“One Strange Rock” is a new 10-episode series from the National Geographic Channel, premiering on Monday, March 26. It will be released in 172 countries and 43 languages.
In the series, filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, host Will Smith, and an eclectic group of science-minded astronauts join forces to tell the extraordinary story of why life as we know it exists on Earth.
This remarkable series is not just another visually powerful nature documentary; it provides a unique science-oriented perspective of life on Earth from the eyes and personal experiences of astronauts. The themes explored in the series include the genesis of life, death, breath, cosmic violence, human intelligence, sacrifice, and escaping Earth.
The Making of the Series
The series has been produced by Nutopia (known for creating ground-breaking factual shows on a global scale) and Darren Aronofsky’s Protozoa Pictures.
The series was filmed across 45 countries, 6 continents and in outer space at the International Space Station. Production has taken over two years, with a creative and talented group of filmmakers and astronauts.
All of the astronauts have science backgrounds and expertise; these are people who have unique insights into the inner workings of the world and universe.
Top row left to right: Astronauts Nicole Stott, Jeff Hoffman, Leland Melvin, Mike Massimino, Peggy Whitson and Jerry Linenger. Bottom row left to right: Astronaut Chris Hadfield; "One Strange Rock" showrunner Arif Nurmohamed, Jane Root of Nutopia, Darren Aronofsky and Ari Handel of Protozoa Pictures and astronaut Mae Jemison.
Credit: Television Critics Association
A 9th astronaut, Paolo Nespoli with the European Space Agency (ESA), also contributed to "One Strange Rock" but from behind the camera.
The locations where the series was shot include some of the most “unique and delicate” places on Earth: the Lechuguilla cave in New Mexico; China’s Enshi Canyon; the Nyiragongo volcano in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, frequently called the most dangerous volcano on the planet; and the extremely arid Dallol desert in Ethiopia. realscreen.com/…
At the 2018 Winter Television Critics Association press tour, Aronofsky explained -
There’s been shows that have been about animals and there’s been shows that have been about different cultures, there’s been shows that have been about science.
What was exciting about this was taking all of it – astronomy, anthropology, biology, chemistry, physics – and trying to blend them together to talk about this home that we’re all living on and talk about all the systems that have to work to make this single spaceship traveling through this huge void work together as one.
As soon as all the astronauts were able to look down on Earth from space, they essentially “discovered” the planet for the first time in a life-changing moment.
It can change the way we think. It’s something [that] as people we forget all the time. We forget how amazing it is that we can go home and watch Nat Geo or have a dog or play instruments or do all the amazing things we can because of these incredible systems. That perspective that all of these people had in that moment when they left the earth and looked back is something very spiritual, I don’t know the word you want to use, it could be awe, could come out of religion, it could come out of science, but they all had this experience that we try to capture through the beauty of the planet.
Six Things that Make Life on Earth Possible
From www.nationalgeographic.com/…, the 6 key things that make life on Earth possible are -
- Our location is far away frm many hazards
- Our sun is a stable and long-lasting star
- We’are at just the right distance from the sun
- We have the right stuff to host a dynamic core
- We have a big moon to stabilize our axial wobble
- We have an ozone layer to block harmful rays
We can expect these themes to be explored throughout the series.
Episode List
EPisode |
Title |
Astronaut host |
Blurb |
1 |
GASP |
Chris Hadfield |
Our perfectly calibrated, breating planet
|
2 |
STORM |
Nicole Stott |
A planet sculpted from cosmic violence
|
3 |
SHIELD |
Jeff Hoffman |
Earth protects itself from the sun
|
4 |
GENESIS |
Mae Jemison |
Earth gives birth to life
|
5 |
SACRIFICE |
Jerry Linenger |
Earth, the great killer
|
6 |
AWAKENING |
Leland Melvin |
Your brain is an anomaly
|
7 |
TERRAFORM |
Mike Massimino |
Earth’s great paradox
|
8 |
ALIEN |
Mae Jemison |
The freak accident behind complex life |
9 |
ESCAPE |
Chris Hadfield |
We are all planets.
Is our best chance of survival to escape Earth and build another colony somewhere else?
|
10 |
HOME |
Peggy Whitson |
There’s no place like home
|
You can read more about the episodes at www.nasa.gov/...
Peggy Whitson
Peggy Whitson, biochemistry researcher and astronaut, featured in the series, also graces the cover of the National Geographic March issue. Whitson has logged 665 days in space, more than any other woman worldwide and any other American.
Early Screenings
Early screenings of the first episode are being held in various locations.
Here are a few examples —
- Fernbank Science Center at 156 Heaton Park Drive, Atlanta, on Thu, March 15, at 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
- Fleet Science Center at 1875 El Prado, San Diego, on Wed, March 14, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
- Exploratorium, Pier 15, (Embarcadero at Green St.), San Francisco, Thu, March 15, 6:00 – 10:00 p.m. (Paid admission)
Do a Google search to find other venues. Also, watch for announcements at twitter.com/…. To get a free DVD for screening in your science classroom, send a request to Nat Geo.
Few Informative Tweets
Here are a few notable tweets with some additional information —
First woman astronaut from Italy Samantha Cristoforetti is pictured above.
Epilogue
Nat Geo has a reputation for some of the most beautiful and amazing photography and cinematography on Earth and creating educational, inspiring and stimulating shows. This show is expected to meet and exceed their own standards. The unique perspectives of the astronauts will make this series that much more rewarding to watch.
Will Smith is certainly no David Attenborough, but he is a gifted actor, exuding warmth and charisma, who can reach out to a wide audience.
I am certainly looking forward to the series.
Further Reading
- One Strange Rock — channel.nationalgeographic.com/…
- Nutopia — www.nutopia.com/…
- NASA page on One Strange Rock — www.nasa.gov/...
- Nat Geo Series 'One Strange Rock' Provides Unique Perspective On Planet Earth — www.forbes.com/…
- National Geographic's 'One Strange Rock' to Reveal Astronauts' View of Earth — www.space.com/…
- A Meditative View of Earth and Space — www.dailykos.com/…