From the Shakespearian power struggles of Succession to the high-stakes survival of The Lion King, natural history filmmaking is entering a visceral new era with the arrival of Kingdom. Spent over an unprecedented five years in the heart of Zambia’s Nsefu Sector, the series trades traditional nature vignettes for a “bingeable” narrative centered on the shifting fortunes of four rival animal families. Executive Producer Mike Gunton to discuss the “white-knuckle ride” of capturing these overlapping lives, why the legendary Sir David Attenborough is the essential guide for such a raw journey, and why he’s firmly “Team Olimba” when it comes to the show’s breakout leopard star.
What sets Kingdom apart from other NHU (Natural History Unit) series?
If I had to pick one word to describe Kingdom it would be ‘intensity’. It’s almost Shakespearean in its feel, and it’s incredibly ambitious in its scale. It’s a story that speaks across the ages because it focuses on four families in one location all struggling to survive. They’ve got their internal struggles, but they’ve also got struggles against the other rival families. And this creates a really intriguing tapestry of rich stories.
It’s high drama – it’s got a bit of Game of Thrones, it’s got a bit of Succession, but it’s also got a bit of The Lion King. But Kingdom also has this wonderful warmth about it. It can be quite a white-knuckle ride at times, but there are also some wonderful moments of beauty and tenderness. We’ve tried to construct it as a bingeable continuing narrative.
We filmed over five years, which is the longest we have ever continuously filmed in one location, and that in itself is quite an achievement. There are of course risks to putting all your eggs in one basket by focusing solely on one location, but it has absolutely paid off with Kingdom.
We worked closely with the local scientists and conservationists on the ground in Nsefu. A lot of them have been there for generations, so they know all the stories, the backgrounds and the family lineages of all the main players. That gives us a huge advantage in figuring out what’s going on between these four families.
What can audiences expect to see?
From the start when we’re parachuted into this extraordinary location, it’s in complete turmoil. The lion pride, which has previously been dominant, has depleted and suddenly, out of nowhere, a family of wild dogs arrives on the scene and creates utter chaos. We see this unfold through the eyes of all the main players. We get to see it through the eyes of this wonderful leopard, Olimba, who has been in Nsefu for all her life and seen all manner of things come and go. We have a hyena family and then a lion family which has depleted in numbers and has lost its ‘mojo’.
Over five episodes, we see how the power of these rival families waxes and wanes. We start off with the dogs in the ascendant, and then something happens to them, and then suddenly the hyenas are in the ascendant, but then something happens to them… So you’re constantly caught in this rollercoaster of shifting power dynamics. It’s a bit like watching the top of the Premier League, like a leaderboard of who’s winning and who’s losing. You’ve got this constant sense of wondering what’s going to happen next. And I think as you watch it you begin to start rooting for a team, but what’s strange is that you’ll probably also switch teams as the story goes on. One minute you’re team lion, the next you might be team hyena.
I don’t think anybody’s ever tried to tell this story from so many different perspectives. And the thing that I think is really exciting about it is that it doesn’t feel like you’re creating this in the cutting room. It feels very real, very observed and very of the moment. You don’t feel the hand of the filmmaker as such – it feels authentic and very visceral. Even though it’s filmed beautifully, it almost feels like you’re watching everything unfold through CCTV.
There are some real gut-churning moments in Kingdom, but then also some very warm and tender family moments. For you, do you have a particular highlight from the show?
I think the moment that we meet Olimba, and you see this beautiful leopard with her young cubs, and you’re lulled into this very idyllic moment of wonderful natural history. Then, suddenly, out of nowhere, these wild dogs come in like a rampaging army and turn everything upside down. They chase all the prey around, Olimba has to disappear – even the elephants are freaked out. It’s a very dramatic incident.
If you were writing a drama, that’s the kind of moment you would want to write into the script. That sets the scene of the series so powerfully. I think that’s a favourite moment for me.
If you had to pick, are you Team Lion, Team Leopard, Team Wild Dog or Team Hyena?
Oh, team Olimba, definitely! Of all these animals, she’s at the bottom of the pecking order. We think of leopards as these beautiful and very powerful animals, but actually because they’re solitary, they find it quite tough in an environment surrounded by these other multi-individual animal families and packs.
These families have the numbers, which is essentially a kind of power which Olimba never has, so she’s always having to bob and weave between them all. But she’s so clever, she’s so accomplished and she’s such a survivor. I love the fact that throughout all this turmoil and the ups and downs of all these other players coming and going, retreating, and the rest of it, throughout all of that, she’s still there.
She nurtures, yet she also then has to give out some tough love, and then she also has to look after herself, and then she has to try and find a male. She has to be clever, she has to make difficult decisions about herself and her family, which I think are very empathetic.
What do you hope audiences take away from Kingdom?
I want audiences to marvel at these animals and the intensity of their day to day lives in Nsefu. I want audiences to witness the determination of these animals to do what it takes to survive and do the best they can for themselves and their families. It’s quite reflective of our own lives. We have our own ups and downs, but these animals, every single day, are having to make intense life of death decisions. They have such resilience. I think it’s very uplifting in that way. Of course, it’s a tough watch at times but ultimately, it’s about resilience, hope, and success.
Having spent so much time observing these animals and filming them, we’re seeing amazing bits of animal behaviour that people have never seen on television before, like wild dogs working together to force hyenas off a kill.
I think there’s a lot we can learn from the show on animal behaviour. I believe audiences will learn more about Africa and East African predators from Kingdom than anywhere else. These predators are top of the food chain and what they do influences the whole ecosystem, like a pyramid, it trickles down.
The stars of our show are of course our four rival families, but we’ll see all sorts of other creatures, from hippos to storks and crocodiles. There’s lots of supporting characters who have important roles to play.
What does it mean to have Sir David Attenborough narrate the series?
I’ve worked with David for many years, and every show I’ve worked with him on he always brings that important ingredient. It’s more than just being the voice, whether that’s authenticity, intensity, or whether that’s humour. Kingdom is not a fairy story, it’s a very real story. And I think you need David with you to guide you through it and to reassure you that it will be all right in the end.
There’s going to be some ups and downs, but it’s worth the journey. I suppose it’s just having him hold your hand, saying, this is going to be a bumpy ride, but stick with it, it’s going to be amazing. And he does that so brilliantly. Nsefu is a dynamic place, stuff happens completely out of the blue and things are constantly changing. It’s sometimes rough and raw, but it’s also gorgeous and beautiful. Having David there brings that safety.
Kingdom airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on BBC Earth. The first two episodes are now streaming on BBC Earth via Prime Video Channels. There is a nationwide Free Preview of BBC Earth running through April 30.
