Patricia Clarkson Narrates NATURE's Season 35 Opener on PBS Tonight

Nature's fall 2016 schedule kicks off Season 35 with Super HUMMINGBIRDS (tonight, October 12 at 8 p.m. (ET) on PBS) narrated by actress Patricia Clarkson (Broadway's THE ELEPHANT MAN).

Filmmaker Ann Johnson Prum (Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air; An Original DUCKumentary, ANIMAL Homes) returns with her second film on the hummers that presents new scientific breakthroughs about the super powers of the world's smallest birds. High speed camerawork captures their ability to fly backwards, upside-down, and float in mid-air. For the first time, viewers will see the colorful dazzlers mate, lay eggs, fight, and raise families in intimate detail.

My Congo (October 19) is the first-hand account of wildlife cameraman Vianet Djenguet's return visit to his homeland after spending many years in Europe. He seeks to reveal the beauty and majesty of the Republic of Congo and its people by traveling to his favorite locations to watch and film a diversity of wildlife from forest elephants to Western lowland gorillas. Djenguet's journey is also one of self-discovery as he makes his way through the remote Northern rainforest which was his great-grandfather's homeland. It is there that he is in for an emotional surprise.

Giraffes: Africa's GENTLE GIANTS (October 26)

What does it take to relocate a herd of wild giraffes in Africa, whose population is being threatened by poaching and oil drilling? One determined man named Dr. Julian Fennessy, his supportive family, and dedicated Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers and veterinarians are about to find out. The delicate operation involves capturing and transporting a herd of Rothschild's giraffes, the world's rarest giraffe, to a safe sanctuary across THE NILE River. Any mistake could be costly, not only for the giraffes being moved but also for an entire species.

The Story of Cats (November 2 & 9 - two-part miniseries)

Cats are one of the most studied mammals in the world yet only now is their real identity being understood - from their incredible hunting abilities, to their unique physiology, and remarkable behaviors. With nearly 40 different species thriving in almost any environment, the cat is the greatest predator since the dinosaurs. In Part 1: Asia to Africa, the episode explains how the first cats arose in the forests of Asia, how they spread across the continent, and later came to conquer Africa. Nature reveals how they evolved flexible limbs to climb, giant bodies to survive in the cold, and super senses to catch prey. In Part 2: Into the Americas, the program describes how cats first crossed from Asia into NORTH AMERICA and how they went on to become the top predators of the continent. Today there are 13 feline species in the Americas: from the mighty jaguar, to the urban mountain lion, to the curious ocelot, and from the Canada lynx to the nimble margay.

Nature is a production of THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET. For Nature, FrEd Kaufman is executive producer.

Nature pioneered a television genre that is now widely emulated in the broadcast industry. Throughout its history, Nature has brought the natural world to millions of viewers. The series has been consistently among the most-watched primetime series on public television.

Nature has won more than 700 honors from the television industry, the international wildlife film communities and environmental organizations, including 16 Emmys and three Peabodys. The series received two of wildlife film industry's highest honors: the Christopher Parsons Outstanding Achievement Award given by the Wildscreen Festival and the Grand Teton Award given by the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival. The International Wildlife Film Festival honored Nature executive producer FrEd Kaufman with its Lifetime Achievement Award for Media.

PBS.org/nature is the award-winning web companion to Nature, featuring streaming episodes, filmmaker interviews, teacher's guides and more.

Support for these Nature programs was made possible in part by the Arnhold Family in memory of Clarisse Arnhold, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III, the Kate W. Cassidy Foundation, the Lillian Goldman Charitable Trust, the Filomen M. D'Agostino Foundation, Rosalind P. Walter, Sandra Atlas Bass, Susan R. Malloy, Jennifer M. Combs, Timon J. Malloy and the Sun Hill Foundation, the Arlene and Milton D. Berkman Philanthropic Fund, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and public television viewers.

Photo credit: Joseph Sinnott/© THIRTEEN PRODUCTIONS LLC

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