‘Underdogs’ Shines a Spotlight on Nature’s Unsung Heroes with Ryan Reynolds’ Witty Narration | EUR Video Exclusive
*For 137 years, National Geographic has captivated audiences with breathtaking footage of wildlife’s A-listers—think penguins, elephants, and whales. But in their new series “UNDERDOGS,” the spotlight shifts to the animal kingdom’s overlooked oddballs.
Narrated by Ryan Reynolds, whose signature humor shapes the storytelling, this five-part series celebrates the bizarre and brilliant behaviors of nature’s underappreciated creatures. “Getting to work with National Geographic on UNDERDOGS was a dream come true—mostly because I can finally watch a project of ours with my children,” Reynolds said in a statement, adding, “We’re so proud to elevate the unsung heroes of the natural world to the top of the entertainment food chain.”
Dan Rees, an executive producer from Wildstar Films, explains the timely focus on these lesser-known animals: “It should have happened years ago. They’ve got so many of these animals who don’t usually get to be the stars. It’s their time to be in the limelight,” he said.
The idea emerged from Wildstar’s recent projects, like America’s Beautiful and Queens, which explored less familiar species. “We suddenly thought, maybe there’s a whole series about unsung animals in there,” Rees said. The team saw Reynolds, with his self-deprecating humor and knack for championing underdogs, as the perfect fit. “He’s always championing the underdog,” Rees noted.
Reynolds’ influence permeates the series, shaping everything from story selection to music choices. “To be able to work with Ryan’s team right from the get-go informed story selection, the way we structured each story, the choice of our main characters,” Rees explained.
This collaboration with Reynolds’ Maximum Effort marks a first for a wildlife series, with the narrator’s voice guiding the creative process from script to screen. The result is a fresh, edgy take on wildlife storytelling, paired with stunning visuals from top cinematographers and a score by award-winning composer Harry Gregson-Williams, plus an original theme song, “Underdog,” by Green Day.
Each episode of “UNDERSOGS” dives into a different facet of these quirky creatures’ lives, from bizarre mating rituals to deceptive tactics and gross-out survival strategies. Highlights include never-before-filmed moments, like a honey badger fending off a pack of African wild dogs, which Rees describes as “practically indestructible.” He recounted, “They literally spent 20 minutes trying to pull the honey badger apart, and they just couldn’t. It’s like a football in a sack of grease.”
Another standout is the pearl fish, a tiny creature that escapes predators by hiding inside a sea cucumber’s anus, protected by its mucus coating. Then there’s the glowing cave in New Zealand, where “millions of mucus-coated grubs” create a bioluminescent spectacle brighter than a “bachelor pad under a black light.”
Unlike traditional wildlife series heavy on predation, “UNDERDOGS” focuses on quirky, surprising behaviors, making it more accessible and less emotionally taxing. Rees addressed the ethical challenges of filming wildlife, noting the general rule against intervention. “It is a difficult moment,” he admitted, recalling a past instance where his team rescued a baby elephant stuck in a swamp. “Everyone’s got a heart at the end of the day,” he said. However, “UNDERDOGS” largely avoids such distressing scenes, emphasizing the animals’ resilience and oddball charm.
Rees hopes the series resonates with families and young viewers, showing that “every animal has a great story to tell, no matter how gross or weird or apparently prepossessing or easy to overlook.”
The goal is to refresh wildlife storytelling for longtime fans while drawing in new audiences who might not typically watch nature documentaries. “We want to reach out and hopefully bring in an audience who haven’t, perhaps don’t think wildlife shows are for them,” Rees said. “This can be fun, this can be accessible to you too.”
With episodes like “Superzeroes,” showcasing the invisible glass frog and bubble-firing pistol shrimp, and “Total Grossout,” featuring manatees using flatulence for buoyancy, “UNDERDOGS” celebrates nature’s misfits with humor and heart. The series, produced by Wildstar Films and Maximum Effort, debuted June 15 on National Geographic and ABC, and is now streaming globally on Disney+ and Hulu.
As Rees puts it, “It’s OK to be different. It’s OK to not be conventional,” making “UNDERDOGS” a relatable and inspiring tribute to the animal world’s unsung heroes.
Watch our full conversation with Dan Rees below.
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