Love Nature and Sky Nature announced at Wildscreen Festival the greenlight of "Wild Side of the Moon" (3 x 60’), a series that reveals the surprising and beautiful ways, in which all living things are deeply connected to the phases and force of the Moon.
The title co-produced by Love Nature and Sky Nature and produced by award-winning production company, Humble Bee Films, will premiere on Love Nature around the world, and Sky Nature in the UK, Italy and Germany. The series leverages Love Nature’s relationship with Blue Ant Studios, which oversees pre-sales and licensing opportunities for the new title outside of commissioning territories.
Dominic Weston is showrunner, Charlotte Crosse and Stephen Dunleavy are executive producers at Humble Bee Films. Kathryn Taylor is the executive producer for Sky Nature and Katie Murdock executive produces the series on behalf of Love Nature.
The series will explore the unparalleled influence of the Moon as it waxes and wanes, revealing some of Earth’s most intriguing Moon-related animal behavior. From large-scale patterns of majestic animals such as humpback whales and elephants to the remarkable influence the Moon has on creatures like tree frogs and dung beetles, Wild Side of the Moon illuminates a rarely seen side of our endlessly fascinating world. As it’s always night-time somewhere on the planet, and the Moon’s influence continues around the clock, the series offers audiences enlightening stories in the dark—and surprising ones by day.
Stephen Dunleavy, CEO Humble Bee Films praised their partners: "We’re delighted to join forces again with Love Nature and Sky Nature on this ambitious new series. Life on our planet would not exist in the way it does without the influence of our nearest celestial neighbour. Across continents and oceans we will witness the awesome power of the Moon. Prepare to be moonstruck!," stated.
Meanwhile, Alison Barrat, SVP Head of Content, Love Nature described the series as a blue-chip production:“We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with Sky Nature and Humble Bee on ´Wild Side of the Moon´. This beautiful blue-chip series captures the global push and pull of the Moon’s influence, relevant to all life on Earth. It’s ambitious in its scale and brings a unique perspective to natural history.The quality of cinematography and storytelling in these episodes exemplifies what Love Nature audiences around the world have come to expect over the last ten years since Love Nature launched," noted.
Finally, Hayley Reynolds, Acting Director of Documentaries and Factual at Sky reflected on the appeal of the show's theme: "The Moon is an object so familiar to us that at times we forget it’s even there. This series opens our eyes to the power of the Moon and illuminates – literally - how it impacts almost every aspect of life on earth. We are thrilled to be working with our partners at Love Nature and Humble Bee Films to bring this captivating documentary to our viewers, and understand why the Moon matters," added.
Each episode of "Wild Side of the Moon" will focus on distinct aspects of animal behavior that are ultimately influenced by the Moon, including breeding, feeding and navigation. Beautiful 4K footage will show audiences both stunning nighttime and daytime scenes informed by a compelling narrative that weaves the Moon’s influence through the stories of animals and nature on Earth. Special segments called Moon Moments will offer audiences unique insights into lunar phenomena, providing an unexpected perspective and revealing the intimate relationship between the Moon’s monthly orbit and its effect on all life on Earth. As a signatory of the Climate Content Pledge, Sky continues to use its channels and content to raise awareness of the climate crisis, and in this series specifically, we are giving viewers more opportunities to be inspired by and connect with the wonders of the natural world.