BBC Studios Natural History Unit Lines Up Three New Series

BBC Studios Natural History Unit is producing three new series for BBC One, BBC Two and iPlayer, including Mammals, centered on the most widespread group of animals on Earth.

Mammals follows the group of animals that can be found on every continent and in every ocean. From the tiny Etruscan shrew to the giant blue whale, various mammal species will reveal how their winning design, adaptability, unrivaled intelligence and sociability have allowed them to exist everywhere.

The series is a co-production between BBC Studios Natural History Unit, France Télévisions, ZDF and BBC America. It will debut on BBC One and iPlayer.

Also on the upcoming slate is the three-part series Big Little Journeys for BBC Two and iPlayer. It follows six tiny animals as they travel across rainforests, mountains and wetlands. The cast of animals includes a family of endangered golden-headed lion tamarins in Brazil’s Atlantic rainforest, the Madagascan Labord’s chameleon with an extremely short life span of only six months and, in Taiwan, the rare Formosan pangolin, the world’s most trafficked animal.

From BBC Studios Natural History Unit and PBS, Big Little Journeys captures the adventures of the tiny creatures with the help of scientists and conservationists and immersive camera systems, surveillance technology and probe and borescope lenses that shrink the lens down to give a small animal’s view of the world.

Co-produced by BBC Studios Natural History Unit, PBS and Sveriges Television (SVT), Wild Scandinavia will take viewers into the natural worlds of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland. Narrated by Anglo-Swedish actor Rebecca Ferguson (Dune, Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation), the stories of lynx, puffins, orca and wolves are told alongside the experiences of the people living in and devoted to exploring the icy wilderness. The series is made for BBC Two and iPlayer.

BBC Studios is handling international distribution for Mammals, Big Little Journeys and Wild Scandinavia.

Jack Bootle, head of commissioning for specialist factual at BBC, said: “2022 was a brilliant year for natural history on the BBC; Frozen Planet II became the highest rating factual show of the year, the daringly innovative Green Planet won a series of major awards, and Our Changing Planet spoke to millions of viewers about the impacts of climate change across the globe. Now, with Mammals, Big Little Journeys and Wild Scandinavia, the world-famous Natural History Unit continues to push at the boundaries of what’s possible in wildlife filmmaking. The arrival of game-changing technology combined with exciting new storytelling techniques means this genre has never felt more confident, creative and ambitious. I’m proud that the BBC continues to be the home of Natural History, and I know viewers are going to fall in love with these series as soon as they see them.”

Jonny Keeling, head of BBC Studios Natural History Unit, said: “We are thrilled to be bringing three original series to BBC television in collaboration with our co-production partners. With compelling new stories and new behaviors in Mammals, fresh and different perspectives of the tiniest animals in Big Little Journeys and spectacular landscapes in Wild Scandinavia, collectively they showcase the creative range of emotional and innovative natural history programs we are proud to be making at the NHU.”