Hollywood Icon Guides Epic Journey Across Two Continents
Tom Hanks swaps movie sets for mountain ranges in The Americas, a 10-part nature documentary series premiering Sunday, February 23 on NBC (March 2 on BBC One). The Oscar winner’s narration anchors this $50M production that took five years and 180 expeditions to capture never-before-seen wildlife behavior across North and South America.
The Ultimate Cinematic Safari
Produced by BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit and Universal Television Alternative Studio, the series features:
- Drone footage of Andean bear cubs clinging to cliffs
- Sperm whale POV dives into abyssal depths
- Capuchin monkeys using stone tools
- A “death-defying” frog species
“It’s TV at its absolute best because you can’t make this stuff up,” Hanks told producers during filming. Executive producer Mike Gunton (Planet Earth II) confirms all footage is CGI-free.
Controversial Omissions?
While showcasing successes like bald eagle population recovery, critics note the series avoids discussing climate change impacts on featured ecosystems. Screen Rant’s review states: “Ignoring that many habitats are in crisis creates an awkward elephant in the room”.
Global Streaming Access
| Region | Platform | Premiere Date |
|---|---|---|
| United States | NBC/Peacock | Feb 23 |
| UK | BBC iPlayer | Mar 2 |
| Canada | Bravo | Feb 24 |
The project reunites Hanks with Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer, whose score blends drama with playfulness during scenes of young animals learning survival skills. Early viewers praise sequences showing wild horses roaming North Carolina’s Outer Banks and orchid bees collecting 40+ scents.
