Truth is stranger than fiction: National Geographic's Underdogs

Los Angeles Times

3 days ago

Ever heard of barnacle geese? Macaque monkeys? They are not your typical nature documentary stars.
Take a break from the lions and the tigers: these are nature's underdogs.
National Geographic's Underdogs follows several of nature's most-overlooked creatures and how their curious behaviors shape our ecosystems. From the strange mating rituals of hyenas to thieving macaque monkeys, Underdogs strikes a balance between humor and science by spotlighting creatures whose stories typically go untold in the realm of nature documentaries.
'They had to be lesser known animals, certainly an animal that doesn't get to normally be the A-Lister or the star of the show…' said Polly Billam, series producer and writer, 'they had to be icky or kind of beaten on or looked down on, but they also had to have relatable characteristics. We wanted to find stories that people could connect to because underdog stories are so universal they're part of our culture.'
Unlike other nature series whose process involves writing the script and finding a narrator afterward, Underdogs was conceived with Ryan Reynolds as the main narrative voice of the series. The challenge, however, lay in creating a script best suited to the actor's cadence.
'It's like learning a second language…' said writer and producer Polly Billam, 'I went and lived in Ryan Reynolds country and spent hours and hours watching his content and trying to familiarize myself with his tone and his delivery.'
In addition to writing a script suited to his speaking style, the writing team was able to take advantage of Reynolds' ingenious narration in the recording booth.
'[H]e's such a master of improv comedy and reactive comedy… and we changed our post production process to make sure we could make the best of all that riffing and material that he gives you.'
By capitalizing on the audience Ryan Reynolds brings to the project, the creators of Underdogs seek to address the human disconnect from the natural world by educating audiences about the smaller yet curious acts of these underrated creatures.
For Billam, the humanity and lighthearted irreverence at the core of the script allows the series to truly shine a spotlight on those whose stories are typically dismissed.
'The truth is stranger than fiction. These stories are incredible, [but] we're never punching down at nature or at the underdogs. We might be laughing at their circumstances, but we're rooting for them.'
Underdogs is now available for streaming on Disney+ Related