With “The Americas,” the latest nature documentary to grace our screens, filmmakers have captured two of the most enduring treasures the planet has to offer: stunning natural vistas and the calming narrative stylings of the great Tom Hanks.
This 10-episode documentary series, which recently wrapped up its run on NBC, cast its eye on the highlights of the North and South American continents. The cameras explored regions in stunning detail, as well as all the varied creatures that call them home.
The high quality of “The Americas” came as no surprise, considering it was produced by the folks who brought us “Planet Earth” (one of the great nature documentaries of all time) and features a score from the great Hans Zimmer.
Now that “The Americas” is over, you may be looking for more nature docu-series to enjoy, especially with Earth Day around the corner. Here are some recommendations.
‘Our Great National Parks’
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Utilizing the vocal talents of none other than former President Barack Obama (who won an Emmy for his voiceover contributions), “Our Great National Parks” is possibly the most soothing nature-focused documentary on television.
Despite the fact that scripted commentary is provided by an American president, the docu-series covers nature preserves located around the world. From the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia and Chilean Patagonia to Kenya’s vast conservation efforts in Tsavo and the last refuge of the critically endangered Sumatran tiger in Indonesia, the show casts a wide net to highlight conservation efforts across the globe.
Watch on Netflix
‘Planet Earth’
“Planet Earth” is pretty much the gold standard when it comes to modern nature documentaries.
Narrated by the incomparable David Attenborough, each episode focuses on a different geographical habitat, exploring animal and plant life existing in areas as diverse as the frozen tundra of the North and South Poles to the wild jungles of the Amazon rainforest.
With some of the most impressive camerawork we’ve seen committed to film (seriously, ask any cinematographer and they’ll bow down in awe at what nature documentaries are able to capture), this series is your best opportunity to see up close and personal all the extraordinary life that planet Earth has to offer.
Initially released in 2006, it has since seen two sequel series: “Planet Earth II” in 2016 and “Planet Earth III” in 2023.
Watch on Max
‘Our Living World’
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Like many nature documentaries, “Our Living World” is realistic about how often the animal kingdom can be unrelentingly harsh in its pursuit of balance. It depicts both the inspirational and sometimes upsetting sides of nature.
Narrated by Cate Blanchett and released in 2024 by Netflix, it features stunning nature cinematography that demonstrates how interconnected all of Earth’s systems really are, from the smallest insect to the largest mammal.
By showing the symbiotic relationships between various creatures, it also makes a powerful argument for conservation: That although we are just individuals existing in a massive ecosystem, we can have a strong impact on the world around us.
Watch on Netflix
‘Aerial America’
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Combining geography and history, “Aerial America” gives audiences a glimpse of the United States from an unusual perspective, viewing the country from high above.
Each state is given its own episode, where soaring aerial footage is combined with educational narrative, providing the audience a literal overview of some of its highlights. These can range from tidbits of local history to stunning natural vistas, but it’s always informative and made even more interesting with its bird’s eye view.
After covering each of the states, “Aerial America” also has episodes that focused on different natural elements — including waterways and national — as well as highlighting each of the country’s different geographical regions.
Watch on Paramount Plus
‘Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey’
On this list, we’ve spent a lot of time on Earth. After all, we do live here, and it’s a lot easier to send a filming crew to an Earthbound location. But at the same time, the universe is awfully big — unsettlingly so, in fact — so it’s worth taking a little time to think about the world that exists beyond our horizons.
That’s where “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey “comes in. Narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson, it’s a spiritual successor to Carl Sagan’s groundbreaking “Cosmos: A Personal Voyage.” While deGrasse Tyson often deals with skyward scientific phenomena, musing on the likelihood of life on other planets and the nature of black holes, he’s also quick to bring his brand of science back down to Earth, discussing evolution and various extinction events that have taken place on our own planet.
Six years after its initial release in 2014, it received a follow-up series with “Cosmos: Possible Worlds.”
Watch free on Tubi
