UK-based Plimsoll Productions ("A Year on Planet Earth", "A Real Bug’s Life"), part of ITV Studios, a leader in natural-history filmmaking, has been commissioned by parent company ITV to produce the six-part global events series "Extreme Planet Earth". This urgent series – three years in the making – will underscore the high-stakes battle for wildlife survival in an era of extreme weather, wildfires and environmental upheaval."
Extreme Planet Earth", for ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player next year, will showcase how the planet’s most extraordinary creatures endure and evolve in the face of relentless instability. The title is led by the award-winning Plimsoll Productions for ITV. Grant Mansfield, Martha Holmes and Mark Brownlow are executive producers, with Seb Illis serving as showrunner. Commissioned by Jo Clinton-Davis, Controller of Factual ITV and Sue Murphy, Head of Factual Entertainment ITV, co-produced with the ARD Group in Germany, in association with and distributed by ITV Studios.
With each episode immersing viewers in the raw, visceral drama of Earth’s climate, "Extreme Planet Earth" will reveal unparalleled footage of wildlife pushed beyond the brink: elephants in Borneo navigating treacherous floodwaters; wombats in Australia with fires raging around them; a leopard in Zambia's Lower Zambezi struggling with a brutal drought; Caribbean flamingos in Mexico facing up to the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record; and clownfish on the Great Barrier Reef fighting to withstand a marine heatwave. The animals show remarkable grit in the face of these events, but grit can only take you so far. Conservationists and scientists are already working among the planet’s harshest conditions, intervening to protect species with groundbreaking initiatives. Their efforts, unfolding in some of the most unpredictable environments on Earth, will be a critical part of the story. Combining cutting-edge cinematography with powerful storytelling, the series will plunge viewers into a reality where survival hangs by a thread and resilience is the only way forward.
Mark Brownlow, Creative Director of Natural History for Plimsoll Productions, referred to the serious global climate context: ”Wherever you live on the planet, you can relate to extreme weather. From the devastating fires in Los Angeles to floods across Europe, extreme weather is constantly breaking news and affecting us all. In 'Extreme Planet Earth', we are going to unveil how our favourite wildlife faces these challenges with sheer courage, resilience, and determination. Their remarkable endurance is truly inspiring," highlighted.
Jo Clinton-Davis, Controller of Factual ITV highlighted the product's storytelling: “This series is unique in charting the impact of wild weather on wildlife - and Plimsoll deploying a combination of outstanding visuals, gripping storytelling and anthropomorphic approach will bring to life the drama of the animal kingdom grappling with an issue that affects all of us," commented.
The series continues Plimsoll’s legacy of delivering high-impact, globally resonant storytelling, following the successful second season of Disney+’s A Real Bug’s Life, narrated by Awkwafina, and National Geographic’s Arctic Ascent with Alex Honnold. Plimsoll is also in production on multiple projects, including National Geographic’s Surviving Pompeii with Tom Hiddleston.