How ‘Kingdom’ Is Bringing High Drama of ‘Game of Thrones’ & ‘Succession’
Preview
What To Know
- The third episode of Kingdom, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, follows the joys and dangers faced by animal families in Zambia’s Luangwa National Park.
- Find out what to expect from the lions, hyenas, and leopards.
Joy and tragedy arrive for the animal families filmed over five years in Zambia’s Luangwa National Park in the third episode of Kingdom, a breathtaking wildlife doc narrated by natural historian Sir David Attenborough.
“No matter how powerful your family, this place, Nsefu [a sector of the park], is a dangerous place to rear young,” Attenborough warns. Wild dog Storm’s pack get a break this week, but we preview what’s in store for her neighbors.
Lion Pride: “The most incredible thing I saw was when the lions crossed the river [which] is chock full of crocodiles and hippos. I had my heart in my mouth,” say series editor Simon Blakeney of the big cats’ bold move. To hunt, mama Rita must leave her vulnerable cubs alone, including the furball blind in one eye. Cameras capture the cubs cavorting adorably in the golden light – and even getting cutely underfoot in an elephant herd — but brace yourself for an attack on the pride that might break your heart.
Hyena Clan: In a rare move, lions share a kill with hyenas. That’s lucky for leader Tenta who needs a full belly when she must struggle to reunite the clan after a flooded den separates mothers and cubs. Tender hyena moms suckle their offspring longer than any other predator, up to four hours a day for a year. “I felt sorry for them when they were going through hard times,” says cinematographer Samson Moyo. “I punched the air at their success.” Tenta’s twins, the oldest of the clan’s cubs, venture farther from home than ever before.
Leopard Family: Spotted supermom Olimba flirts with a solo male and then the pair begin a mating session — for leopards that lasts 48 hours. Olimba’s grown daughter Mutima has something else on her mind and climbs trees to hunt yellow billed stork chicks. Watching her navigate the highest and thinnest branches is a nail-biter but that’s nothing compared to when mother and child face off later in a rivalry for food. “It’s high drama — a bit of Game of Thrones, Succession, The Lion King,” says executive producer Mike Gunton.
Kingdom, Saturdays, 8/7c, BBC America
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