Wild America (TV series)

Wild America
GenreDocumentary
Created byMarty Stouffer
Directed byMarty Stouffer
Presented byMarty Stouffer
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons12
No. of episodes120
Production
Executive producerMarty Stouffer
Running time30 minutes
Production companyMarty Stouffer Productions
Original release
NetworkPBS
Release1982 (1982) 
1994 (1994)

Wild America is a documentary television series that focuses on the wild animals and wild lands of North America. By the mid-1970s, Marty Stouffer had put together several full-length documentaries that were licensed as prime time network television specials. At that time, he approached the programming managers at Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) about a half-hour-long wildlife series, the first to focus exclusively upon the flora and fauna of North America. PBS signed for the rights to broadcast Marty Stouffer's series Wild America in 1981. The series went on to become one of the most popular aired by PBS, renowned for its unflinching portrayal of nature, as well as its extensive use of film techniques such as slow motion and close-ups. Stouffer earned as much as $250,000 per show from PBS.

The show's production ran from 1982 to 1994. The series is no longer on PBS; reruns still air in syndication on commercial television through much of the United States. In 1997, Warner Bros. released a full-length feature film of the same name, which was based on the biographical story of Marty Stouffer and his brothers, Mark and Marshall. The show is now distributed by Storrs Media and Telco Productions for Syndication.