WATERTOWN, NY (September 5, 2023) – At the front lines of climate change, animals have a surprising story to tell. On Wednesday evenings at 10:00 pm, beginning September 6th, WPBS-TV premieres EVOLUTION EARTH. Travel to the far corners of the world in this breathtaking five-part, natural history series, and discover the extraordinary ways animals are adapting to our rapidly changing planet and witness nature’s remarkable resilience as our perception of evolution and its potential is transformed.
EVOLUTION EARTH, produced by PASSION Planet and shot in extreme locations around the world, is a thoughtful examination of adaptation stories that illustrate the rapid pace of change happening across Earth, while providing a look at nature’s ability to thrive. The storytelling is carried by a contemporary, investigative podcast style of narration, which dives into the ingenuity of wild species to adapt to bigger storms, longer droughts and warming oceans, while pointing to how humans may also need to adapt to the global changes around us.
“As issues of conservation and climate change become increasingly important, PBS remains committed to providing best in class content that explores the changes in Earth’s ecosystems through innovative, timely and relevant storytelling,” said Bill Gardner, Vice President, Multiplatform Programming and Head of Development, PBS. “PBS is proud to co-produce this extraordinary series with PASSION Planet and our global partners Love Nature and ARTE; to amplify the story of nature as it unfolds, and to inspire people of all ages to discover and protect the natural world around them.”
EVOLUTION EARTH showcases the tenacity of formidable creatures in the wake of environmental changes that have left entire systems teetering on the edge of survival. The series includes five films, each showcasing a different extreme landscape and focusing on stories of hope, resilience and unexpected adaptation. The themes include:
Earth (Wednesday, September 6 at 10:00 pm)
Discover how animal behavior can gain new insights into the story of our changing planet.
Islands (Wednesday, September 13 at 10:00 pm)
An examination of adaptation stories that illustrate the rapid pace of change happening across Earth, while providing a look at nature’s ability to thrive.
Ice (Wednesday, September 20 at 10:00 pm)
Remarkable island wildlife reveals insights into our rapidly changing planet.
Heat (Wednesday, September 27 at 10:00 pm)
In the hottest places, species are going to extraordinary lengths to survive.
Grasslands (Wednesday, October 4 at 10:00 pm)
Forgotten and overlooked, grasslands could hold the key to our planet’s survival.
EVOLUTION EARTH is created and produced by multi award-winning PASSION Planet. The series is a co-production between Love Nature, PBS, and ARTE. David Allen is the director of PASSION Planet and series producer alongside Oliver Twinch. James Manfull executive produces the series on behalf of Love Nature. Executive in Charge for PBS is VP of Multiplatform Programming & Head of Development, Bill Gardner. Executive Producer for ARTE is Hélène Coldefy, Head of Factual. Blue Ant International oversees pre-sales and licensing outside of commissioning territories.
About Love Nature
Headquartered in Washington D.C. with offices in Los Angeles, London, Toronto and Singapore, is a wildlife and nature brand that brings audiences powerful stories about the natural world that foster a deeper understanding of and connection to the planet we call home. Our award winning library of 4K natural history series and documentaries are available on Love Nature’s branded linear and streaming platforms through partnerships with top-tier pay-TV platforms and streamers, reaching over 360 million households globally in 127 countries. Engage with us at lovenature.com / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube / Instagram
About PASSION
With three Oscars, three BAFTAs, and numerous Emmy awards, PASSION is a multi-faceted, full-service studio working across both live-action and animation in features, series, commercial and gaming. With a worldwide reputation for its feature documentaries and landmark television productions, David Allen masterminds the PASSION Planet department focusing on natural history, science and specialist factual output across both landmark television and theatrical release documentaries. With five Emmys and seven Wildscreen Pandas to his name, David is recognised as one of the leading independent producers/directors in the field. Notable titles include the Landmark series Earth: A New Wild for PBS & National Geographic and H20: The Molecule that Made Us, each winning consecutive years Wildscreen’s best series award. And the multi award-winning feature documentary The Serengeti Rules. Authored films include Emmy award-winning My Life as a Turkey, The Octopus in My House for BBC and My Garden of a Thousand Bees, chosen to open PBS’s 40th anniversary year of Nature.
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 120 million people through television and 26 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 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. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Communications on Twitter.
About ARTE
A French-German channel that showcases Europe’s rich cultural diversity. ARTE, the European culture channel which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, is deeply committed to issues that are important to European citizens: combating inequality, social, cultural, economic and environmental topics. As the basis of its editorial offer (on air, on its platform arte.tv and on its social channels), the documentary genre remains a priority for ARTE. With a rich European cultural offering as a reference, the channel is cultivating its singularity more than ever: taking on the views of authors, proposing new narrative forms adapted to all channels, and delivering great stories that contribute to public and European debate. ARTE is available in six languages, so 360 million Europeans can watch in their mother tongue. All the programs go out in French and German, and hundreds of hours of factual programming are subtitled in English, Spanish, Polish and Italian. More information on arte.tv
About Blue Ant International
Blue Ant International is a leading worldwide distributor of high-quality, creative content that engages audiences worldwide and across multiple platforms. The company offers a full-service approach to production partners with sales operations in the U.S., UK and Canada. Blue Ant International has a growing slate of over 4,000 hours of premium content, including distinctive series and formats in five key genres including factual entertainment, specialist factual, high-impact documentaries, kids and family, and scripted. Blue Ant International also has one of the world’s largest offerings of 4K natural history content. Blue Ant International is a division of Blue Ant Media.
About WPBS
WPBS is a PBS station serving approximately 650,000 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, inform, and engage its two-nation region with exceptional and trusted content across multiple platforms. Its vision is to be the premier provider of extraordinary public media that instills wonder and curiosity across generations and borders. More information about WPBS, including a full channel listing, is available at wpbstv.org, or by following WPBS on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
