BBC America Goes Wild

BBC America will develop five nature-themed co-productions in the near future, according to network officials.

The new series include The Hunt, a BBC co-promotion which will use character-driven stories to illustrate the competition between predators and their prey, said network officials. Other network co-promotions with the BBC Natural History Unit include One Planet, which explores environments through the eyes of the creatures that live there; Wild Alaska, which showcases that natural landscape and the animals that inhabit the state; Beyond Human, which takes a unique look into the world of animal senses; and 24 Hours On Earth, which follows animal and plant behaviour over a 24-hour basis.  

“We are thrilled to add an ambitious new dimension to BBC America's programming line-up by co-producing landmark natural history programming from some of the world’s greatest producers,” said Perry Simon, general manager of BBC America in a statement. “The BBC Natural History Unit has transformed non-fiction programming and established itself as a worldwide center of excellence. No other organization in the world has such a rich heritage, deep archive and expertise in this field.”

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.