WATERTOWN, NY (September 16, 2024) – BIG CATS 24/7, a new-six part series, will premiere Wednesdays, September 18 – October 16, 2024 at 8:00 pm on WPBS-TV, PBS, wpbstv.org/org, PBS.org and the WPBS and PBS apps. In this thrilling new nonfiction series, produced in partnership with BBC & BBC Studios Natural History Unit, viewers will be transported to Botswana’s wild Okavango Delta where a team of local and international filmmakers use the latest filming technology to follow lions, leopards and cheetahs day and night, revealing the lives of big cats like never before.
Filmed in one of the most dynamic locations on the African continent, BIG CATS 24/7 captures the big cats’ battle to survive through dramatic changes within their families and their home. An elite camera team including wildlife cinematographers Gordon Buchanan, Vianet Djenguet and Anna Dimitriadis, led by Brad Bestelink and his local camera team, documents the dramatic lives of individual lions, cheetahs and leopards for six months, over two extreme seasons. This raw and unfiltered observational wildlife series shows their fight to survive in an increasingly challenging world. From unprecedented wildfire to floods and extreme drought, the African cats and the BIG CATS 24/7 camera crew are tested to their limits.
With extraordinary, unparalleled access, filming from the ground, the air and through the night in an area unvisited by tourists, the BIG CATS 24/7 team works together to follow the cats’ lives around the clock while forming unique bonds along the way. A revolution in low light camera technology enables the filmmaking team to capture previously unseen behavior at night, while cutting-edge drones are able to track the big cats’ movements like never before, as they battle for supremacy in a brutal and unforgiving environment.
“We strive to bring unique and never-before-seen perspectives to our PBS audience, so we are thrilled to collaborate with BBC and BBC Studios to bring this front-seat view of the dramatic lives of individual African big cats straight to homes across America,” said Sylvia Bugg, PBS Chief Programming Executive and General Manager, General Audience Programming. “Not only is BIG CATS 24/7 educational but it is visually and emotionally captivating.”
Roger Webb, Executive Producer BBC Studios Natural History Unit said: “Being able to go deeper into the lives of Africa’s big cats than ever before is a mouth-watering prospect. Expect the unexpected and to witness things you’ve never seen before in an African wilderness that’s almost as dynamic as the cats. It’s sure to be a rollercoaster of drama and emotion and it’s why we’re so excited to be making Big Cats 24/7.”
Descriptions and premiere dates for each of the six episodes are provided below:
Episode One (Premieres Wednesday, September 18 at 8:00 pm)
The Big Cats 24/7 team begins a six-month expedition following lions, leopards and cheetahs in the Okavango Delta, but a huge wildfire threatens the resident big cats and the team.
Episode Two (Premieres Wednesday, September 18 at 9:00 pm)
The team continues following the Okavango Delta’s big cats after a huge wildfire. The dominant male lions fight intruders, while leopard and cheetah struggle to get a meal.
Episode Three (Premieres Wednesday, September 25 at 8:00 pm)
A fight with intruders leaves the lion pride males injured and the mothers with cubs vulnerable to attack. Xudum the female leopard takes risks to find a mate.
Episode Four (Premieres Wednesday, October 2 at 8:00 pm)
The Okavango Delta is transformed by the arrival of the flood, bringing new challenges for the big cats. The lion cubs experience water and the danger it brings for the first time.
Episode Five (Premieres Wednesday, October 9 at 8:00 pm)
The Big Cats 24/7 team witnesses a baby boom in the Delta. Lioness Matho must protect her cubs along while the leopard Xudum reveals her newborns with danger looming nearby.
Episode Six (Premieres Wednesday, October 16 at 8:00 pm)
Lion numbers continue to grow, but there’s not enough food to go around. A lioness risks her life to feed her five cubs and Xudum’s newborn leopard cubs face a deadly threat.
BIG CATS 24/7 is a BBC Studios Natural History Unit production for PBS and BBC, with BBC Studios handling global Distribution. The Executive Producers are Roger Webb and Tom Jarvis, the Series Producer is Rowan Crawford and the Production Manager is Gillian Goodlet. Narrated by Adetomiwa Edun. Bill Gardner is Editorial Consultant for PBS. Diana El-Osta is the Executive in Charge for PBS. It was commissioned for the BBC by Jack Bootle, BBC Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual. The Commissioning Editor for the BBC is Sreya Biswas, Head of Commissioning, Natural History.
BIG CATS 24/7 will be available to stream on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS app, available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO.
About PBS
PBS, with more than 330 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches over 36 million adults on linear primetime television, more than 16 million users on PBS-owned streaming platforms, 53 million viewers on YouTube, and 60 million people view PBS content on social media, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature, and public affairs and to take front-row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’s 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 LearningMedia for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. As the number one educational media brand, PBS KIDS helps children 2-8 build critical skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality content on TV — including a PBS KIDS channel — and streaming free on pbskids.org and the PBS KIDS Video app, games on the PBS KIDS Games app, and in communities across America. More information about PBS is available at PBS.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, Facebook, Instagram, or through our apps for mobile and connected devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Communications on X.
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BBC Studios is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC Group with sales of £2.1 billion (2021/22: £1,630 million). Able to take an idea seamlessly from thought to screen and beyond, the business is built on two operating areas: the global Content Studio, which produces, invests and distributes content globally and Channels & Streaming, with BBC branded channels, services and joint ventures in the UK and internationally. Around 2,500 hours of award-winning British programmes are made by the business every year, with over 80% of total BBC Studios revenues coming from non-BBC customers including Discovery, Apple and Netflix. Its content is internationally recognised across a broad range of genres and specialisms, with brands like Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing with the Stars, Top Gear, the Planet series, Bluey and Doctor Who. BBC.com is BBC Studios’ global digital news platform, offering up-to-the-minute international news, in-depth analysis and features. BBC Studios | Website | Press Office | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram |
About WPBS
WPBS is a PBS station serving approximately 600,000 households throughout Northern New York and Eastern Ontario via cable, satellite, Internet and over-the-air distribution. WPBS is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and inspire diverse communities with exceptional and trusted content across multiple platforms. Its vision is to be the premier provider of relevant public service media that instills wonder and curiosity across generations and cultures. More information about WPBS, including a full channel listing, is available at wpbstv.org, or by following WPBS on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. Download the free WPBS Mobile App to follow WPBS on the go.
