The Series, From the Producer of the Emmy Award-winning Blue Planet II, Will Simulcast on BBC AMERICA and AMC Beginning Saturday, July 24 at 8PM ET/7C
All Six Episodes Plus a ‘Making Of’ Episode to Also Stream on AMC+
NEW YORK – June 10, 2021 – BBC AMERICA announced today that the BAFTA Award-winning actress Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown, The King’s Speech) is set to narrate the network’s new, original natural history series Eden: Untamed Planet, which will be simulcast weekly on BBC AMERICA and AMC starting Saturday, July 24 at 8pm ET/7c. In addition, episodes will be available on AMC+ the same day they air. Click HERE to view and download Helena Bonham Carter’s headshot and biography.
Eden: Untamed Planet invites viewers to travel to the far corners of the planet and discover the secrets of Earth’s few remaining untouched lands, all flourishing with rich biodiversity. Isolated from the rest of the world, life here exists as nature truly intended.
While the remoteness of these Eden’s has protected them from the most damaging effects of human interference, the series will also reflect on the survival of these rare, precious and unique environments amid the perils of the modern world.
Delicately balanced, species-rich, unique ecosystems – this series embarks on a breath-taking journey to Earth’s last Edens.
As a part of BBC AMERICA’s Wonderstruck programming slate, the six-part series, in addition to a ‘making of’ episode, is a BBC Studios Natural History Unit (NHU) production for BBC AMERICA. The BBC Studios NHU is responsible for producing award-winning and critically-acclaimed series, such as Planet Earth, Blue Planet, Frozen Planet, Life and Seven Words, One Planet. BBC Studios is distributing internationally.
Eden: Untamed Planet is executive produced by Mark Brownlow (Blue Planet II, Planet Earth), series produced by Steve Cole (Thailand: Earth’s Tropical Paradise), scored by Russell Emanuel and composed by Denise Santos and Austin Hammonds for Bleeding Fingers Music.
EPISODE DESCRIPTIONS
Episode One – “Borneo: Sacred Forest” – Premieres Saturday, July 24 at 8pm ET/9c on BBCA, AMC and AMC+
Borneo is the richest rainforest island of all; home to 60,000 species of plants and animals. 6,000 of them are unique – and more are discovered almost daily. But this ‘paradise’ is an illusion; the lush forest is effectively growing on a desert, the soil shallow and nutrient poor, leeched by eons of incessant rain. We’ll discover how the intense competition for nutrients here has led to it becoming one of the most biodiverse places on the planet.
This primeval rainforest is one of the oldest in the world, with the tallest tropical trees of all. Straddling the equator, its climate is wet and hot year-round, allowing a myriad of creatures to thrive. Beneath mist-shrouded mountains and dark jungle canopy, this mysterious world is bursting with life.
Produced and Directed by Ingrid Kvale.
Episode Two – “Namib: Skeleton Coast and Beyond” – Premieres Saturday, July 31 at 8pm ET/9c on BBCA, AMC and AMC+
The Namib Desert is one of the oldest of all, giving rise to more indigenous species than any other. With 50-degree Celsius temperatures and annual rainfall that is measured in millimeters, how is this possible? We’ll reveal its hidden water sources – such as the mysterious sea fog that sweeps across its Skeleton Coast.
Strange and marvelous desert specialists share this unexpected Eden with giants – lions, elephants and even giraffes. From its ‘Skeleton Coast’ through the ‘sea of sand’ to the haze of distant mountains, this ancient land flourishes with life where none seemed possible.
Produced and Directed by Hannah Hoare.
Episode Three – “Luangwa: The Emerald Valley” – Premieres Saturday, August 7 at 8pm ET/9c on BBCA, AMC and AMC+
At the very end of East Africa’s Great Rift Valley, there’s a ‘land that time forgot’ – the rolling grasslands of the Luangwa Valley. As we travel through the seasons, we find the secret to this Eden’s great riches – the annual flood of the mighty Luangwa River.
Here, the ‘real’ Africa lives on in abundance that is just a memory elsewhere. Luangwa River and its cycle of annual flooding offers up winners and losers, depending on the season. Everything has adapted to take advantage of this ebb and flow and the balance of power constantly changes. During the flood, herbivores range far and wide, making life tough for big cats that depend on prey density. In the dry season the imperative to drink forces herds to congregate near the river… and hungry carnivores cash in.
Produced and Directed by Valeria Fabbri Kennedy.
Episode Four – “Galapagos: Enchanted Isles” – Premieres Saturday, August 14 at 8pm ET/9c on BBCA, AMC and AMC+
In the far-flung tropical Pacific, around 1,000 km from anywhere, lie the Galapagos Islands. On a journey from the lava ramparts of its coast to its fiery heart, we’ll discover how this place became one of the most important areas of biodiversity in the world.
Only the hardiest pioneers could reach this otherworldly outpost – tossed here by storms and strong currents, but they found a virgin land of endless possibilities. With no competition, they could rule supreme – turning this seemingly inhospitable place into their very own Eden. Now, Galapagos is home to almost 2,000 species found nowhere else; 97% of its reptiles and mammals are unique.
Produced and Directed by Joanna Haley.
Episode Five – “Patagonia: The Ends of the Earth” – Premieres Saturday, August 21 at 8pm ET/9c on BBCA, AMC and AMC+
At the far tip of South America, lies a magical realm that seems frozen in time. Known as ‘the end of the world,’ this is Patagonia. Voyaging from high Andes to coastal fjords, we’ll learn that to survive here you have to be as extreme as the country itself – either specialize in one habitat or be tough enough to live in all.
Remote and still largely untouched by humans, Patagonia is a mercurial medley on a grand scale. Its unpredictable polar winds, poisonous lagoons, driest of dry deserts and vast, groaning ice fields make this a hostile place to call home… and yet its inhabitants thrive.
Produced and Directed by Justine Allan.
Episode Six – “Alaska: Last American Frontier” – Premieres Saturday, August 28 at 8pm ET/9c on BBCA, AMC and AMC+
In Southeast Alaska, there’s an ice-bound Eden. Home to possibly the richest temperate rainforest of all, it has the densest concentration of grizzly bears in the world. In a story that follows the seasons, we’ll see that the secret to its great abundance is nature’s greatest migration – the salmon run.
Untamed and inaccessible, this region remains a stronghold for some of North America’s most secretive and charismatic animals. Harsh winters and brief summers can make survival here a toss of the dice, but, one way or another, every animal and plant found here relies on the injection of vital nutrients into the landscape provided by the salmon run. Unbelievably, the arrival of this annual spectacle even allows giant trees to prosper.
Produced and Directed by Emma Fraser.
NOTE TO EDITORS
Eden: Untamed Planet is a six-part series plus a seventh ‘making of’ episode, premiering on Saturday, September 4 at 8pm ET/9c on BBC AMERICA. The episode will also be available on AMC+ on the same day.
If you have any questions or would like to arrange producer/director interviews, please contact those listed below. We appreciate your support and coverage of Eden: Untamed Planet.
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About BBC AMERICA:
BBC AMERICA is a hub of innovative, culturally contagious programming including the Peabody Award-winning series Killing Eve starring Golden Globe® and SAG® Award-winner Sandra Oh and Emmy® Award-winner Jodie Comer. The network is the definitive television home and co-producer of the most iconic natural history series including Planet Earth II, Blue Planet II, Dynasties, Seven Worlds, One Planet and upcoming Meerkat Manor, Eden (w/t), Frozen Planet II and Planet Earth III. BBCA transforms every Saturday into Wonderstruck, a weekly 24-hour destination for wildlife and wonder. A joint venture between AMC Networks and BBC Studios (the commercial arm of the BBC), BBCA’s influential shows such as Doctor Who, Orphan Black, and Luther, have attracted critical acclaim and earned Emmy® Awards, Golden Globes®, Peabody Awards, Critics’ Choice Awards, NAACP Image Awards, TCA Awards and more. New programming coming this fall and winter includes Top Gear, Animal Babies, The Graham Norton Show, CripTales, Doctor Who: The Faceless Ones animated special, Baby Chimps Rescue, Doctor Who: Revolution of the Daleks, The Watch and more. BBCA is available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand and mobile. Find out more by visiting press.amcnetworks.com. BBCA on social: YouTube – Twitter – Instagram – Facebook – Tumblr
About AMC
AMC is home to some of the most popular and acclaimed programs on television. AMC was the first basic cable network to ever win the Emmy® Award for Outstanding Drama Series with Mad Men in 2008, which then went on to win the coveted award four years in a row, before Breaking Bad won it in 2013 and 2014. The network’s series The Walking Dead is the highest-rated series in cable history. AMC’s current original drama series are Better Call Saul, Fear the Walking Dead, Soulmates, The Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: World Beyond and the forthcoming series 61st Street, Kevin Can F*** Himself and Pantheon. AMC also explores authentic worlds and discussion with original shows like Talking Dead, AMC Visionaries and Ride with Norman Reedus. AMC is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc. and its sister networks include IFC, SundanceTV, BBC America and WE tv. AMC is available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand and mobile.
About AMC+:
AMC+ is the company’s new premium streaming bundle featuring an extensive lineup of popular and critically acclaimed original programming from AMC, BBC America, IFC, and SundanceTV and full access to targeted streaming services Shudder, Sundance Now and IFC Films Unlimited, which feature content such as A Discovery of Witches, Creepshow, Riviera and Boyhood. Currently available to Amazon Prime Video Channels, Apple TV channels, Roku Channels, Comcast Xfinity, DirecTV, DISH, Sling TV and YouTube TV customers, AMC+ features a continually refreshed library of commercial-free content, including fan favorites Mad Men, Rectify, Orphan Black, Hell on Wheels, NOS4A2 and series from The Walking Dead Universe, among many others. The service also offers a growing slate of original and exclusive series including Gangs of London, The Salisbury Poisonings, Cold Courage, Spy City and forthcoming dramas Too Close and Kin.
About Wonderstruck:
Wonderstruck is BBC AMERICA’S weekly 24-hour Saturday destination for wildlife and wonder, showcasing BBCA’s most iconic landmark natural history programming including Planet Earth II, Blue Planet II, Dynasties, Seven Worlds, One Planet and the return of the Emmy®-winning series Frozen Planet II and Planet Earth III.
To experience Wonderstruck at any time or day of the week, please visit WonderstruckTV.com, a free digital companion site featuring a robust library of short-form nature content, optimized for mobile or desktop. You can search by mood, animal or geographic location to access an immediate burst of wonder.
About BBC Studios Natural History Unit:
BBC Studios Natural History Unit produces the world’s most iconic natural history programmes, such as Blue Planet II and Planet Earth II, which have been watched by more than a billion people globally. Ranging from technically challenging live shows and super-landmarks to long-running series and children’s content, The Natural History Unit programmes include Seven Worlds, One Planet presented by Sir David Attenborough, Primates, Earth’s Tropical Islands, Dynasties, Blue Planet Live, Springwatch, Bears About the House, Andy’s Aquatic Adventures and third-party commissions for Discovery, Apple, NBC, Quibi, National Geographic and BBC America. The Natural History Unit is part of BBC Studios, a subsidiary of the BBC, which develops, produces and distributes bold, British content, making over 2500 hours of content each year, operating in 22 markets globally and generating revenue of around £1.4bn. In the year to March 2019, it returned £243m to the BBC Group, complementing the BBC’s licence fee and enhancing programmes for UK audiences.