WILD KINGDOM RETURNS TO NBC

Updated on November 29, 2023

Sixty years after its original debut on broadcast TV, the groundbreaking wildlife show Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom will return to NBC this fall with an original new series produced by Hearst Media Production Group (HMPG) in an exclusive partnership with Mutual of Omaha.

Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild Premiere Information 

Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild premieres Saturday, October 7 on NBC’s “The More You Know” programming block, marking an historic return of Wild Kingdom to the network after more than 30 years. The educational/informational series will also be available on NBC.com and NBC VOD. 

“This is a well-known, enduring franchise that’s literally part of television history,” said Frank Biancuzzo, HMPG president. “Together with Mutual of Omaha and NBC, we’re looking forward to creating new and memorable wildlife adventures.”

Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting The Wild will be hosted by veteran wildlife expert and former host of the original Wild Kingdom series, Peter Gros, who has more than 30 years of field experience with wildlife and endangered species. Gros first appeared on Wild Kingdom in 1985 as co-host with Jim Fowler, who succeeded legendary zoologist and show founder Marlin Perkins. He’ll be joined by wildlife ecologist Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, a National Geographic Explorer and research faculty member at the University of California – Santa Barbara.

“With its premiere in 1963, Wild Kingdom pioneered the nature adventure genre, setting the standard for today’s wildlife programming,” said Jennifer Wulf, vice president, brand marketing for Mutual of Omaha. “Through our partnership with HMPG, we are excited to remain at the forefront of compelling wildlife conservation efforts and success stories.”

HMPG is a leader in the wildlife programming genre, including Wildlife Nation, hosted by Jeff Corwin; Earth Odyssey, hosted by Dylan Dreyer; Wild Child, hosted by Sheinelle Jones; and Oh Baby!, hosted by Janai Norman.  HMPG’s growing library of digital offerings includes The Jack Hanna Channel on leading streaming platforms.  Overall, HMPG’s current program portfolio comprises more than 30 original series and hundreds of hours of original content annually on leading broadcast networks and station groups and on connected TV and streaming platforms.  It has a library of more than 4,000 hours of programming and its content can be found in 97 countries.  HMPG was recently honored with 86 national Telly Awards and named Telly “Company of the Year,” recognized as a standout for equity and inclusion programming.

About Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom

Since its network television premiere in 1963, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom has been one of the most loved and respected wildlife programs in television history.  Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild will celebrate stories of conservation success, including the great work of caring, compassionate experts and how they are making a positive impact on the Wild Kingdom. For more information about Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, visit WildKingdom.com. 

About Mutual of Omaha

Founded in 1909, Mutual of Omaha is a highly rated, Fortune 500 organization offering a variety of insurance and financial products for individuals, businesses and groups throughout the United States. As a mutual company, Mutual of Omaha is owned by its policyholders and committed to providing outstanding service to its customers. For more information about Mutual of Omaha, visit www.mutualofomaha.com.  

About Hearst Media Production Group

Hearst Media Production Group (HMPG), a business unit of Hearst Television, is an independent producer and distributor of original programming for TV stations, broadcast and cable networks and streaming services. HMPG produces hundreds of hours of programming annually across linear, streaming, digital and social media platforms for domestic and international distribution in nearly 100 countries.  Its popular shows include the Emmy® Award-winning educational/informational (E/I) programming blocks airing weekends nationwide including “Weekend Adventure,” on ABC stations; “CBS Dream Team,” on the CBS Network; “The More You Know,” on the NBC Network; “One Magnificent Morning,” on The CW Network; “Mi Telemundo” on the Telemundo Network and “Go Time” on independent stations. HMPG also produces and/or distributes a diverse slate of other programming and content including Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien, America’s #1 nationally syndicated public affairs news magazine; Consumer Reports TV, and the company’s dedicated FAST channels Xplore, The Jack Hanna Channel and Rovr Pets, available on some of the most popular smart TVs and streaming platforms.   HMPG has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Charlotte.  HMPG is represented by United Talent Agency.