NBC TO DEBUT BEHIND-THE-SCENES SPECIAL OF "THE AMERICAS," AN EPIC NATURE SERIES HOSTED BY TOM HANKS

"The Making of 'The Americas'" Special Will Premiere Sunday, April 20 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and Next Day on Peacock

The special "The Making of 'The Americas,'" airing on NBC on Sunday, Apr. 20 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, will give audiences a behind-the-scenes look at "The Americas," which was filmed over five years across 180 expeditions in some of the most extreme locations on Earth.

Narrator Tom Hanks and the crew will reveal perils and breakthroughs behind the lens of this milestone nature series - trekking through corrosive waters 14,000 feet up in the Andes to film flamingos, weathering Amazonian lightning storms, forging bonds between a wild puma and its longtime cameraman, and pioneering cinematography from cameras mounted on the back of a whales. The special will explore the dedication, fieldcraft, humor, heart and innovation that came together to create one of the most ambitious wildlife series ever produced.

NBC's nature documentary series "The Americas" ranks as the most-watched new alternative show of the 2024-25 season to date, averaging 5 million viewers for its regularly scheduled episodes. The series has reached 23 million viewers across platforms to-date and stands as the most-watched nature documentary on linear television in more than 15 years.

ABOUT "THE AMERICAS"

From BBC Studios Natural History Unit, the creators of the critically acclaimed and multi-Emmy Award-winning "Planet Earth" and "Blue Planet," in association with Universal Television Alternative Studio, comes the epic 10-part tentpole event series "The Americas." The tentpole series is narrated by Tom Hanks, executive produced by Mike Gunton ("Life," "Planet Earth II," "Dynasties"), with music by Oscar and Grammy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer.

"The Americas" showcases the wonders, secrets and fragilities of the world's great supercontinent. For the first time, the Americas stars in its own incomparable series, using cutting-edge technology to uncover never-before-seen behavior, and highlight the extraordinary, untold wildlife stories that will deeply connect with millions around the world. Five years in the making and filmed over 180 expeditions, this groundbreaking series reveals the spectacular landscapes of Earth's most varied landmass - the only one to stretch between both poles. "The Americas" unprecedented scale and ambition delivers remarkable world firsts; new species, new intimate courtship, dramatic deep-sea hunting and some of nature's strangest stories - even a frog that seems to defy death every day. Each hourlong episode features a different iconic location across the Americas: "The Atlantic Coast," "Mexico," "The Wild West," "The Amazon," "The Frozen North," "The Gulf Coast," "The Andes," "The Caribbean," "The West Coast" and "Patagonia."

"The Americas" is executive produced by renowned Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning wildlife producer Mike Gunton ("Life," "Planet Earth II," "Dynasties") for BBC Studios Natural History Unit, the best-known and most respected producers of natural history content in the world, in association with Universal Television Alternative Studio, a division of Universal Studio Group.