Watch Inspiring Stories of Humans and Wildlife Flourishing Together in the New Four Part CBC Doc Series: Shared Planet
What if the change we need to heal the earth is already here? Never before told heartfelt stories of everyday human heroes working alongside nature for the benefit and survival of both, creates the intimate four-part cinematic CBC documentary series SHARED PLANET. (4 x 60).
Spanning 16 countries, each 4k ultra high definition episode shows that a bright future can be possible for our planet. Some highlights of the 20 stories told include introducing millions of tiny oysters to both clean New York Harbour and help save the city from dangerous hurricanes, seeing how flower-loving bats revive Mexico’s tequila and mezcal industries, and learning how maintaining a Kolkata wildlife-rich wetland transforms the sewage of millions of people.
Produced by the multiple Emmy award-winning River Road Films, a new episode of SHARED PLANET debuts each week consecutively on The Nature of Things, starting January 23 on CBC Gem and CBC TV at 9 p.m. (9:30 NT).
“SHARED PLANET offers a fresh perspective on wildlife stories by showcasing what we gain by working with nature instead of against it,” says Jeff Turner, executive producer, series director, co-writer, and founder of River Road Films. “The series tells the stories of people around the globe who are making a positive impact in the places they live.”
In a time of serious environmental challenges, SHARED PLANET is a distinctive wildlife series that highlights the profound benefits of coexisting with nature across multiple ecosystems including cities, grasslands, oceans, and forests. Each episode features five stories that combine world-class wildlife filmmaking with compelling storytelling, blending extraordinary animal behavior with powerful human narratives.
This four-part series includes the following episodes:
- Episode 1: Cities Thurs., Jan. 23 at 9 p.m.(9:30 NT)
With 60% of the planet’s population living in urban areas, cities are bursting with people. How can wildlife survive here too? Watch how, in Los Angeles, a mountain lion unites a community and inspires millions of people, while in Kolkata, a local wetland cleans the city’s sewage water, creating a wildlife habitat and supporting thousands of jobs. And in futuristic Singapore, reforestation efforts have transformed the city, enhancing life for citizens and attracting wildlife
like hornbills.
- Episode 2: Open Spaces Thurs., Jan. 30 at 9 p.m.(9:30 NT)
Though grasslands account for half of the land area on the planet, most of these landscapes have been converted for human use. But there are places where people reap the rewards of sharing this land with wildlife. Maasai Lion Ambassadors in Africa show the value of living alongside lions, while in Mexico, flower-loving bats revive the tequila and mezcal industries. And in Brazil’s Cerrado, farmers benefit from coexisting with wildlife like giant anteaters.
- Episode 3: Waters Thurs., Feb. 6 at 9 p.m. (9:30 NT)
Over 70% of the planet is covered by water. It’s the largest habitat on Earth. Water-dependent wildlife is declining fast, but some people are learning to share the water, with benefits to all. In Raja Ampat, dynamite fishing once threatened marine life, but it is now a Marine Protected Area with unmatched biodiversity and more jobs for locals. In Idaho, a rancher collaborates with beavers to bring water to his drought-stricken land. And in Brazil’s Pantanal wetlands,
ecotourism helps jaguars thrive alongside major cattle ranching operations.
- Episode 4: Forests Thurs., Feb. 13 at 9 p.m. (9:30 NT)
Forests are essential for all life on our planet. Even with increasing deforestation across the world, people are reaping the rewards of sharing forests with wildlife. In Borneo, efforts are underway to plant native trees within palm oil plantations, creating wildlife corridors for orangutan families. In Guatemala, a community forestry organization sustainably harvests trees, protecting habitats like those of the highly endangered scarlet macaws. And in Spain, a landowner restores his farm, overrun with invasive pines, to support wildlife like the rare Iberian lynx and secure his family’s future.
The 16 countries featured in the series include the United States, Columbia, India, Singapore, Kenya, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Australia, Indonesia, Borneo, Guatemala, Spain, Madagascar, Japan and Canada.
Some natural history footage highlights include the fascinating behaviour of fishing cats filmed for the first time hunting in the wild in India to intimate images from inside a termite mound of a giant anteater feeding with its extraordinarily long, sticky tongue in South America, to name a few.
Follow SHARED PLANET on Instagram at River Road Films.
A CBC Original Production by River Road Films, SHARED PLANET is executive produced by Neil Nightingale and Jeff Turner. Chelsea Turner, Geordie Trifa, Louise Ferguson and Jeff Turner are the producer/directors of the episodes. David Fowler is the writer. Justin Maguire is the director of photography. John Adams, Tuyet Le, Garry Wallace and Erin Cumming are the editors. Sarika Cullis-Suzuki hosts the series. For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports; Jennifer Dettman is Executive Director, Unscripted Content; Sandra Kleinfeld is Senior Director, Documentary, and Sue Dando and Lesley Brichard are Executives in Charge of Production.
The series was commissioned by CBC and created with the financial participation of The Canadian Media Fund, the Rogers Documentary Fund, Creative BC, and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit.
About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Punjabi and Tagalog, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.
Vancouver-based River Road Films is an Emmy award-winning documentary film production company known for capturing never-before-filmed wildlife behaviour in remote and challenging locations while highlighting conservation and unique human-animal relationships. For over thirty years, River Road Films has specialized in producing blue-chip natural history and wildlife films for worldwide television and cinema release, working with the CBC, BBC, PBS, Terra Mater Factual Studios and many others.
Recent projects include the Emmy award winning series ISLAND OF THE SEA WOLVES for Netflix, JAWSOME: CANADA’S GREAT WHITE SHARKS for CBC, and SHARED PLANET for CBC and PBS.
As this just went to press the first episode has premiered….check CBC or CBC or YouTube to catch up on the first presentation.
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