| Our Great National Parks | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Docuseries |
| Presented by | Barack Obama |
| Composer | David Schweitzer |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 5 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | James Honeybourne |
| Producer | Sarah Peat |
| Running time | 50–54 min |
| Production companies | Freeborne Media Wild Space Productions Higher Ground Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | April 13, 2022 (2022-04-13) |
Our Great National Parks is a five-partNetflix documentary series about some of the world's national parks and their wildlife. It is presented by formerpresident of the United StatesBarack Obama and was released on April 13, 2022.[1]
The documentary received generally positive reviews upon its release. A reviewer writing for theHollywood Reporter described Obama's skills as a narrator: "He explains the synergistic ways in which governmentally reserved natural spaces can have non-antagonistic relationships with nearby human populations. He contributes wry humor to the scripts, with their slightly superficial, overly anthropomorphic explanations for animal behavior. And, more than that, his trademark deliberate cadences and oft-emulated calculated pauses are a perfect delivery mechanism for letting lovely nature photography breathe", adding that it "doesn’t push too hard to be educational [but]....Just becauseOur Great National Parks isn’t always revelatory definitely doesn’t mean, though, that it isn’t generally attractive and occasionally breathtaking."[2]
A reviewer writing for theHouston Press said that the series is "the single most calming thing on television" and went on to say that "What truly sets Our Great National Parks apart, though, is the message woven into the episodes. Pragmatically, Obama tells us how various parts of humanity have made preserving the wild world a priority."[3]
The review in theSan Diego Union Tribune observed that the series is "devoted to the eye-popping, heart-stopping, consciousness-raising wonders of the world’s most astounding national parks."[4]
A less favorable review inThe Daily Telegraph described the series as "dazzlingly gorgeous yet a long way short of groundbreaking" and compared Obama's role negatively toDavid Attenborough, concluding "where David Attenborough enthusiastically brings to life the tooth and claw rhapsody of the natural world, Obama sounds stilted, even bored."[5]
| No. | Title | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "A World Of Wonder" | April 13, 2022 (2022-04-13) | |
From Africa's beaches to Japan's islands to Australia'sGreat Barrier Reef—the natural world's untamed beauty comes into focus | |||
| 2 | "Chilean Patagonia" | April 13, 2022 (2022-04-13) | |
Encompassing twenty-four unique national parks, the magnificent ChileanPatagonia is rapidly becoming one of the most protected places on the planet | |||
| 3 | "Tsavo, Kenya" | April 13, 2022 (2022-04-13) | |
In Kenya'sTsavo Conservation Area, thousands of elephants roam the breathtaking, vast landscape, along with hippos, rhinos, hornbills and more | |||
| 4 | "Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, USA" | April 13, 2022 (2022-04-13) | |
California's vibrant coastline gets its close-up, with an emphasis on the delicate balance struck between wildlife & humanity | |||
| 5 | "Gunung Leuser, Indonesia" | April 13, 2022 (2022-04-13) | |
Next stop:Gunung Leuser National Park in Indonesia, home to some of the most endangered species on earth, including the rareSumatran tiger | |||
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Narrator | Barack Obama(for "A World of Wonder") | Won | [6] |
| Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program | Christiaan Muñoz-Salas and Ignacio Walker(for "Chilean Patagonia") | Nominated | |||
| Critics' Choice Documentary Awards | Best Limited Documentary Series | Our Great National Parks | Nominated | [7] | |
| Best Narration | Barack Obama | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Cinematography Team | Won | |||
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | Original Song/Score — Documentary Series - TV/Digital | David Schweitzer | Nominated | [8] |
Netflixoriginal ended series and miniseries (2019–present) | |
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| First released 2019 |
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| First released 2020 |
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| First released 2021 |
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| First released 2022 |
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| First released 2023 |
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| First released 2024 |
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| First released 2025 |
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