Years of Living Dangerously is an American documentary television series, spread over two seasons, focusing on climate change. The first season, consisting of nine episodes, was broadcast on Showtime in 2014. The second season, consisting of eight episodes, was broadcast on the National Geographic Channel in 2016. Executive producers included James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and series creators Joel Bach and David Gelber (formerly of 60 Minutes)."The Show: Executive Producers" , Years of Living Dangerously, National Geographic, accessed July 12, 2017 Joseph Romm and Heidi Cullen were the chief science advisors."The Show: Science Advisors" , Years of Living Dangerously, National Geographic, accessed July 12, 2017; Cullen, Heidi and Joseph Romm. "Why author Terry L. Anderson is all wrong about the urgency of climate change", Fox News, April 28, 2016 The series won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series.
The weekly episodes featured celebrity hosts with a history of environmental activism and well-known journalists with a background in environmental reportage. These "correspondents" traveled throughout the United States and globally to interview experts and ordinary people affected by, and seeking solutions to, the effects of climate change. The hosts served as reporters and proxies for the audience, asking questions to find out people's opinions and discover the scientific evidence.Revkin, Andrew C. "Showtime Series Aims to Engage Sleepy Public on Global Warming With Celebrity Guides", The New York Times, April 7, 2014Fitts, Alexis Sobel. "Almost Famous", Columbia Journalism Review, January 2, 2014 The final episode of season one featured an interview of President Barack Obama.Hale, Mike. "A Climate of Complexity", The New York Times, April 12, 2014
Episodes explored the effects of rising sea levels, historic droughts and flooding, water scarcity, ocean acidification, deforestation and the rapidly increasing extinction rate of species, but also focused on "solutions that individuals, communities, companies and even governments can use to address worldwide climate change",Romm, Joseph. "Years of Living Dangerously Is Back for Season 2 on National Geographic", ThinkProgress.org, September 17, 2015"National Geographic Orders Season 2 of Years of Living Dangerously", BroadwayWorld.com, September 18, 2015 including cheaper solar and wind energy, advancing battery technology and electric cars.Cullen, Heidi and Joseph Romm. "Why author Terry L. Anderson is all wrong about the urgency of climate change", Fox News, April 28, 2016 Hosts included Cameron, Schwarzenegger, Harrison Ford, Ian Somerhalder, America Ferrera, David Letterman, Gisele Bündchen, Jack Black, Matt Damon, Jessica Alba, Sigourney Weaver, and various other actors and journalists.Steinberg, Brian. "David Letterman Will Explore Climate Change For National Geographic Docu-Series", Variety, September 17, 2015Gajewski, Ryan. "David Letterman Lands First Post-'Late Show' TV Gig – About Climate Change", The Hollywood Reporter, September 17, 2015Shanahan, Mark. "Gisele films episode for National Geographic show", The Boston Globe, June 2, 2016; and "Season Two of the Emmy Award-Winning and Critically Acclaimed Series Years of Living Dangerously Set to Premiere Sunday, Oct. 30, 8/7c Exclusively on National Geographic Channel", TheFutonCritic.com, August 8, 2016
Schwarzenegger reflected on how the series tries to make the issue of climate change resonate with the public: "I think the environmental movement only can be successful if we are simple and clear and make it a human story. We will tell human stories in this project. The scientists would never get the kind of attention that someone in show business gets."Doyle, John. "The Governator's got a new foe – Climate Change", The Globe and Mail, January 16, 2014 Cameron elaborated: "We didn’t use our celebrities as talking head experts, because they’re not climate experts. They were concerned, intelligent, curious citizens who were out to find answers. They were functioning as journalists."Joiner, James. "James Cameron on Getting Over Dread, Despair and Yourself Long Enough to Believe in Climate Change", Esquire magazine, September 23, 2014. Newsweek said that the celebrity hosts "lend sparks to an issue that sends most viewers for the exits".Elder, Sean. "Years of Living Dangerously Shows the Devastating Effects of Climate Change", Newsweek, September 4, 2014
Episodes Season 1 (2014)
Season 2 (2016)
Distribution and schedule
The show premiered on Showtime on April 13, 2014. Episode 1 was made available freely on the internet on April 7, 2014, prior to its television debut. The following episodes aired on April 20 and 27, May 4, 12, 19 and 26, and June 2."Project Scheduling Sheet" , Yearsoflivingdangerously.com, accessed April 14, 2014 Showtime re-aired the entire series in September 2014.Doan, Pamela. "Critical Success for Global Warming Series", The Highlands Current, August 24, 2014Dechert, Sandy. "Years of Living Dangerously Reprise Starts Tomorrow Night", cleantechnica.com, September 4, 2014 Electus International acquired international rights to season one of the seriesO'Connell, Michael. "Electus Acquires International Rights to Showtime Doc Years of Living Dangerously", The Hollywood Reporter, September 12, 2013 and licensed it to broadcasters in over 75 countries and regions."Years of Living Dangerously Wins 2014 Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series", CNN.com, Season one of the series is available on DVD and other digital platforms.Astle, Randy. "Joel Bach and David Gelber on Years of Living Dangerously", Filmmaker magazine, September 3, 2014 In 2014, the National Wildlife Federation edited the series one episodes to create curricula for schools and collegesGaudiosi, John. "Director James Cameron's 'dangerous' message", Fortune, August 10, 2014
Season 2 premiered on Sunday, October 30, 2016, at 8pm on National Geographic Channel (followed that evening by Before the Flood, Leonardo DiCaprio's climate documentary). The subsequent episodes of season 2 of Years of Living Dangerously aired on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. (9 p.m. Central Time), beginning on November 2.Romm, Joe. "Celebs talk climate at Years of Living Dangerously premiere", ThinkProgress, October 28, 2016 Season 2 consisted of 8 episodes, distributed in 171 countries and 45 languages. The National Geographic Channel is "available in almost 90 million U.S. homes (four times the reach of Showtime) and in over 440 million homes ... worldwide."Sinclair, Peter. "New Years of Living Dangerously Season Expands Reach on (Murdoch owned) NatGeo" , Climate Denial Crock of the Week, August 11, 2016
Website and advocacy The series producers maintain a website, https://theyearsproject.com, that contains bonus footage and further information about the stories told in the episodes.Plait, Phil. "Years of Living Dangerously", Slate, March 28, 2014 It also contains: information about, and links to, the science on which the episodes are based;Romm, Joseph, et al. "Learn" , YearsofLivingDangerously.com, accessed July 12, 2017 an extensive "solutions" page with links to materials about what government, individuals and others can do to stop climate pollution; and"Act" , YearsofLivingDangerously.com, accessed September 22, 2014 an educators page, in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation, that links to age-appropriate resources for middle and high school teachers and students, college faculty and students, and parents."Years of Living Dangerously central education website", Climateclassroom.org, accessed June 5, 2014
The series' advocacy for climate action includes the #PutAPriceOnIt campaign and a satiric series of "climate inaction figures" representing public officials and private persons who oppose action on climate change.Dunne, Carey. "Play at Doing Nothing with Trump, Palin, and Other 'Climate Inaction Figures'", Hyperallergic.com, August 23, 2016
Reception
Critical reaction The first season's Metacritic score was 81."Years of Living Dangerously: Season 1", Metacritic, accessed June 10, 2014 The Globe and Mail calls the series "a lavish, gripping production focused on the real effect of climate change in real people's lives around the world." The series shows what scientists do in the field "and why they’re reaching the conclusion that this problem is such a serious risk to the viability of our civilization and requires urgent action. ... [The] actors [get] their 'hands dirty'. ... [The show] may ... open new avenues for climate change communications."Wihbey, John. "Celebrities, Climate and Showtime's Years of Living Dangerously", Yale Climate Connections, March 26, 2014, accessed September 26, 2024 Skeptical Science terms the series "terrific and powerful. ... The series sets a dramatic, powerful urgent tone." Bryan Walsh of Time magazine wrote that: "it's a strong work of documentary journalism, with richly shot and compelling stories".Walsh, Bryan. "The Docu Series Years of Living Dangerously Tries to Close the Climate Gap", Time magazine, April 12, 2014
Andrew C. Revkin of The New York Times wrote that "the Showtime team, at least in episode one, deserves plaudits for taking a compellingly fresh approach to showing the importance of climate hazards to human affairs ... having the movie and television stars ... asking questions and driving the story through their inquiry." CleanTechnica called the series "powerful" and "compelling", observing that the "often baffling science of climate change, marked by relatively small changes that are often invisible to lay observers, is finally something the larger public can immediately understand here in the format of the finest mainstream cable television. The Sun Herald commented: "The stories are compelling, and were filmed as real news was happening around the participants.Leytham, Tammy. "Showtime's Years of Living Dangerously looks at climate change through 60 Minutes storytelling", Sun Herald, April 7, 2014 A reviewer for The Hollywood Reporter thought: "The documentary does an excellent job of being simple and clear without being arrogant, and its convergence of science, politics, religion and industry proves its ultimate point."Keene, Allison. "Years of Living Dangerously: TV Review", The Hollywood Reporter, April 11, 2014 The Guardian calls the series "perhaps the most important climate change multimedia communication endeavor in history."Abraham, John and Dana Nuccitelli. "Years of Living Dangerously – a global warming blockbuster", The Guardian, April 9, 2014
After the DVD and digital release of the series, The New York Times review lamented that "many American households did not have the chance to see Years of Living Dangerously. That is a shame. ... With nine episodes running nearly an hour apiece, "Years" represents a serious time commitment. But that time will be rewarded, because this is the best American television series ever done on climate change."Gillis, Justin. "Shining Star Power on a Crucial Subject", The New York Times, p. D5, September 23, 2014
Viewership