Welcome to Earth is a television series that follows actor Will Smith, as he sets out to offer an insight into some of the world's most remote and uncharted locations. The program debuted as a Disney+ Original on the 8th December 2021, under the National Geographic banner, with all six episodes airing at once. The title is a reference to a line of dialog spoken by Smith as the character, Captain Steven Hiller, in the film Independence Day.
Premise
Will Smith is guided by experienced National Geographic Explorers, traveling to places such as remote islands in the Pacific, to the Namib Desert.2
Production
After filming One Strange Rock, National Geographic suggested Will Smith to become the narrator of a new television program.3 Welcome to Earth was filmed during the Covid-19 pandemic.4 The program was produced for Disney+ by Nutopia, Westbrook Studios and Protozoa Pictures.
Episodes
| No. | Title | Original release date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Silent Roar" | December 8, 2021 (2021-12-8) |
| 2 | "Descent Into Darkness" | December 8, 2021 (2021-12-8) |
| 3 | "Mind of the Swarm" | December 8, 2021 (2021-12-8) |
| 4 | "Power of Scent" | December 8, 2021 (2021-12-8) |
| 5 | "Speed of Life" | December 8, 2021 (2021-12-8) |
| 6 | "Beyond Fear" | December 8, 2021 (2021-12-8) |
Release
The program premiered on Disney+ on December 8, 2021.5
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the first season of the program holds an approval rating of 100%, based on 9 reviews, with an average rating of 7.00/10.6 Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 63 out of 100 based on 50 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".7
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | LifeArt Festival | Festival Selection | Welcome to Earth | Won | 8 |
| 2022 | Golden Reel Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing - Non-Theatrical Documentary | Jay Price, Rob Price, Tom Foster, Stuart Bagshaw, Ruth Sullivan, Ben Smithers | Nominated | 9 |
External links
References
"Welcome to Earth review – Will Smith has Important Things to say, but he's no Attenborough". the Guardian. 2021-12-08. Retrieved 2022-01-03. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/dec/08/welcome-to-earth-review-will-smith-is-terrified-in-this-hollywood-blockbuster-of-nature-docs ↩
"Albert Lin Interview: Welcome To Earth". ScreenRant. 2021-12-07. Retrieved 2022-05-11. https://screenrant.com/welcome-earth-albert-lin-interview/ ↩
"Welcome To Earth's Producer on Will Smith, Glowing Squirrels". Digital Trends. 2021-12-07. Retrieved 2022-05-11. https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/welcome-to-earth-interview-jane-root-will-smith/ ↩
"Welcome To Earth's Producer on Will Smith, Glowing Squirrels". Digital Trends. 2021-12-07. Retrieved 2022-05-11. https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/welcome-to-earth-interview-jane-root-will-smith/ ↩
Muhammad, Latifah (2021-12-08). "Here's How You Can Watch Will Smith's 'Welcome to Earth' Adventure Series for Free". IndieWire. Retrieved 2022-05-11. https://www.indiewire.com/shop/watch-welcome-to-earth-disney-plus-1234684341/ ↩
"Welcome to Earth". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/welcome_to_earth/s01 ↩
"Welcome to Earth". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/tv/welcome-to-earth/season-1 ↩
"2021 SELECTION". LifeArt Festival. Retrieved 2022-05-11. https://www.lifeartfestival.com/2021selection ↩
Pedersen, Erik (2022-01-24). "Golden Reel Awards: Sound Editors Crank Up Nominations For 69th Annual Ceremony". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-05-11. https://deadline.com/2022/01/golden-reel-awards-2022-nominations-motion-picture-sound-editors-1234918482/ ↩