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Prehistoric Road Trip – Series Starts June 17 at 10 pm


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PREHISTORIC ROAD TRIP

Premieres Wednesdays, June 17-July 1 on PBS

 Join Host Emily Graslie, Chief Curiosity Correspondent at Chicago’s Field Museum and Creator of Popular YouTube Series “The Brain Scoop,”

For a Summer Road Trip Through the Heart of America’s Fossil Country

 New Three-Part Series Explores Prehistoric Life Across the Western U.S.

 

This summer, PREHISTORIC ROAD TRIP takes viewers on an epic adventure through dinosaur country to search for mysterious creatures and bizarre ecosystems that have shaped Earth as we know it. With the intrepid Emily Graslie as host and guide, the series travels thousands of miles to visit some of the most active and dynamic fossil sites in the world. Revealing the amazing wonders preserved beneath our feet, the three-part series combines science, culture, and history for an unforgettable expedition through hundreds of millions of years. PREHISTORIC ROAD TRIP premieres Wednesdays, June 17-July 1, 2020, 10:00-11:00 p.m. on PBS.

PREHISTORIC ROAD TRIP host Emily Graslie and Eileen Grogan, Bear Gulch Limestone fossil site, Montana.
PREHISTORIC ROAD TRIP host Emily Graslie and Eileen Grogan, Bear Gulch Limestone fossil site, Montana.

In the series, Emily hits the road, heading to the heart of America’s fossil country – the Northern Great Plains – for a fun and fascinating journey to explore 2.5 billion years of our planet’s history. Crossing the Dakotas, Montana, Nebraska, and Wyoming, she examines the fossils of diverse prehistoric creatures and plants and introduces some of the people who helped bring these ancient discoveries to light. Each episode turns back the pages of the past to examine different eras along Earth’s geologic timeline, focusing on the geology, ecology, and environment. On this immersive adventure, Graslie uncovers and discovers the history of North American dinosaurs and other fascinating prehistoric creatures, including ancient fishes, mammoths, and early mammals. Filmed using state-of-the-art drone technology and featuring dynamic illustration graphics, the series brings this now-extinct world to life.

“I am thrilled that I get to share my love of nature, history, paleontology, and – in general – really old, really dead stuff with the PBS audience,” said Graslie. “And this is an incredible opportunity for me to revisit my home state of South Dakota, where I grew up exploring the great outdoors as a kid.”

PREHISTORIC ROAD TRIP host Emily Graslie in Como Bluff, Wyoming.
PREHISTORIC ROAD TRIP host Emily Graslie in Como Bluff, Wyoming.

Episode 1: “Welcome to Fossil Country” (Wednesday, June 17)

Eager to get going, Emily embarks on a journey through billions of years of Earth history. Along the way, she meets some of the planet’s earliest life forms – from primitive bacteria to giant reptiles, and many surprising creatures in between.

Episode 2: “We Dig Dinosaurs” (Wednesday, June 24)

Emily cruises into the Cretaceous, where astonishing creatures like T. rex dominated the planet. But what happened to these tremendous animals? And how did other life forms survive an apocalyptic asteroid that crashed into Earth 66 million years ago?

Episode 3: “Tiny Teeth, Fearsome Beasts” (Wednesday, July 1)

As she drives closer to the present day, Emily discovers surprising truths written in the fossil record. Meantime, scientists studying our planet’s past are revealing clues about its future.