Surviving Earth

Surviving Earth
Genre
Directed by
  • Daniel Smith
  • Duncan Singh
  • Matt Dyas
  • James Morgan
Narrated byJosh Goodman
ComposerNitin Sawhney
Countries of origin
  • United States
  • United Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes2
Production
Executive producerTim Haines
Production companies
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseJune 11, 2026 (2026-06-11) –
present

Surviving Earth is a 2026 television nature documentary miniseries airing on NBC, also streaming on Peacock. This eight-part series focuses on extinct animals and mass extinction events. The series is produced by Universal Television Alternative Studio and UK-based independent firm Loud Minds. Tim Haines, the creative director of Loud Minds, is best known as the creator of the highly successful series Walking with Dinosaurs (1999), as well as the founder of Impossible Pictures and co-creator of the British science fiction series Primeval (2007–2011).

Production

Surviving Earth was announced on June 28, 2022, as a collaboration between Loud Minds and UTAS, with Tim Haines as creative director for the former.[1][2] On August 4, 2022, Milk VFX was confirmed to be developing the series' digital effects. Milk had previously collaborated with Tim Haines and Loud Minds on an immersive attraction, Dinosaurs in the Wild, which toured the United Kingdom from 2017 to 2018.[3][4] The music for Surviving Earth was composed by Nitin Sawhney.[5][6] The series is narrated by Josh Goodman, and over 300 scientists were consulted over the course of production.[7]

On March 12, 2026, NBC confirmed that the series would begin airing on June 4, 2026 (though the premiere was later delayed to June 11).[8] First-look images were made available the day after the announcement.[9][10] New episodes release weekly on Thursday evenings at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, followed by encore episodes of The Americas (2025), NBC's previous experiment in prime time nature documentaries.[8]

The first trailer for the series released on April 30, 2026.[11] A second trailer released on May 28, 2026.[12]

Episodes

No.Title [13][14][15]Directed byOriginal release date [13][14]Prod.
code [13]		U.S. viewers
(millions)		Rating
(18-49)
1"When the Earth Burned"Matt DyasJune 11, 2026 (2026-06-11)1012.72[16]0.27[16]
In the Late Permian, 252 million years ago, a family of gorgonopsians (Inostrancevia) travel into the mountains of the far north to find refuge from extreme heat. One of the young encounters an Elph and a herd of Scutosaurus. His mother is killed when a lightning strike sends the Scutosaurus into a stampede. Distant volcanic eruptions spew carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, as the ozone layer fails, deserts expand, and the seas stagnate. The old male of the family fails to catch Suminia while acid rain torments other creatures in the area. Down on the plains, an Elph protects its colony from the footfalls of a Scutosaurus in search of shade. The old male gorgonopsian finally finds a dead Scutosaurus, but a rival male has already claimed it. An earthquake strikes and new volcanic fissures spill lava onto the plains as the two gorgonopsians grapple. The old male achieves victory, but at great cost to his health. The remnants of his family continue their doomed search for respite. Relatives of Elph persist thanks to their ability to burrow. 10 million years later, the Earth has recovered from the great Permian-Triassic mass extinction. Hatching Cyamodus attract Dongusuchus and proto-pterosaurs to a beach, and a Cymbospondylus unsuccessfully attempts to catch a distracted courting male Dongusuchus. The age of reptiles has dawned. In the modern day, humanity is releasing carbon dioxide at an even greater rate than the end-Permian eruptions, but we can avoid an extinction at the same scale by reducing emissions and preserving ecosystems which sequester carbon dioxide.
2"When the Climate Broke"Daniel SmithJune 18, 2026 (2026-06-18)102TBDTBA
In the Late Triassic, 232 million years ago, Earth is transitioning from a period of extremely wet climate to more unstable conditions. An Ischigualastia hatchling narrowly escapes being trampled by adult males of her own species, as well as affronts by a hungry Panphagia (an early dinosaur). A drought forces the Ischigualastia herd to travel far and wide in search of the plant Dicroidium, their main food source. They contend with competitive rhynchosaurs (Hyperodapedon) and predatory Saurosuchus. Two years pass, and the juvenile Ischigualastia is old enough to supervise new hatchlings in her diminishing herd. Saurosuchus ambush the herd at a cave and later a dry riverbed, but the juvenile and her charges escape both times, even as a flash flood heralds the end of the multi-year drought. 15 million years later, a Chaliminia forages for crickets to feed his family, but stumbles into the nest of a carnivorous family of Zupaysaurus. The arrival of a Lessemsaurus herd distracts the Zupaysaurus long enough for the Chaliminia to escape. In the modern day, climate change is pressuring humanity's water resources.
3"When the Asteroid Fell"TBAJune 25, 2026 (2026-06-25)103TBDTBA
4"When the Seas Died"TBAJuly 2, 2026 (2026-07-02)104TBDTBA
5"When the Forests Collapsed"TBAJuly 9, 2026 (2026-07-09)105TBDTBA
6"When the Oceans Shrank"TBAJuly 16, 2026 (2026-07-16)106TBDTBA
7"When the Continents Collided"TBAJuly 23, 2026 (2026-07-23)107TBDTBA
8TBATBAJuly 30, 2026 (2026-07-30)108TBDTBA

References

  1. ^ White, Peter (June 28, 2022). "NBC Digs Up Dino Docuseries Surviving Earth From Walking With Dinosaurs Creator". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  2. ^ "NBC ORDERS SURVIVING EARTH". Loud Minds. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  3. ^ Creamer, Jon (August 4, 2022). "Milk to create vfx for Loud Minds' Surviving Earth". Televisual. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  4. ^ "LOUD MINDS PARTNER WITH MILK". Loud Minds. August 4, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  5. ^ Leech, Jeanette (October 11, 2023). ""Everyone's Voice Should Have Equal Value": Nitin Sawhney Talks New Album Identity". Dig!. Archived from the original on April 18, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  6. ^ Day, Reyhaan (October 18, 2024). "Don't Stop Me Now". Mayfair Times. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  7. ^ Ho, Vivian (June 11, 2026). "'Life has always managed to crawl through': docuseries takes us back to mass extinction events". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
  8. ^ a b Rosa, Christopher (March 12, 2026). "NBC Reveals Summer 2026 Schedule: See the Full Lineup of Shows". NBC. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
  9. ^ London, Rob (March 13, 2026). "After Netflix's The Dinosaurs, NBC's New Must-Watch Prehistoric Disaster Series Gets Epic First Look [Exclusive]". Collider. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  10. ^ White, Jessica (March 13, 2026). "Surviving Earth's Summer 2026 Premiere Date on NBC Has Been Revealed (DETAILS)". NBC. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  11. ^ Hedash, Kara (April 30, 2026). "Jurassic Park Meets Armageddon In NBC's Trailer For Epic 8-Part Docuseries (Exclusive)". Screen Rant. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
  12. ^ Surviving Earth | Official Trailer | NBC, NBC and Peacock, May 28, 2026, retrieved May 28, 2026 – via YouTube
  13. ^ a b c "SURVIVING EARTH (NBC)". The Futon Critic. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  14. ^ a b "Surviving Earth – Season 1 Listings". Gracenote. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
  15. ^ "Surviving Earth". NBCUniversal MediaVillage. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  16. ^ a b Bunch, Rebecca (June 15, 2026). "Thursday TV Ratings 6/11/26: Surviving Earth Solid in Premiere Despite Drawing Smaller Audience Than The Americas Repeat, Stanley Cup Final Ticks Up Again, Respectable Opening for World Cup on FS1". The TV Ratings Guide. Retrieved June 16, 2026.


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