NBC premieres Surviving Earth documentary series

A new documentary series exploring the resilience of life across Earth's history premiered on NBC on Thursday, June 11, 2026. "Surviving Earth" transports viewers back hundreds of millions of years to witness prehistoric creatures and the catastrophic events they endured.

The eight-part series, which airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC, uses advanced computer-generated imagery to recreate ancient landscapes and long-extinct animals. The premiere episode, titled "When the Earth Burned," focuses on a family of gorgonopsids, mammal-like reptiles, struggling to survive amidst extreme heat and predators. The series spans approximately 450 million years, featuring creatures from giant sea scorpions to mammoths and saber-toothed cats, and examines their survival through events like meteor strikes, volcanic eruptions, and dramatic climate shifts.

Episodes become available for on-demand streaming on Peacock the day after their television broadcast. For viewers without a traditional cable subscription, the series is accessible through various streaming platforms that carry NBC, such as YouTube TV, Fubo, and DirecTV Stream, some of which offer free trial periods.