Welcome to Earth (TV program)
American television program
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Welcome to Earth is a television series that follows actor Will Smith, as he sets out to offer an insight into some of the world's most remote and uncharted locations. The program debuted as a Disney+ Original on 8 December 2021, under the National Geographic banner, with all six episodes airing at once.[1] The title is a reference to a line of dialog spoken by Smith as the character, Captain Steven Hiller, in the film Independence Day.
| Welcome to Earth | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Docuseries |
| Presented by | Will Smith |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Ari Handel Darren Aronofsky Jane Root |
| Production locations | United Kingdom United States |
| Production companies | Nutopia Westbrook Studios Protozoa Pictures |
| Original release | |
| Network | Disney+ |
| Release | 8 December 2021 |
Premise
Will Smith is guided by experienced National Geographic Explorers, traveling to places such as remote islands in the Pacific, to the Namib Desert.[2]
Production
After filming One Strange Rock, National Geographic suggested Will Smith to become the narrator of a new television program.[3] Welcome to Earth was filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] The program was produced for Disney+ by Nutopia, Westbrook Studios and Protozoa Pictures.[citation needed]
Episodes
| No. | Title | Original release date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Silent Roar" | 8 December 2021 |
| 2 | "Descent Into Darkness" | 8 December 2021 |
| 3 | "Mind of the Swarm" | 8 December 2021 |
| 4 | "Power of Scent" | 8 December 2021 |
| 5 | "Speed of Life" | 8 December 2021 |
| 6 | "Beyond Fear" | 8 December 2021 |
Release
The program premiered on Disney+ on 8 December 2021.[4]
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the first season of the program holds an approval rating of 100%, based on 9 reviews, with an average rating of 7.00/10.[5] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 63 out of 100 based on 50 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[6]
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | LifeArt Festival | Festival Selection | Welcome to Earth | Won | [7] |
| 2022 | Golden Reel Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing - Non-Theatrical Documentary | Jay Price, Rob Price, Tom Foster, Stuart Bagshaw, Ruth Sullivan, Ben Smithers | Nominated | [8] |