Airdate: Years of Living Dangerously

SBS will premiere the Showtime climate change series Years of Living Dangerously, a 9 part series from James Cameron, Jerry Weintraub and Arnold Schwarzenegger which won the 2014 Emmy Award for Outstanding Nonfiction Series.

SBS will have Jamie Durie introduce each episode for Australian audiences.

“I’ve spent most of my career working with natural materials and as a result have an enormous bond and respect for our precious planet. Some of the impacts of climate change read like the plot of a Hollywood blockbuster – but sadly they’re not fiction. I’ve witnessed first-hand catastrophic changes, from the arctic to the outback, from rain forests to simply, no rain,” said Durie.

“When I first viewed this series, I was shocked and moved. This is just the kind of storytelling that today’s science truly needed. It could be called a science series but with James Cameron at the helm, it has all the drama and tension of a thriller. We needed to see this story through cinematic eyes and in turn, a few more people may take notice.”

Separate stories around climate change unfold across nine episodes, told by a cast of A-list Hollywood celebrities: Harrison Ford, Matt Damon, Jessica Alba, Michael C. Hall, Ian Somerhalder, Olivia Munn, Arnold Schwarzenegger, America Ferrara, Don Cheadle, and high profile journalists Chris Hayes, M. Sanjayan, Lesley Stahl, Mark Bittman, Thomas L. Friedman.

Each becomes a correspondent, putting aside their celebrity to tell a first-hand story about the effects of climate change. Far from merely providing cameo star power, this high-profile cast are each renowned for their genuine and passionate environmental activism. These correspondents travel to areas throughout the U.S. and around the world to interview both experts and ordinary people affected by, and seeking solutions to, the impacts of climate change.

Each correspondent delves into a different impact of climate change. Harrison Ford investigates the role of palm oil in Indonesia’s deforestation, Matt Damon explores how rising temperatures are becoming a public health emergency. Michael C. Hall uncovers the alarming sea level rise submerging Bangladesh already, while Arnold Schwarzenegger joins an elite team of firefighters as they battle a new breed of forest fires made more deadly by climate change. New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman traces the origins of the Syrian civil war to long-running drought, ending up at the White House for an on the record climate discussion with President Barack Obama.

Years of Living Dangerously presents an intimate, compelling look at climate change’s immediate and dramatic impact on real people around the globe right now. This series combines accurate and in-depth scientific investigation with compelling storytelling of heartbreak, heroism and hope in the race to save our planet.

Tuesday November 25, 9.30pm on SBS ONE.