WILD SCANDINAVIA

Premieres Wednesdays, May 10 - 24, 2023 at 8 p.m. on KPBS TV / PBS App + Encore Sundays, May 14 - May 28 at 3 p.m. on KPBS TV + 8 p.m. on KPBS 2

This breathtaking natural history series immerses the audience in three iconic Scandinavian landscapes: the hauntingly beautiful coast; the magical seasonal forests, and the volcanic and arctic extremes. Surprising wildlife stories of lynx and puffins, orca and wolves, reveal the resilient spirit of Scandinavia. Myth and modernity co-exist: Odin and Thor, base jumpers, and reindeer herders are all woven into this icy natural world.

1 of 15

Just three weeks after they're born, baby grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) are abandoned by their mothers on a remote rocky island in Sweden. (Skarv, Sweden)

Courtesy of Jonas Stenstrom

2 of 15

Svalbard’s polar bears (Ursus maritimus) have scent glands in their paws that broadcast information about them to potential mates- and rivals.

Courtesy of Albert Michaud

3 of 15

Scandinavia’s most secretive inhabitant, thousands of lynx slink through the dark forests but are almost never seen.

Courtesy of Sven Erik Arndt/Arterra Picture Library

4 of 15

Even supreme hunters such as golden eagles must rely on carrion during Sweden's freezing winter.

Courtesy of Thomas Bernhardsson

5 of 15

Sami herder Margret Fjellström moves her reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) to new feeding areas through the Swedish forest by snowmobile.

Courtesy of Billy Clapham/BBC Studios

6 of 15

Having spent the winter out at sea, an Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) returns to its breeding colony on the island of Hornoya, Norway.

Courtesy of Jesse Wilkinson

7 of 15

Orcas

Courtesy of Greg Lecoeur/BBC Studios

8 of 15

In the Lofoten Archipelago, over 100 miles north of the Arctic Circle, the warmth of the gulf stream means that the sea never freezes. (Lofoten, Norway)

Courtesy of Tuppence Stone/BBC Studios

9 of 15

The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, light up the winter skies in Northern Iceland. (Westfjords, Iceland)

Courtesy of Russell Barnett/BBC Studios

10 of 15

Scandinavia holds the vast majority of Europe’s fresh water, held in millions of lakes that were forged by glaciers during the last ice age.

Courtesy of Ingrid Kvale/BBC Studios

11 of 15

Hansbreen Glacier sits near the mouth of the Hornsund Fjord in Svalbard, just one of over 2000 glaciers in the high Arctic archipelago.

Courtesy of Billy Clapham/BBC Studios

12 of 15

Birna skis across the Icelandic Highlands on her adventure to the hot springs at Landmannalaugar.

Courtesy of Russell Barnett/BBC Studios

13 of 15

In Sweden, a group of skaters search for black ice: freshly formed ice only just thick enough to hold a skater’s weight that is perfectly smooth. (Stockholm, Sweden)

Courtesy of Billy Clapham/BBC Studios

14 of 15

Within the fjords of Flatanger, the seawater can become perfectly calm. (Flatanger, Norway)

Courtesy of Russell Barnett/BBC Studios

15 of 15

On Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsular, Fagradalsfjall Volcano spews molten lava across the valley.

Courtesy of Stefan Forster

EPISODE GUIDE:

Episode 1: “Life on the Edge” Premieres Wednesday, May 10 at 8 p.m. on KPBS TV + Encores Sunday, May 14 at 3 p.m on KPBS TV + 8 p.m. on KPBS 2 - Explore Scandinavia's wild and unpredictable coast, a place of haunting beauty and dangerous extremes. This journey begins around the Swedish Baltic Sea, which includes iconic fjords; home to eagles, otters, base jumpers, and orcas.

Episode 2: “Heartlands” Premieres Wednesday, May 17 at 8 p.m. on KPBS TV + Encores Sunday, May 21 at 3 p.m. on KPBS TV + 8 p.m. on KPBS 2 - Journey to the enchanted Scandinavian Forest, an ancient land shrouded in myth and legend. Elusive wolves and lynx stalk this secret world, while osprey and reindeer survive the ever-changing seasons through surprising and ancient alliances.

Episode 3: “Fire and Ice”Premieres Wednesday, May 24 at 8 p.m. on KPBS TV + Encores Sunday, May 28 at 3 p.m. on KPBS TV + 8 p.m. on KPBS 2 - Discover Scandinavia's kingdoms of fire and ice. Awake under the long polar night, Muskoxen, polar bears, and arctic foxes must navigate the dramatic transformation of their world as it melts into a sleepless rush of life under the midnight sun.

Watch On Your Schedule:

With the PBS App, stream your favorite PBS shows, create the perfect watchlist, connect with your local station, and more — anywhere you watch.