You know you’re onto something special when you leave Tom Hanks speechless.
From BBC Studios Natural History Unit, the creators of the critically acclaimed and multi-Emmy Award-winning Planet Earth and Blue Planet present The Americas, a 10-part nature docuseries, narrated by none other than two-time Academy Award winner Tom Hanks.
“We were looking at some footage of army ants in South America, and Tom’s jaw was on the floor,” says Mike Gunton, executive producer of The Americas.
The Americas is an epic journey spanning more than 8,700 miles, from the top of the Arctic to the tip of Antarctica; across the supercontinent comprising North and South America; over the vast expanse of land between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans; touching nearly everything in-between. But Gunton, a legendary filmmaker whose work includes Life and Planet Earth II, hesitates to use the term “nature documentary.”
“It’s more of an experience, like taking the most extraordinary safari of your life,” he explains. “If we get it right, we’ll transport you and make you look at your relationship with nature, and your fellow creatures, in a different way.”
In just the first episode, viewers will witness a duel between wild stallions; a Bald Eagle barrel rolling in midair to protect its turf from aggressive Ospreys; and a mother bear teaching her cubs how to climb trees and find berries. The action only ramps up from there.
“Most other projects like this focus on a particular animal, or just one region,” Gunton notes. “We’re the first to take on this entire massive subcontinent and all the romantic places within, like the wild west, Patagonia, the Gulf coast, and the Amazon. One of the great joys of our work in this series is our ability to show Americans a world they think they know, and then surprise them.”
Through it all, the team behind The Americas gets unprecedented views of nature in its rawest form. Using the most cutting edge filming technology and the latest scientific research, The Americas turns its lens on never-before-seen moments, from a pod of Blue Whales diving into the ocean depths to a family of raccoons living among the hustle and bustle of New York City.
“We’re known for getting the camera close to these animals, which is not as simple as it looks,” Gunton says. “That’s what gives off that thrilling feeling of immersion — of finding yourself in the head of that animal.”
Flip the cards below to find out more about The Americas, premiering Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025 at 7 p.m. ET on NBC, streaming next day on Peacock. And don’t worry: there are still plenty of breathtaking surprises waiting for you to discover yourself.
This breathtaking nature docuseries is narrated by Tom Hanks — a North American treasure in his own right. The actor was wowed by the footage that Gunton and his team collected, and more than happy to lend his friendly, insightful voice to The Americas’ great adventure.
Five years in the making, across more than 180 expeditions, the innovative filmmakers behind The Americas used drones and other revolutionary techniques to immerse themselves in nature. Some of the technology — such as that used to simulate a “whale’s-eye view” — took multiple years to develop. North and South America are home to the largest variety of life on the planet, and these dedicated filmmakers sought to capture that diversity in all its glory.
An incredible docuseries deserves an incredible score, so it’s no wonder that the team behind The Americas recruited Grammy- and Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer for the job. Zimmer’s team’s original score embodies the sweeping and stirring atmosphere of the filmmakers’ awe-inspiring footage. It’s perfectly suited to capture the epic nature — no pun intended — of The Americas, and enhances the already-spectacular viewing experience.
With The Americas, executive producer Mike Gunton set out to fully capture a seemingly endless swath of natural beauty. Magnificent scenes include a mother bear descending a perilous mountain face (cubs in tow); burrowing owls in the suburbs; and a close-up look at one of nature’s greatest (former) mysteries: sperm whale diving. The magic of The Americas lies in its stunning exploration of every biome across North and South America.