National Geographic is doubling down on documentaries. The network’s latest docuseries, “Africa Earth’s Wild Home,” is a seven-part series that took four years to make and employed over 50 people. It’s the first installment in a multi-year franchise that will document the planet, one continent at a time.
National Geographic aired the first episode Oct. 2, with subsequent installments streaming on Disney+ and Hulu beginning Oct. 3. The production comes from BBC Studios Natural History Unit.
The Partnership Behind the Project
Nat Geo partnered with National Geographic Society’s global community of Explorers and scientists and Rolex’s Perpetual Planet Initiative to create the franchise. Nat Geo president Courteney Monroe framed the collaboration as a statement of purpose.
“It’s proof of what’s possible when storytelling, science and a shared sense of purpose come together,” says Monroe. “Through this collaboration, we are expanding what natural history storytelling can reveal, whose voices it can elevate and how deeply it can connect audiences to the wonders of our planet.”
She added a demonstration of the partnership’s working relationship, which is shown through “shared commitment to protecting our natural world,”.
Why Africa Got First Crack
“Africa got the best wildlife,” says Gavin Boyland, the showrunner and series editor. “It’s got the most spectacle. It’s got the charismatic animals. So, what we wanted to do from the outset is show people a different side of Africa. So, while we absolutely filmed lions and elephants and all the kind of familiar wildlife, but we also wanted to show different environments, different landscapes and different species that live in those landscapes as well.”
African nations served as the filming locations for the series, with nearly 30 participating. The production relied on fresh technology and advanced computer-generated imagery to uncover the continent’s past and the forces that formed its natural settings. Deserts, forests, jungles, mountains and islands were all documented by the film crews.
Going Local Instead of Western
The group led by Boyland chose to step outside the usual circle of Western researchers and scientists. Instead, they traveled to Africa and turned to wildlife guides, drivers, photographers and local people who encounter wild animals on a daily basis.
The name given to the place is Boyland, according to “Those people were able to point us towards new behaviors,”.
The strategy clearly worked in the finished material. The show includes shots that no camera had captured before, among them:
- The smallest crocodile hunting bats in pitch-black caves
- A grumpy black rain frog
- A flying saucer beetle that digs trenches to harvest water from coastal fog
- Giant “vegetarian” land tortoises hunting birds
- Golden wolves hunting pelicans three times their size
- A male fossa fighting to gain access to a female’s mating tree
The Conservation Episode
The concluding installment centers on the individuals whose efforts protect the continent: conservationists, photographers and scientists. Together with the entire series, it rests upon a collaboration between National Geographic and Rolex that spans 70 years.
“Across seven episodes, the extraordinary filmmaking reveals that protecting Africa’s wild heart starts with understanding its fragile ecosystems,” says Rolex exec Arnaud Boetsch. “By shining a spotlight on the Explorers and scientists working on the frontlines of conservation, the series promises to spark not just wonder but hope for the future.”
Jill Tiefenthaler on the Passion
The CEO of the National Geographic Society, Jill Tiefenthaler, linked the series to the organization’s wider purpose.
“The series inspires us to look closer, learn more and care more deeply,” says Tiefenthaler. “That’s the same passion that drives our National Geographic Explorers, who are working every day to understand and protect the natural world. With partners like Rolex and Disney, we magnify the impact of their work, inspiring millions to care about our planet and its future.”
What the Series Offers Viewers
Over the course of seven episodes, the series covers many different settings and kinds of wildlife. Computer-generated imagery and fresh methods give audiences a look at how the continent took shape and the natural forces that created its landscapes. Local experts helped make possible observations of animal conduct that Western scientists could easily overlook.
Academy Award nominee Wunmi Mosaku serves both as narrator and executive producer for the series.
Comparing the Partners
| Partner | Role |
|---|---|
| National Geographic Society | Global community of Explorers and scientists |
| Rolex | Perpetual Planet Initiative |
A Deliberate First Step
The choice to open with Africa rests on spectacle and charisma. That continent is where most people link wildlife to the most spectacular displays and the most magnetic creatures, with familiar names like lions and elephants. Through varied environments, landscapes and species, the series delivers a fresh take on a setting that audiences already know well.
Hiring a local guide turns out to be another clever decision. Researchers from Western countries often overlook things that locals notice every day. The guides directed the team toward new behaviors, which resulted in sequences that had never been captured on film before.
The goal of the project is obvious: document the whole planet, continent by continent. Starting with Africa made perfect sense.
“Africa Earth’s Wild Home” premieres Oct. 2 on National Geographic and streams on Disney+ and Hulu starting Oct. 3.
Source material: “Nat Geo Kicks Off New Multi-Year Doc Franchise With ‘Africa Earth’s Wild Home’,” Variety.
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