Why NBC Decided to Bring Natural History to Broadcast TV With ‘The Americas’

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Reminiscing about the golden era of television, I was captivated by the natural history shows that graced our screens back then. Networks like NBC aired “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom” throughout the 1960s, while ABC introduced “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau” to American viewers around the same time. Over the years, these types of programs mostly found their home on PBS (“Nature”) and channels such as Discovery (“Planet Earth”). Now, in this digital age, even streamers like Netflix have joined the fray with productions like “Our Planet”.

Except for Fox’s “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey”, the major networks have generally avoided producing documentary-style nature events. As a result, NBC’s ongoing attempt, “The Americas”, stands out. According to Toby Gorman, president of Universal Television Alternative Studio, it’s an experiment, and they expect to learn from it. However, he emphasizes that for a show to be successful on broadcast, it needs to appeal to all demographics, or in other words, it must be “four-quadrant”. He explains that there isn’t anything that embodies the concept of “four-quadrant” better than a grand, high-quality natural history project.

Narrated by Tom Hanks and featuring music by Hans Zimmer, the 10-episode series titled “The Americas” premiered on Feb 23 and will continue airing weekly until April 13. Produced by BBC Studios Natural History Unit, known for producing epic events like “Planet Earth”, this series is divided into various regions of interest such as the Amazon, Mexico, Gulf Coast, Patagonia, and West Coast. This extensive project spanned over a five-year period and 180 expeditions. According to Gorman, it’s one of the most expensive unscripted productions in NBC history. To date, through its broadcasts on NBC and Peacock, the series has reached over 20 million viewers, making it the most-watched new alternative show of the season so far.

Mike Gunton, executive producer at BBC’s Natural History Unit, expressed that the project was a significant one for them. As creative director behind Apple TV+’s “Prehistoric Planet,” he saw it as an unprecedented chance to connect with a vast audience in a manner they hadn’t been able to before. Typically, factual channels like theirs cater to a specific group of viewers. However, this broadcast, encompassing multiple genres, would potentially reach a much broader demographic.

The concept for “The Americas” emerged when Gorman began working at NBCUniversal in 2019. Discussions were already underway regarding the creation of a major natural history event within the company, one that could eventually be hosted on a streaming platform (Peacock, which hadn’t been unveiled as such at that time). Interestingly, Gunton was initiating a proposal about the North and South American continents, from their northernmost to southernmost points.

Pondering for a worthy counterpart to ‘Planet Earth’, I found myself considering, and it struck me that the Americas hold such potential,” I mused aloud. “It’s brimming with records – the longest river, the oldest and largest trees, the biggest and fastest natural wonders.

According to Gorman, Gunton’s proposal sparked their ambition. As they considered NBCUniversal entering this field, it was evident from the start that if they were going to participate, they needed to surpass all previous efforts in both scale and quality. To put it simply, Mike himself would confirm that this project is his most significant endeavor yet, and he’s been involved in many significant projects. So, the plan was to go for broke, invest heavily, and aim not just to captivate America with stories about the Americas, but also to engage the global audience.

After making “The Americas,” NBC has additionally commissioned the eight-part series titled “Surviving Earth.” This show employs advanced digital technology to depict the ancient prehistoric period. Originally announced in 2022, it does not currently have an airdate set, but executives affirm that it remains scheduled for production. Gorman anticipates that “The Americas” could inspire additional projects like this one on NBC.

He mentions that they might not reach the same scale as before, given their desire to make a strong initial impact. A production period spanning five years is an incredibly long time for any project, yet discussions about possible follow-ups are beginning. They would welcome the chance to do more, but there’s much to consider due to the significant commitment involved.

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2025-03-21 22:49