HOME of the BRAVE

Tom Hanks narrates an epic docuseries celebrating the wildlife of North, South and Central America...

- 

The extraordinary animals who inhabit the spectacular landscapes of North, South and Central America are showcased in BBC1's new groundbreaking series The Americas, narrated by Hollywood star Tom Hanks.

Filmed over five years on 180 expeditions from the Arctic in the frozen north to the bottom of South America, the 10 themed episodes take viewers on an incredible journey to such stunning locations as the Atlantic Coast, Mexico, the Wild West and the Caribbean.

Featuring music from Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer, the series uses cutting-edge technology to film touching courtship rituals and dramatic hunting sequences as well as revealing some of nature's strangest stories.

'The Americas is the one place on the planet that nobody has ever fully done before on TV, yet it stretches between both poles and splits two great oceans - the Pacific and the Atlantic,' explains executive producer Mike Gunton, 66, who has also produced the BAFTA-winning Planet Earth II (2016) and Dynasties (2018).

'So the series is huge. It covers a huge variety of landscapes and wildlife, some of the world's greatest animals, as well as phenomenal new behaviours.

'It's like the ultimate safari where viewers will think, “Where are we going next? What's the next adventure?” And throughout it all we have Tom Hanks as our trusted guide!'

Here, in an exclusive interview, Mike shares seven key animals to look out for...

1 BALD EAGLES

'We wanted to show some of the classic American animals and, of course, bald eagles are right up there because they're the USA's national bird.