RIVERS OF LIFE

Thursdays, Dec. 1 - 15, 2022 at 7 p.m. on KPBS 2 / On demand now with KPBS Passport!

Experience the extraordinary animals, epic landscapes, and remarkable people who live alongside three iconic rivers - the Amazon, the Nile and the Mississippi in this landmark three-part series made in conjunction with the BBC.

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Nile crocodiles can reach over 5 meters long, and are a common sight on the river banks of Murchison Falls National Park. With one of the strongest bites in nature, few will get in their way.

Courtesy of BBC/Lydia Baines

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Huge islands of floating papyrus flow down the Nile in Uganda - these are an irresistible feast for the elephant, who will spend most of their waking hours chewing through this lush vegetation.

Courtesy of BBC/Lydia Baines

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Hippos spend most of their day in the water, to keep cool from the heat of the African sun. Hippos have glands underneath the skin that secrete a sweat like substance that acts as both a sun screen and an antibiotic.

Courtesy of BBC

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This was once the country house of brutal Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin. Its last human inhabitants left in 1979, and it has now been reclaimed by nature, housing quite a plethora of new guests.

Courtesy of BBC

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The "Blue Lagoon" is spring fed and very unusually for the Amazon has wonderful transparent water making it a window into it's secret underwater world. It's a natural aquarium.

Courtesy of BBC

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The Cristalino river is especially rich in butterflies with more than 1500 species. They flock together on river beaches to feast on salts in animal urine and bird droppings.

Courtesy of BBC/Joao Paulo Krajewski

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Hoatzins are some of the most unusual birds in the world, often called stinkbirds due to the side effects of their strange diet. They eat leaves, and have a specialized gut to help them digest their food. They are essentially flying compost heaps. Their young are some of the only birds in the world to have claws on their wings.

Courtesy of BBC/Joao Paulo Krajewski

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The Atchafalaya Swamp in La., fed by the Mississippi, is the largest swamp in the United States.

Courtesy of BBC

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River guide, John Ruskey paddles through the Atchafalaya Swamp in La., fed by the Mississppi, this is the largest swamp in the United States.

Courtesy of BBC/Chris Vile

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Huge groups of American White Pelicans flock to feed on migrating fish, coralled beneath a dam at the outflow of Marsh Lake in Minn.

Courtesy of BBC/Simon Blakeney

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The Madison River, a distant tributory of the Mississippi, which is kept flowing year round by the steaming geysers of Yellowstone National Park.

Courtesy of BBC/Simon Blakeney

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Aaron Mulkey climbing a frozen waterfall as the ice is constantly moving and creaking. He must try to pick the safest route to the top.

Courtesy of BBC/Simon Blakeney

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In Uganda, the 50 meter wide Nile is squeezed through a 7 meter chasm in the rocks. This creates one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world - Murchison Falls. The thunderous noise of the falls can be heard miles away.

Courtesy of BBC/Lydia Baines

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Juan Flores is an Ashankinka shamen or "Sheripiari." He is a reknowned spiritual healer who mixes extracts from wild medicinal plants with water from the "boiling river" at Mayantuyacu in Peru.

Courtesy of BBC/Mark Flowers

EPISODE GUIDE:

Episode 1: “The Nile” Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022 at 7 p.m. on KPBS 2 - The Nile is the world's longest river. From elephants and leopards to extreme kayakers and ancient wonders, its great length provides a lifeline for Africa's wildest beasts and for some of the world's most incredible cultures.

More clips:
Murchison Falls
Nesting Crocodiles and Nile Monitor Lizards
Ancient Egypt
The Reclaimed Abandoned Lodge

Episode 2: “The Amazon” Thursday, Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. on KPBS 2 - The Amazon, the greatest river system on Earth, amasses one-fifth of Earth's freshwater as it flows east from the Andes to the Atlantic. Boiling streams, crystal clear lagoons, pink river dolphins and a strange new reef are some of its many secret and extreme worlds.

More clips:
Swimming With the Forest Dolphins of the Amazon
Dive Into the Amazons Secret Blue Lagoon
The Amazon's Flood Transitions
Meet the New Cichlid Family

Episode 3: “The Mississippi” Thursday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. on KPBS 2 - See the many faces of the massive, muddy Mississippi. Its fingers stretch into nearly half of the USA, from the frozen north to the nation's agricultural heart to mysterious southern swamps where alligators still rule.

More clips:
White Pelicans Feeding in Minnesota
Reddish Egrets Feeding in Louisiana
Mississippi River Barges at Night
Brainerd Ice Fishing Contest

Watch On Your Schedule:

Episodes from Seasons 1 and 2 are now 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.