The Watchman: Baratunde Thurston Gets Around in Season 2 of ‘America Outdoors’
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America Outdoors With Baratunde Thurston starts season two on PBS September 6. Thurston, an author, comedian and podcaster, hosts.
Thurston has added executive producer to his role. It means “seeing more of the operation, which helps me do the job in the field when I understand how we got to choose this spot,” he said at a press event.
Season two will examine the link between human wellness and time spent outside.
The host ventures to Georgia to check out the Suwanee, to Arkansas to see why so
many residents spend so much time outside, to Utah to examine what draws the modern pilgrims and to the forests of Oregon, among other locales. He made a point of finding spots other travel shows and reporters may have overlooked.
“You can’t call the show America Outdoors and just be in the Northeast or the Southeast or just out West,” he said. “You have to get around.”
What Not To Watch Before Heading to the Ocean
Scripted shows are hard to come by, but The CW has The Swarm, about a mysterious life force causing havoc in our oceans. It premieres September 12.
Like most any scripted show debuting in the U.S., The Swarm has aired in other nations. It is a coproduction involving broadcasters in Germany, Italy, France, Scandinavia and Japan. Based on the novel by Frank Schätzing, The Swarm is created by Frank Doelger, Eric Welbers, Marc Huffam and Ute Leonhardt.
Doelger, who was an executive producer on Game of Thrones, said the project had a “troubled history” with filmmakers. “It would be difficult to make as a feature, as a disaster movie,” he said. “That would cheat the audience out of some of the things that are extraordinary about the book, such as the scale of it. I thought, if we make it, we have to make a monster movie, not a disaster movie.”
He ended up making a monster series. Asked about his influences, Doelger mentioned Jaws, Chernobyl and Game of Thrones. From Jaws, he learned to hold off on revealing the monster as long as possible. From Chernobyl, he learned how good sound effects make the bad guy’s presence felt even when he is not seen. From Game of Thrones, he learned to balance reality with fantasy.
Despite its international roots, The Swarm’s primary language is English. Doelger said that is the default language of the global scientific community.
The show sends a message about environmental crises. It also shows some clever people who are addressing them. “It’s really important that people don’t lose hope,” he said. “As dire as the situation is, there are people who can do something about it.”
