Some entertainment press announcements are genuine moments to celebrate. For parents (me) and Gen Jones grandparents (also me) who grew up watching Marlin Perkins, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom is back with a new generation of wild adventures, and it remains the kind of television families can enjoy together.
The Generational Joys of Wild Kingdom
If you grew up watching television in the 1960s or 1970s, chances are you remember Wild Kingdom. Maybe it was the distinctive opening music, the anticipation of seeing which wild animal would appear next, or Marlin Perkins, the iconic host whose calm, authoritative presence made the world's most remote
wilderness feel surprisingly close to home.
For generations of American families, Wild Kingdom wasn't simply a wildlife program. It was an invitation to explore, discover, and imagine. More than six decades after the original series premiered in 1963, that invitation continues.
Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom: Protecting the Wild returns for its fourth season Saturday, October 3, at 10 a.m. ET on NBC's The More You Know educational/informational programming block.
And for parents looking for something they can confidently watch with children of all ages, Season 4 offers plenty of reasons to make it a family viewing event.
The original series is available on MeTV, but heres' a look back at one of those classic episodes, with a introduction by one of the current hosts:
What's Up in Season 4
The new Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom: Protecting the Wild follows wildlife expert Peter Gros and wildlife ecologist Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant as they travel to some of the world's most spectacular natural environments, meeting extraordinary animals and the people working to protect them.
The season premiere takes Gros and Wynn-Grant into the ecosystem-rich rainforests of Costa Rica in search of one of the world's most elusive big cats: the jaguar.
Once ranging as far north as New Mexico and Arizona, jaguars have disappeared from much of their former North American range and remain an endangered species in the United States.
Wonderful archival footage is woven into the premiere from six decades ago of MarlIn Perkins and his zoologist co-host, Jim Fowler, in Mexico, as they filmed a mother jaguar teaching her cub how to swim.
Talking to the Co-Hosts
The two new co-hosts commented exclusively to Family Theater Productions ahead of the premiere. For Gros, being part of the Wild Kingdom tradition is personal.
He says:
I'm thrilled for viewers to join us on another season of unforgettable adventures, from the rainforests of Costa Rica to the wilds of Alaska, where every journey brings us face-to-face with incredible animals and the remarkable people working to protect them.
Carrying forward the legacy of Marlin Perkins is both an honor and a responsibility, and I hope these stories inspire families to get outside, explore, and develop a lifelong appreciation for the natural world.
That last part may be the best reason for parents to tune in. This isn't television that simply asks children to sit and watch animals. It encourages them to wonder about them.
From Marlin Perkins to a New Generation
The original Wild Kingdom helped establish wildlife television as a family-friendly form of adventure. Perkins brought viewers into jungles, deserts, oceans and remote wilderness areas, introducing millions of Americans to animals and environments they might never encounter in their everyday lives.
For many families, it was a first glimpse of a world beyond their own backyard, and an invitation to be curious about what lived there.
Today's Wild Kingdom carries that legacy forward while reflecting a changing understanding of our relationship with the natural world. The emphasis isn't simply on observing wildlife. It's on understanding what it takes to protect it.
That means Season 4 introduces young viewers not only to extraordinary animals, but also to the conservationists, veterinarians, wildlife experts and local communities working to preserve their habitats and protect vulnerable species.
A jaguar in the Costa Rican rainforest isn't simply a magnificent animal to admire. Its story can lead a child to wonder about the habitat it needs, the ecosystem it helps sustain, and what happens when that delicate balance is disrupted.
An encounter with a sea otter or orca can open the door to an entirely different conversation about the health of our oceans.
That's where Wild Kingdom can become more than a television adventure. It can become a starting point for discovery, sending a child from the family room to a book about wildlife, a map of Costa Rica, a conversation about conservation or, better yet, outside to look more closely at the natural world around them.
It's the kind of television that doesn't simply tell children about the wild. It encourages them to wonder about it, care about it and understand why it is worth protecting.
A Wild Journey Around the Globe
Season 4 takes Gros and Wynn-Grant from the rainforests of Costa Rica to the wilderness of Alaska, with additional adventures in Queensland, Australia; Puerto Rico; California; and Utah. Along the way, families will encounter some extraordinary animals, including jaguars, grizzly bears, koalas, tapirs, spider monkeys, sea otters and orcas.
And the locations are every bit as impressive as the wildlife. One of the season's highlights takes Gros into Alaska with Dylan Dreyer, co-host of the third hour of Today, who's also an NBC News meteorologist and host of Earth Odyssey. Together, they kayak through iceberg-covered waters and encounter sea otters and sea lions.
Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant says:
Season 4 is filled with amazing wildlife encounters, breathtaking destinations, and inspiring stories that I can't wait to share with viewers. To be part of the Wild Kingdom legacy that Marlin Perkins began is incredibly meaningful, and I hope this season sparks curiosity and adventure in the next generation of wildlife lovers."
For children, it's a genuine adventure. For parents, it's a chance to explore a little of Alaska from the family room. And for anyone who remembers Perkins venturing into the wild decades ago, there is something wonderfully familiar about seeing today's hosts doing much the same thing.
The cameras are better. The technology is different. The science has evolved. But the sense of discovery remains.
Wynn-Grant says:
“I hope this season sparks curiosity.”
Wynn-Grant understands the importance of that sense of wonder for young viewers.
As a wildlife ecologist, she brings a scientific perspective to the adventures, but she also sees the series as an opportunity to encourage the next generation to become curious about the natural world.
Family Viewing Details
Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom: Protecting the Wild Season 4 premieres Saturday, October 3, at 10 a.m. ET on NBC as part of The More You Know educational/informational weekend programming block. Times may vary by local market.
The series is also available through Peacock and NBC.com, with episodes airing on Telemundo as well.
Image: NBC
April Neale is a mother of two and grandmother of five. She is a career journalist whose articles have been published in national and international publications. She is a longtime member of the Critics Choice and Television Critics Association.
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