The Animal Within (6 x 60), produced in 4K, looks under the skin of some of nature’s most perfect machines and investigates how centuries of beta testing have created incredible over-achievers in the animal world. Across six episodes that blend stunning natural history with CGI and the latest science, the series sets out to answer a number of fascinating questions: What does it take to make a top performer in the fastest, toughest and most cunning creature categories? What biological ‘tech’ enabled some species to survive even massive extinction events? And what can we learn today from the infinite perfecting of truly wild technology?
With contributions from engineers, biologists, and other experts, the series investigates how animals can outperform our wildest engineering dreams. For example, why can a jaguar effortlessly drag cumbersome prey up a tree when engineers have struggled to create even the simplest climbing robot? Could the secret to a shark’s limitless regeneration of teeth and the tarantula’s sugar-based exoskeleton hold the key to solving some of our deadliest diseases? The Animal Within examines the most amazing and puzzling characteristics of nature’s ultimate machines, seeking to solve those mysteries of engineering still eluding our human grasp.
Daniel Oron, Director and Executive Producer on the series says: “We are thrilled to have been commissioned for Autentic’s channels. The business is known internationally for its commitment to high-quality documentary productions and we are extremely proud to partner with the team on this exhilarating new series. The Animal Within travels the world to bring new insights to unexpected species that nature has been busy perfecting over the ages – from hippo chemists who manufacture their own sunscreen to ant architects who create complex structures. As humans, we think we have all the answers, but we will electrifyingly demonstrate that nature so often has the upper hand and can serve as the most experienced of teachers.”
The Animal Within will premiere on Spiegel TV Wissen in December. The series is executive produced by Daniel Oron and Natasha Ryan from Go Button Media and Alexandra Böhm, Head of International Co-production at Autentic. It delivers later this autumn and will be distributed internationally (exc Canada) by Autentic Distribution.
