Encore Wednesdays, Jan. 5 - 26, 2022 at 10 p.m. and Sundays, Jan. 9 - 30 at 2 p.m. on KPBS TV + Sundays, Jan. 9 - 30 at 10 p.m. on KPBS 2 / Watch now with KPBS Passport!
—PBS Plunges into the Wonders of the Pacific Ocean—
Over four cinematic episodes and a “Making Of” special, BIG PACIFIC breaks boundaries between land and sea to survey the array of rare and dazzling creatures found in and around the Pacific Ocean. Actor and producer Daniel Dae Kim (HAWAII FIVE-0, LOST) narrates the series. Traveling coast to coast and examining the micro to the mega, BIG PACIFIC moves throughout the world’s largest ocean to present a broad range of locations, species, natural phenomena and behaviors.
Each episode focuses on an iconic characteristic of the Pacific — voracious, mysterious, violent and passionate — to weave stories from across the sea that illustrate the multi-faceted character of this ocean.
"PBS is the destination for fascinating and comprehensive science and nature programming year-round and we are excited to share BIG PACIFIC with audiences this summer,” said Pamela Aguilar, Senior Director of Programming & Development for PBS. “The Pacific Ocean is truly epic. It is an ocean so many people know, but it has many amazing untold stories found in its depths, from the mysterious sand circles of the Japanese coast to the behavioral adaptations of isolated island dwellers and the incredible appetites of the largest animals on earth.”
Filmed in ultra-high definition, BIG PACIFIC will present the ocean and its denizens in way never before seen on television.
EPISODE GUIDE:
Episode 1: "Mysterious" Encore Wednesday, Jan. 5 at 10 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 9 at 2 p.m. on KPBS TV + Sunday, Jan. 9 at 10 p.m. on KPBS 2 - Explore the mysterious Pacific – whose depths we are just beginning to explore. There are many unanswered questions we yearn to unravel, but the ocean doesn’t give up its secrets willingly.
Episode 2: "Violent" Encore Wednesday, Jan. 12 at 10 p.m., Sunday, Jan, 16 at 2 p.m. on KPBS TV + Sunday, Jan. 16 at 10 p.m. on KPBS 2 - Understand how the Pacific, surrounded by the Ring of Fire, is the epicenter of natural mayhem. Violence is part of life in the great ocean, and creatures that live there must choose whether to avoid conflict—or rise to meet it.
Episode 3: "Voracious" Encore Wednesday, Jan. 19 at 10 p.m., Sunday, Jan 23 at 2 p.m. on KPBS TV + Sunday, Jan. 23 at 10 p.m. on KPBS 2 - See how the challenge of finding food drives all life in the Pacific. Meet a destructive army of mouths, a killer with a hundred mouths and the biggest mouth in the ocean. For creatures large and small, every mouthful counts.
Episode 4: "Passionate" Encore Wednesday, Jan. 26 at 10 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 30 at 2 p.m. on KPBS TV + Sunday, Jan. 30 at 10 p.m. on KPBS 2 - See how the quest to multiply has spawned a stunning array of unusual behaviors and adaptations. View forest penguins with a tenuous marriage and the secret rendezvous of great white sharks, and hear the tale of male pregnancy.
Episode 5: "Behind The Scenes" not rescheduled to broadcast - Follow the adventures of the filmmakers behind BIG PACIFIC. This “making of” special explores the highlights and challenges of wildlife filmmaking.
WATCH ON YOUR SCHEDULE:
All episodes from this series are available on demand with KPBS Passport, a benefit for members supporting KPBS at $60 or more yearly, using your computer, smartphone, tablet, Roku, AppleTV, Amazon Fire or Chromecast. Learn how to activate your benefit now.
The series is available on Blu-ray and DVD from PBS at shopPBS.org. The companion book to the five-part series is published by the Princeton University Press - and is also available from PBS.
CREDITS:
The series was produced by NHNZ in association with PBS, ARTE France, CCTV9, Discovery Networks Europe, ZDF, ZDF Enterprises and NHK. The series was made possible by the Anne Ray Charitable Trust and public television viewers.
