Universal Television Alternative Studio, Loud Minds begin Surviving Earth
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Editor
| 14 February 2023
In what is described as a high-concept project looking at the planet’s history to tell us more about its future, Universal Studio Group business line Universal Television Alternative Studio has kicked off principal photography on NBC unscripted series Surviving Earth with high-end factual and drama indie Loud Minds.
NEW CALEDONIA 13 Feb 2023
Developed, say the partners, to be “one of the most ambitious, cinematic and dramatic high-concept series to date,” the new 8 x 60’ series visits eight mass extinction locations, blending location filming at 12 destinations around the world starting with New Caledonia in the South Pacific – with state-of-the-art CGI to tell the stories of extraordinary creatures trying to survive against all odds.

From the ‘Great Dying’ 252 million years ago, when the world overheated and 95% cent of life died out, to a mammoth flood just 12,000 years ago, which plunged the planet back into an ice age, every episode will immerse viewers in a specific moment in the Earth’s history and recreate the drama of a unique mass extinction event. Each episode is set in a very different world with a different set of characters and a different ‘deus ex machina’.

Viewers will follow the fate of bizarre creatures in jaw-dropping landscapes and witness worlds where continents shift and seas boil. The lesson from these stories is that Earth isn’t a benign paradise. Instead, it’s a very changeable home where life has had to be extraordinarily adaptable to survive and indeed thrive over the millennia.

Award-winning VFX studio Milk will be creating all the digital environments, landscapes and creatures that will bring the series to life. Surviving Earth will air on NBC and stream next day on Peacock. A premiere date for the series will be announced at a later date.

“Surviving Earth is on course to be one of the most ambitious, high-concept series ever created by a UK indie. It has been years in development, travels to incredible locations – such as New Caledonia, home to our first shoot – and brings together some of the most talented filmmakers and leading digital technicians to ensure that what ends up on screen really blows your mind,” said Tim Haines, showrunner and creative director, Loud Minds. “More than that, however, it has a deep focus on storyline and script that we believe will elevate the whole viewing experience into something altogether more cinematic and memorable.”

Added Toby Gorman, president, Universal Television Alternative Studio: “We’re thrilled to partner with Loud Minds to bring this remarkable series to global audiences. This is a vital time to tell the story of Earth’s most significant extinction level events and what each meant for the planet. We must learn from our past to ensure the best for our future.”