that there was one place on the planet that, for some reason, no one had ever really done a full job on, which is the whole of the Americas,” said executive producer Mike Gunton. “It’s the Americas. What’s so exciting is that nowhere has this range. You cannot imagine anything more diverse. As a wildlife filmmaker, you are looking for superlatives. It hasn’t got elephants but it’s got everything else. [We] are delivering things people have never seen before.”
As for landing Hanks as narrator, Toby Gorman, president of Universal Television Alternative Studio, insisted he was the first and only choice. “We asked ourselves, who is the American version of David Attenborough?” Gorman told The Hollywood Reporter. “We agreed internally there was a list of one: Tom Hanks. What we didn’t know was if he would agree to do it. [But] it resonated with him.”
In addition to the aforementioned 10 episodes, the series will conclude with an 11th, which will feature stunning behind-the-scenes footage of the extraordinary lengths to which filmmakers went to capture the shots they needed.
According to Gorman, the expansive nature of the series is reflected in its price tag. “It was expensive,” he admitted. “There were so many risks. It is the most expensive unscripted project in NBC’s history, as far as I know. But we are confident it’s been worth it.”
The Americas premieres Sunday, February 23, on City & NBC