Our Great National Parks

Our Great National Parks is a five-part Netflix documentary series about some of the world's national parks and their wildlife. It is presented by former president of the United States Barack Obama and was released on April 13, 2022.[1]

Our Great National Parks
GenreDocuseries
Presented byBarack Obama
ComposerDavid Schweitzer
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes5
Production
Executive producerJames Honeybourne
ProducerSarah Peat
Running time50–54 min
Production companiesFreeborne Media
Wild Space Productions
Higher Ground Productions
Release
Original networkNetflix
Original releaseApril 13, 2022 (2022-04-13)

Cast

Critical assessment

The documentary received generally positive reviews upon its release. A reviewer writing for the Hollywood 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 because Our 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 the Houston 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 the San 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 in The Daily Telegraph described the series as "dazzlingly gorgeous yet a long way short of groundbreaking" and compared Obama's role negatively to David Attenborough, concluding "where David Attenborough enthusiastically brings to life the tooth and claw rhapsody of the natural world, Obama sounds stilted, even bored."[5]

Episodes
No.TitleOriginal release date
1"A World Of Wonder"April 13, 2022 (2022-04-13)
From Africa's beaches to Japan's islands to Australia's Great 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 Chilean Patagonia is rapidly becoming one of the most protected places on the planet
3"Tsavo, Kenya"April 13, 2022 (2022-04-13)
In Kenya's Tsavo Conservation Area, thousands of elephants roam the breathtaking, vast landscape, along with hippos, rhinos, hornbills and more
4"Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary"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 rare Sumatran tiger

Release

Accolades
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]

References
  1. "Barack Obama Narrates A Gorgeous New Netflix Series: 'Our Great National Parks'". Forbes. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  2. Fienberg, Daniel (April 12, 2022). "Netflix's 'Our Great National Parks': TV Review: This five-episode look at natural preserves from Hawaii to Chile to Kenya to Indonesia features President Barack Obama as an on-camera presenter and ubiquitous narrator". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  3. Rouner, Jef (April 18, 2022). "Obama's National Parks Series is the Most Calming Thing on TV". Houston Press. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  4. Peterson, Karla (April 15, 2023). "In 'Our Great National Parks,' Netflix takes optimism out for a spin". San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  5. Power, Ed (April 6, 2022). "Our Great National Parks, review: nice try Obama, but Attenborough remains leader of the pack: Barack Obama's nature documentary is beautiful, but reminds us of the hole that will be left should David Attenborough retire". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  6. Moreau, Jordan (July 12, 2022). "Emmys 2022: Complete Nominations List". Variety. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  7. Davis, Clayton (October 17, 2022). "'Fire of Love' and 'Good Night Oppy' Lead Critics Choice Documentary Award Nominations". Variety. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  8. Anderson, Erik (November 3, 2022). "'Black Panther,' 'Bros,' 'Everything Everywhere All at Once,' 'Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio' lead Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMA) nominations". AwardsWatch. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
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