Surviving Earth

●Surviving Earth is a brand new nature documentary from the creators of Walking With Dinosaurs.

● Each episode of the series tracks the lives of now-extinct animals or mass extinction events that shaped the natural world forever.

● Consulting over 300 scientists over the course of the series, Surviving Earth brings to the screen animals and moments in history believed to be lost forever.

● The series was released in the UK in August 2026.

In this brand-new nature documentary, Surviving Earth lifts the lid on catastrophic events in natural history that wiped species off the face of the planet forever.

From the creators of Walking With Dinosaurs, Surviving Earth goes back millions of years to detail what exactly happened to these stunning creatures, with the use of CGI and animatronics to bring these animals back to life to tell their story.

Across eight episodes, the series delves into eight mass extinction events: from volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and flooding that proved devastating, following the animals who called Earth their home as they fought life as predator and prey, while also battling the elements.

With the help of 300 scientists, the show renders the best estimations possible on what these creatures looked like, how they lived, what they ate, and how they succumbed to each disaster.

Some animals have been so lost to history most won’t even know they existed.

From there, the show explores how Earth – and the creatures that live on the planet – managed to continue to survive, evolve and thrive, bringing a heartwarming story of endurance against the odds, and how precious our natural world truly is.

It also delves into how modern day technology can help and hinder the world from knowing what lies ahead.

The series launched in 2026 and runs for eight episodes.

Each episode focuses on a different natural disaster, which brought about a mass extinction event – some dating back 444 million years.

These episodes are:

1. When the Earth Burned – In the Late Permian era 252 million years ago, the Earth’s atmospheric temperature became so hot, volcanic eruptions, acid rain and dropping oxygen levels left animals struggling to survive. At the time, all the Earth’s land was completely combined as one giant piece of land, a “supercontinent” known as Pangea, but when a devastating earthquake cracks the Earth’s surface, there’s no escaping the increase in molten lava, carbon dioxide and heat covering the world, leading to what’s now known as the Permian–Triassic extinction event. As 90% of the world’s lifeforms are wiped out, few find a way to survive and make the world habitable again.
2. When the Climate Broke – Set in the late Triassic era (232 million years ago), Earth is battling between fluctuating climates, going from an extreme wet period to a period of drought, with upcoming flash floods threatening multiple lifeforms.
3. When the Asteroid Fell – The Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event 66million years ago, when an asteroid landed by the Gulf of Mexico and wiped out 75% of the Earth’s plant and animal population.
4. When the Seas Died – In the Late Cretaceous period (94 million years ago), sea-bound animals began to struggle as volcanic activity has led to stifling temperatures and nutrient-fueled “dead zones” in the deep sea. On land, storm surges prove deadly for even more creatures.
5. When the Forests Collapsed – In the Late Carboniferous, 305 million years ago, forest fires fueled by excess oxygen cause devastation in the north and south poles.
6. When the Oceans Shrank – In the Late Ordovician era (444 million years ago), where ocean animals began to suffer as erosion of land sends excess nutrients into the sea, prompting an increase in algal blooms as they absorb the carbon dioxide. But when CO2 levels begin to fall, the water begins to cool – and eventually it brings about an ice age, with sheets covering the entire southern continent.
7. When the Continents Collided – The start of the Pleistocene (ice age) era, 2.5 million years ago, desperate animals began to migrate in order to survive. In what’s now known as the Great American Biotic Interchange, animals in South America migrated North, while those in the North moved south, heading through Central America, experiencing new predators and weather conditions along the way as they meet in the middle.
8. When America Flooded – Set in the late Ice Age (12,000 years ago), Earth is beginning to warm, and all animals, including humans, are continuing their efforts to survive. But as the ice melts, river valleys are flooded, leaving all species to resort to hunting others in order to stay alive.

Throughout each episode, viewers are introduced to herds of creatures who need shelter, food, water and shade in order to keep themselves protected. Some were even lost to history for years.

Herds of animals we follow include:

●Gorgonopsians - lizard-like creatures that are early crocodilians in nature.

●Elph - small herbivores

●Scutosaurus - an armor-covered pareiasaur reptile

● Suminia - an extinct, plant-eating mammal

●Cyamodus - extinct creatures that are an early relation/build of a modern day turtle

●Dongusuchus - an early form of dinosaur

●Ischigualastia - a mammal like reptile that had tusks and a beak

●Panphagia - an early form of dinosaur

●Rhynchosaurs - an early form of dinosaur defined by its triangular skill

●Saurosuchus - a now extinct lizard/crocodile like creature

●Chaliminia - a four-legged creature that possessed mammal and lizard-like traits

●Zupaysaurus - an early form of dinosaur

●Lessemsaurus - an early form of long-necked dinosaur

●Nanuqsaurus - a form of dinosaur that looked similar to a tyrannosaurus breed, but about half the size.

●Dromaeosaurs - a dinosaur most closely related to modern birds, these creatures walked on two legs and had feathers.

●Plesiadapis - a mammal related to primates, but looked almost cat-like, walking on all fours and having a tail.

●Kosmodraco - a large early form most closely related to modern crocodiles

●Portunatasaurus - a now extinct, large-size marine reptile with scales, flippers and a long jaw.

●Cretoxyrhina - an extinct early form of mackerel shark

Surviving Earth is available in full now on Sky One and is available on streaming service NOW throughout the UK.

It’s available on NBC and Peacock in the US.