Canon U.S.A. has provided corporate underwriting for NATURE since 1990. Produced for PBS by Thirteen/WNET New York, NATURE has won more than 400 awards for its programs about wildlife and natural history. In 2007, NATURE won Emmy Awards for Chimpanzees: An Unnatural History and Christmas in Yellowstone. NATURE can be seen on PBS Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET (check local listings).
NATURE is public television's leading showcase for natural history and wildlife films. Now in its 26th season, this Peabody and Emmy Award-winning PBS series has raised the environmental consciousness of millions of Americans by celebrating the beauty, diversity and value of the Earth's species and habitats.
Check out the upcoming winter/spring NATURE schedule for November 2008–May 2009:
Nov 2 – The Cheetah Orphans (R) Veteran filmmaker Simon King takes on the role of mother to two cheetah cubs, Toki and Sambu, orphaned when their mother was killed by a lion. It's a four-year emotional rollercoaster, from terrifying stand-offs with rhinos and leopards to some of the most intimate moments of cheetah life ever captured on film. The cubs transform into sleek hunters, spending more and more time on their own. But for Simon, it's a nervous time. Can they survive the dangers of the bush? (widescreen and letterbox)
Nov 9 – CLEVER MONKEYS(working title) Love, language, guilt, envy, generosity, secrets, lies, and sophisticated society are not unique to humans. We share all those complex concepts with our relatives - the monkeys! Following along as the babies of two different species are brought up, we learn how and what monkeys teach their young. Monkeys around the world rely on that knowledge to adapt to the remarkable variety of environments they now call home. Who are the cleverest monkeys? And how much of our human experience do they really share? (widescreen and letterbox)
Nov 16 – AMERICAN EAGLE(working title) Unique to North America, the bald eagle is the continent's most recognizable aerial predator, with a shocking white head, electric yellow beak, and penetrating eyes. In the 1960s, this symbol of the United States became an emblem of environmental degradation as the pesticide DDT and other human pressures brought it to the brink of extinction. Following their protection as an endangered species, bald eagles have come roaring back. Photographed by three-time Emmy-winning cinematographer Neil Rettig, this first-ever HD hour on bald eagles focuses on the drama of the nest. Even in the best of times, it's a surprisingly tough struggle to maintain a one-ton home and raise chicks until they can hunt on their own. American Eagle (wt) is an intimate portrait of these majestic raptors' lives in the wild. (high definition and letterbox)
Nov 23 – THE WOLF THAT CHANGED AMERICA(working title) In the fall of 1893, an adventurous young man rode out from the salons of New York to the wilds of New Mexico. He came to kill a wolf. Not just any wolf, but an outlaw, the leader of a marauding, cattle killing pack. But by the time Ernest Thompson Seton finally met the renegade Lobo, the wolf had become a hero in his eyes. He would write a tale of that encounter that captured the essence of the vanishing wilderness, and led to both the establishment of the National Park system and the Boy Scout movement in America. In this vivid retelling of the story, the confrontation between Seton and Lobo comes alive, and we discover how, together, one man and one wolf set in motion a change in American hearts and minds that is still unfolding today. (high definition and letterbox)
Nov 30 – The Venom Cure (R) Poisons, toxins and venoms are the defense and attack mechanisms of the natural world. Gila monsters are armed with toxic saliva, cone shells use poison harpoons, scorpions sting, snakes and spiders inject their victims with venom, blue-ringed octopuses and poison dart frogs kill anything that touches their skin. Almost any of these deadly weapons could kill a human in moments. Yet scientists are finding impressive new possibilities for them - new drugs, new cures, new ways to save lives. (widescreen and letterbox)
Dec 7 – Murder in the Troop (R) In a wildlife story with Shakespearean overtones, life becomes very dangerous for twin baboons in Zimbabwe when their father is defeated as alpha male of the troop by the dominant ruler of a neighboring troop, throwing the social order into turmoil and unleashing potentially deadly intrigue. Filmed along the banks of the Zambezi, one of Africa's largest rivers. (widescreen and letterbox)
Dec 14 – Chimpanzees: An Unnatural History (R) Thousands of our closest living relatives have lived among us for well over a century, mostly in solitary confinement. We dressed and trained them to be like humans, sent them into space and infected them with diseases. And then, an entire population of these captive chimpanzees was left behind by science, their care neglected, their stories forgotten, their records lost. But today, a few dedicated individuals are working hard to give these long-suffering creatures the freedom and sanctuary they so richly deserve. (widescreen and letterbox)
Dec 21 – Christmas in Yellowstone (R) As snow falls and Christmas lights glow in Jackson Hole, a holiday season of a different sort settles in just beyond the town, in the great winter world of Yellowstone. Breathtaking landscapes frame intimate scenes of wolves and coyotes, elk and bison, bears and otters, as they make their way through their most challenging season of the year. We journey in the footsteps of the man who first explored the park, and travel with his modern-day counterpart, on his own journey of discovery. From the unique crystals of individual snowflakes to the grand sweep of Yellowstone's Hayden Valley, this is a Christmas like no other. (high definition and letterbox)
Dec 28 – Unforgettable Elephants (R) Wildlife cameraman Martyn Colbeck has filmed African elephants for 15 years, learning to anticipate their every move as he follows them across plains and deserts and into jungles. He shares his spectacular footage and unique insights about these unforgettable elephants, including his conviction that they are just as intelligent as the higher primates. (widescreen and letterbox)
Jan 4 – The Gorilla King (R) Among the mountain gorillas of Rwanda, Titus reigns as king, a position he gained with extraordinary courage, strategy and determination. The record of his life began when Dian Fossey, the famed primatologist, introduced a young researcher named Kelly Stewart to the gorillas. Stewart, daughter of film star James Stewart, was there to make the very first journal entry about young Titus, meeting and naming him in August of 1974, when he was just a tiny baby. In the decades that followed, he was orphaned and abandoned, survived murderous poachers, and overcame the deadly challenges of his rivals. His triumphant story is recounted by researchers and conservationists as they share their memories and archival footage of Titus, from his days as a newborn to his rise to power as a silverback. (high definition and letterbox)
Jan 11 – The Dragon Chronicles Ancient maps, legends, and fairy tales all tell of dragons in our world. In nearly every culture, we are taught as children that dragons are big and fearsome, that they fly, breathe fire, are found in caves and live nearly forever. Where did these stories come from? Are they based on real animals? And are there any dragons still to be found today? Romulus Whitaker, renowned reptile expert and conservationist, puts a bit of history together with documented science and some compelling contemporary reports, and sets off to find out. He encounters lizards large and small that can breathe life into medieval legends even today. (high definition and letterbox)
Jan 18 – Arctic Bears (R) Polar bears are living on borrowed time. They are the descendents of grizzlies, long ago evolved to live and hunt on the frozen ice of the Arctic, eating a specialized diet of seal meat. But the winters have become increasingly warmer, the ice is disappearing, and raising a family becomes a much more difficult proposition when hunting time is short and food is scarce. Grizzlies, on the other hand, are masters at living off the land, making a meal from a wide variety of foods – meats, seeds, berries, insects, fruit and honey. Their world is bountiful and expanding northward, converging with what was once the icy domain of the polar bear. As the two worlds meet, are the polar bears fated to become grizzlies once again? (widescreen and letterbox)
Jan 25 – Is that Skunk?(working title) It's a familiar but mysterious creature in woods and neighborhoods all across America. Its infamous weapon is one of the most awful scents in all of nature. Now, intrepid researchers and cameramen track skunks day and night across California, New Mexico, Ohio, even Martha's Vineyard, uncovering how they hunt, forage, mate, and raise amazingly cute baby skunks – all the things they're up to when they're not spraying the local dog. And yes, the remarkable secrets of that stink will be revealed! (high definition and letterbox)
Feb 1 – Prince of the Alps (R) High in the Austrian Alps, a female red deer, a leader in her herd, gives birth to a calf. Her status makes him a prince among the other calves. The two are at the center of a wilderness story that features not only the wild alpine herds of majestic red deer, but also a variety of other wildlife that lives in the mountains, including roe deer, ibex, fox, chamois, and marmots. From the surrounding towns and villages come cars, hunters, skiers, hikers and pet dogs, all of which threaten the survival of the red deer herds. A harsh and icy winter also takes its toll. Will the prince and his mother endure through it all? (high definition and letterbox)
Feb 8 – Drakensberg: Barrier of Spears(working title) The Drakensberg Mountains are Southern Africa's Alps, rising more than 11,000 feet into the sky. But beneath their shimmering beauty lies an incredibly hostile environment for the surprising number of creatures that manage to live there. Each Spring, drenching rains destroy the grasslands at the base of the mountains, and those who would survive must climb straight up sheer cliffs of volcanic rock, through gauntlets of storms and snow, to reach the carpets of grass on the plateau. The baboons that make this astonishing annual journey may have the advantage of agility, but eland, the world's largest antelope, have long, spindly legs and heavy bodies, which make the climb all but unbelievable. All have babies at their sides. And the vultures circle overhead. (high definition and letterbox)
Feb 15 – Dogs vs. Cats(working title) Ask anyone and they immediately know – they're either a dog person or a cat person. What is this all about? Our film launches an in-depth investigation into the great divide between dogs and cats and just what draws us to these two polarizing pets. Animal behaviorists, psychologists, trainers, and devoted owners all weigh in. Dogs, we discover, are geniuses at reading what we want. And the complex cat-human bond can be as fickle or as deep as a marriage. Funny, touching, and provocative, we ask how well we really know our best friends and why we love them so much. (high definition and letterbox)
Feb 22 – In the Valley of the Wolves (R) As the first wolves reintroduced into Yellowstone, the Druids are the most celebrated wolf pack in North America. New pioneers in the wilderness, they were at the heart of a massive scientific experiment to restore an entire ecosystem which began to break down without its wolves. Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Bob Landis spent over three years with these remarkable wolves, creating a spectacularly dramatic and intimate record of their lives, their great battles with rival wolf packs, and the changing fortunes of the coyotes and foxes who share their home range in Yellowstone's beautiful Lamar Valley. Filmed and presented in high definition. (high definition and letterbox)
Mar 1 – True Adventures of the Ultimate Spider-Hunter (R) Mild-mannered water treatment engineer by day, tarantula obsessive and arachnid guru by night, Martin Nicholas is the real Spiderman. And he is out to find the most amazing spiders in the world. Featured in Nature's "Deep Jungle," Martin travels the world in pursuit of exotic spiders, including the Goliath Bird-Eater of Venezuela and a small South American spider that creates the biggest web in the would – up to 30 feet long. (widescreen and letterbox)
Mar 8 – Kalahari – The Great Thirstland (R) For years, the Kalahari Desert can appear to be one of the most barren wastelands on earth. But a brief season of violent, unpredictable storms brings forth unseen treasure – a swarming superabundance of life. Staggering numbers of insects and birds fill the skies. Giant bullfrogs, the size of dinner plates, arise from self-made tombs deep in the ground. Tens of thousands of flamingos journey to ephemeral lakes to breed and raise their chicks. It is a race against time. When the water is gone, chicks too young to fly must walk 100 miles out of the desert to survive. Filmed in High Definition and 35mm. (high definition and letterbox)
Mar 15 – Kalahari – The Flooded Desert (R) The Okavango River flows out of the highlands of Angola, southward through Namibia and into the northern reaches of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, where most of its waters simply evaporate in the wetlands of the Okavango Delta. Yet the river, the delta and its floodplains support one of the most unusual ecosystems in the world, transforming a hostile environment into a Garden of Eden. Still, above and below the surface of the water, predator and prey engage in a struggle for survival. Fish eagles, Nile crocodiles, elephants and lions must find their way between the fire and the flood. Filmed in High Definition and 35mm. (high definition and letterbox)
Mar 22 – Penguins of the Antarctic (R) Emperors and kings, chinstraps and Adélies – the penguins of Antarctica all make their home in one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth. Their life has always been a constant struggle to survive. But their biggest challenge is yet to come. As the climate changes, long-established territories are being invaded, and traditional nesting colonies are being disrupted. How will these extraordinary birds deal with the full effects of global warming? (widescreen and letterbox)
Mar 29 – Kilauea: Playing with Fire(working title) Kilauea, on Hawaii's Big Island is the world's most active volcano. Its latest eruption began in 1983 and it hasn't stopped since. Since that time it has created 544 acres of new land and has consumed 200 homes. But as we watch nature's own fireworks display and witness the devastation wrought by flowing lava, we've also been able to observe a process that's central to life on these islands. The most spectacular moment of creation is when lava pours into the ocean creating new land and it is here that filmmaker Paul Atkins finds himself getting a shot few have ever filmed – the cataclysmic meeting of 2000 degree lava and 75 degree ocean water – a sight to behold. (high definition and letterbox)
Apr 5 – Twilight of the Frogs(working title) It is the greatest mass extinction since the dinosaurs. Population by population, species by species, amphibians are vanishing off the face of the Earth. Despite international alarm and a decade and a half of scientists scrambling for answers, the steady hemorrhaging of amphibians continues like a leaky faucet that cannot be fixed or a wound that will not heal. Large-scale die-offs of frogs around the world have prompted scientists to take desperate measures to try to save those they can, even bathing frogs in Clorox solutions and keeping them in Tupperware boxes under carefully controlled conditions to prevent the spread of a deadly fungus. Will it ever be safe to return the Tupperware frogs back to the forests from which they were taken? (high definition and letterbox)
Apr 12 – Andes: The Dragon's Back (R) When this great spine-like mountain range rose from the sea, it created a new continent and a bridge that joined North and South America, allowing flora and fauna from each to mix and diversify. Today, the Andes continue to grow and evolve and are home to a rich tapestry of environments, including the largest ice field outside the poles, a desert where penguins nest, and geysers a vertical mile high, where flamingos huddle for warmth. (widescreen and letterbox)
Apr 19 – The Loneliest Animals(working title) The loneliest animals are the most endangered species on the planet. Collected and protected by dedicated scientists, these animals represent the end of the line for their species. In many cases, intensive captive breeding programs have been launched with the aim of sustaining these animals and the hope of returning them to the wild. Viewers will be taken into high-security, high-tech labs where scientists attempt to breed new generations, and into the field to discover what forces have led to the demise of entire species. Featured animals include Yangtze turtles under 24-hour surveillance; a baby Sumatran rhino; a special collection of lemurs; the Spix's macaw, a bird declared extinct in the wild in 2000; and "Lonesome George," a giant tortoise from the Galapagos, who is the last of his kind. (high definition and letterbox)
Apr 26 – Crash: A Tale of Two Species (R) This is the story of the fabric of life, and how every species is interconnected – each one important, no matter how big or small. At its center is the humble horseshoe crab, a creature which has remained virtually unchanged for 350 million years. Its annual spring spawning produces millions of eggs that are the lifeline for a tiny bird called a Red Knot, which migrates 10,000 miles from South America to the Arctic each year. Scientific and medical communities have discovered that the crab also provides an indispensable testing agent for drugs and vaccines, as well as resources for human optics and burn treatment. But horseshoe crab numbers are plummeting from their new use as bait for the fishing industry, dropping by two-thirds or more since 1990. And the precious pyramid depending on this age-old creature is about to come crashing down. Filmed and presented in high definition. (high definition and letterbox)
May 3 – Cloud – Courage of the Mustangs(working title) The returning saga of Cloud, the wild, white stallion finds us back in the Arrowhead Mountains of Montana. Cloud is now a confident band stallion in his prime. As he rules the mountains, gathering mares and expanding his reign, the story turns to his two sons. Bolder is his by birth – beautiful and golden, the success of his father and grandfather flowing in his veins. Flint, sired by another stallion, is the colt Cloud raised. Now, Bolder has gathered some mares of his own while Flint has joined a group of bachelor stallions, young guns roaming the mountains. Who will rise to challenge the mighty Cloud? Will nature or nurture produce the next great stallion of the Arrowheads? (high definition and letterbox)
May 10 – Voyage of the Lonely Turtle (R) A female loggerhead turtle sets off to lay her eggs in the place where she was born. Her voyage will take her across the Pacific, from the west coast of Mexico to Japan. It is the among the longest journeys undertaken by any animal on land or sea, and she will make it all alone – facing typhoons and sharks, whales and squid, passing through the many exotic kingdoms of the sea. (widescreen and letterbox)
May 17 – Victoria Falls(working title) Cutting across the Zambezi River, bridging the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls is the largest waterfall in the world. This awesome force of nature divides two natural worlds – the tranquil meandering river above the cascade, and the raging abyss of the gorge below. The upper river is idyllic, running shallow through sandstone hills and meandering around islands and reed-beds where elephants, lions, hippos, crocodiles, buffalo, zebra, antelope and otters thrive. In a single vertical drop the river plummets twice the height of Niagara Falls into the wild waters and heavy spray of the narrow gorge, where 35 different raptor species rear their young, feasting on a glut of fish. Between the two worlds the treacherous cliffs and rocky outcrops are covered in thick, mossy rainforest, fed by the constant mists, and home to baboons, monkeys, mongoose and parrots. It is a place of epic proportions, with an epic story to tell. (high definition and letterbox)
May 24 – Life in Death Valley (R) It is a visual wonderland, where imposing mountains rise almost two vertical miles above sprawling salt flats, and canyons are painted in strokes of blue, pink, violet, and green from sunrise to sunset. This is Death Valley – one of the most inhospitable places on the planet. Nowhere else is a landscape so exquisite yet brutal, stunning yet harsh. Here, temperatures spike into the 130s, the earth cracks like broken clay, and when the hot wind blows, all you can taste is dust and salt. But, ironically, it is water that has shaped this super-arid home of true survivors. Shot in High-Definition. (high definition and letterbox)
