The Americas

NBC's website addresses the question of whether or not AI was used in the show. The following text is from NBC's website:

"Anyone who tuned into the first two episodes of NBC's The Americas may have questions like "Is this real?" or "Am I just seeing AI or CGI?" While it's a testament to how incredible and unbelievable the footage is, the truth is the fantastic nature footage is just the result of innovative filming techniques and clever, dedicated camera operators.

Is The Americas show AI? No. While AI imagery can produce some pretty surreal-looking things, the footage found in The Americas comes straight from real life, which makes it all the more impressive. Artificial Intelligence still can't create some of the wonders that are found right in our continent's backyards.

The footage captured by The Americas crew is not the generated by AI or CGI. Instead, it's the fruit of more than 180 expeditions to some of the most hostile and gorgeous places on Earth, according to the BBC. The team behind the show was dedicated to capturing some of these natural wonders in unrivaled detail in ways never seen before. So, if it looks like something totally unreal, it's probably because no one has ever shot nature quite like this before.

How was The Americas filmed?

The BBC, which co-produced The Americas, notes it wanted to create an immersive viewing experience with the series, which meant going to faraway places and getting a look at some of the more difficult-to-see spots within them. The Americas will take viewers up into the sky with helicopters and drones, under the sea with rafts and rebreathers and even underground with computer-controlled camera rigs and 360-degree probe scopes.

In total, roughly 35 camera models were used for specific applications that brought nature to life in The Americas to help tell the story of wildlife in never-before-seen and visually stunning ways."

I genuinely enjoyed this series and looked forward to watching it every week. It captured so many beautiful places and creatures in the wild spaces of North and South America, from the largest to the smallest. It was also very well narrated by Tom Hanks.

I highly recommend the last episode, which highlights how the series was made. The camera crew seem to be well suited to the kind of work required to produce the series, which was very complicated and adventurous. They needed to work in many different types of environments and climates and operate their equipment in all sorts of weather conditions. They also had close encounters with wild animals, often unintentionally when they were unexpectedly approached.

If there is a DVD version of this series, I would definitely be interested in purchasing it and gifting it to my grandchildren.

The content, visuals, and narration are OUTSTANDING!!!! But, everything would be perfect if the music didn't drowned out Mr. Hanks wonderful narrative!! The music is lovely but too loud!!!! I want to hear the narrative as well! The visuals are so full of color and expressive action! The narrative tells an impressive tale giving the viewer background stories and remarkable details. I could watch these over and over catching new details each time. Mr. Hanks is absolutely amazing the way he delivers the information!! The production is thoughtful but not forced. There is humor, emotion, excitement, and danger. All the elements are presented in perfect balance, except the music level.

The stunning visuals for this series are exemplary. This is a mind-blowing, informative experience. As with most nature programs, this puts our humanity into perspective. The script takes a traditional approach: it's a blend of intriguing facts, anthropomorphism, and humorous quips to keep the viewers coming back.

Here's my main disappointment: the audio mix is frequently imbalanced. As others have mentioned, there are moments when the narration is gobbled up by the heavy-handed music. This is a common occurrence nowadays. They want the viewers to feel a certain way, so they attempt to sway us by either increasing the volume or using songs which trigger heightened emotions. It's an old trick that doesn't work for some of us.

Aside from the above, I still recommend this series. Here's a workaround which I prefer. I turn the volume off and tweak the Caption settings to my liking. When an animal sound comes on, I temporarily turn up the volume.

Do yourself a favor and watch this. Surreal images & things you've never seen. Great narrating. Amazing information and pictures. I can't even wrap my head around how they got all this video. You will be amazed at the nature and the wildlife that you never knew existed. This is a great series for the whole family to watch. You will be educated as well as your kids. I can't get this show enough praise and I hope it wins a lot of awards. Watch it on a big screen TV and turn the lights out and you will be totally mesmerized and your mind will be blown. This is the best non-regular program I have ever seen in my life.