PBS Announces WILD ALASKA LIVE, a PBS and BBC Co-Production, as Part of New Summer of Adventure – PBS Summer of Adventure Lineup Includes THE STORY OF CHINA, GREAT YELLOWSTONE THAW, BIG PACIFIC and More –
PBS announced that WILDALASKA LIVE, a three-night live natural history event featuring bears, wolves, moose, orcas, eagles and more, will be included in the upcoming PBS Summer of Adventure, a collection of eight new limited series that take viewers to some of the world’s most amazing places and cultures. This strong slate of history, science and natural history programming kicks off the summer schedule with THE STORY OF CHINA, an exploration of China’s 4,000-year history, featuring Michael Wood, and BIG PACIFIC, narrated by actor and producer Daniel Dae Kim (Hawaii Five-0, Lost), which reveals the array of rare and dazzling creatures found in and around the Pacific Ocean with footage from some of the best cinematographers from around the globe.
RARE − CREATURES OF THE PHOTO ARK follows National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore as he documents some of the most diverse and beautiful animal species at risk of extinction. WEEKEND IN HAVANA accompanies Geoffrey Baer on a walking tour through Cuba, meeting singers, dancers, chefs and more in Havana, with a focus on the people, architecture, culture and history of the country just re-opened to Americans. GREAT YELLOWSTONE THAW, a BBC co-production, follows Kirk Johnson to Yellowstone, where wolves, grizzlies, beavers and Great Gray owls survive one of the greatest seasonal changes on Earth, and NATURE'S GREAT RACE explores the world’s most astounding migrations. In WILD ALASKA LIVE, witness a must-see natural spectacle as thousands of the world’s wildest animals gather to take part in Alaska’s summer feast, an event never before captured live on television. Finally, journey along one of the most spectacular coastlines in the world in IRELAND’S WILD COAST.
“PBS takes your family on an around-the-world adventure this summer, letting them discover new topics in history, science and nature,” said Beth Hoppe, PBS Chief Programming Executive and General Manager, General Audience Programming. “We’re excited to continue bringing compelling wildlife stories to our viewers.”
Adding to the rich pipeline of programs, the award-winning PBS Digital Studios network on YouTube will continue to showcase the weird and wonderful world of science with series such as “It’s Okay to Be Smart,” “Gross Science,” “BrainCraft,” “Space Time,” “Physics Girl,” “Deep Look,” “Global Weirding” and “Crash Course Physics.”
PBS Education will keep the adventure going over the summer, presenting a webinar to teachers on May 18 that will explore exciting ways to keep students engaged over the summer months. A “Summer Learning & Adventure” collection will be available on PBS Learning Media as a companion to the featured programming, and throughout the summer, educators will share their own adventures through social media, whether they’re backyard adventures, reading adventures or travel adventures. In addition, PBS Education will share the WILD ALASKA LIVE experience with educators, children and parents across the nation on a variety of platforms, through the unique lens of teachers who live and work in Alaska.
Below is a look at PBS Summer of Adventure;
THE STORY OF CHINA
THE STORY OF CHINA is an unprecedented, six-part series exploring the 4,000-year history of China, home to more than a billion people and an emerging global superpower. Host and historian Michael Wood, who brings a contagious curiosity to the series that is matched only by the warmth and enthusiasm of the Chinese people, suggests that to understand China today, we must examine its past.
Tuesdays, June 20-27 and July 11, 8-10 pm ET
GREAT YELLOWSTONE THAW
Journey with National Museum of Natural History’s Sant Director Kirk Johnson to Yellowstone, where wolves, grizzlies, beavers and Great Gray owls survive one of the greatest seasonal changes on the planet. As the temperature swings 140 degrees, cameras capture how these animals cope.
Wednesdays, June 21-July 5, 9-10 pm ET
BIG PACIFIC
Plunge into the Pacific with researchers and cinematographers who display the ocean’s rare and dazzling creatures in a way never before seen on television. Filmed in cinematic 4K, the program breaks the boundaries between land and sea, examining an ocean that covers one-third of the Earth’s surface, holds half of the world’s water and hides the deepest place on the planet.
Wednesdays, June 21-July 19, 8-9 pm ET
NATURE’S GREAT RACE
Traverse the Arctic wilderness and African bush as scientific teams utilize new technology to track caribou, zebras and elephants as they overcome obstacles and face fearless predators on their epic journeys.
Wednesdays, July 12-26, 9-10 pm ET
WEEKEND IN HAVANA
Join Geoffrey Baer as he travels to Havana, where dancers, musicians, architects and writers invite him into their lives to experience the color, culture and history of a beautiful and seductive city only recently re-opened to Americans.
Tuesday, July 18, 8-9 pm ET
RARE - CREATURES OF THE PHOTO ARK
Renowned National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore, a natural-born storyteller, is on a quest to document Earth’s species at risk of extinction. His 11-year “Photo Ark” project is the focus of this three-part series, which follows Sartore into the field as he captures rare species on camera — at zoos, preserves and elsewhere. This captivating and visually stunning PBS special reveals why ensuring species’ future matters to us all.
Tuesdays, July 18-August 1, 9-10 pm ET
WILD ALASKA LIVE
Broadcasting live over three nights with hosts Chris Kratt and Martin Kratt, PBS, in partnership with the BBC, will turn the cameras on a must-see natural spectacle as thousands of the world’s wildest animals gather to take part in Alaska’s amazing summer feast.
Sundays, July 23-30 and Wednesday, July 26, 8-9 pm ET
IRELAND’S WILD COAST
Join Emmy-winning wildlife cameraman Colin Stafford-Johnson on an authored journey along Ireland’s rugged Atlantic coast, providing insights into the wild animals and wild places of the island he calls home.
Wednesday, August 2, 8-10 pm ET
NATURE’S GREAT RACE, GREAT YELLOWSTONE THAW and WILD ALASKA LIVE are presented as part of a multi-title co-production deal among PBS, BBC and BBC Worldwide North America. The partnership provides a pipeline of the high-quality, entertaining and factual programs that PBS and BBC audiences have come to expect.
THE STORY OF CHINA, BIG PACIFIC, RARE - CREATURES OF THE PHOTO ARK, WEEKEND IN HAVANA, IRELAND’S WILD COAST, NATURE’S GREAT RACE and GREAT YELLOWSTONE THAW will be available to stream the morning after broadcast on all station-branded PBS platforms, including www.pbs.org and PBS apps for iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Chromecast. All three episodes of WILD ALASKA LIVE will live-stream on PBS.org simultaneously with broadcast and on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter; viewers will get a behind-the-scenes look at the massive production each night, from its base in Juneau to the multiple locations out in the field.
About PBS
PBS, with nearly 350 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches nearly 100 million people through television and nearly 28 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. Decades of research confirms that PBS’ premier children’s media service, PBS KIDS, helps children build critical literacy, math and social-emotional skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality educational content on TV – including a new 24/7 channel, online at pbskids.org, via an array of mobile apps and in communities across America. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile and connected devices.
