PBS is digging deep—literally and figuratively—into the improbable rise of Homo sapiens with a new five-part NOVA series titled HUMAN, launching Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at 9:00 PM ET.
Far from a traditional history lesson, the series repositions humanity not as a guaranteed victor, but as the longshot species that somehow outlasted the rest. Hosted by paleoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi, HUMAN charts the origins, migrations, and turning points that pushed Homo sapiens from obscurity to dominance.
From early evolutionary forks to game-changing innovations like language, tools, and empire-building, HUMAN unpacks the factors that separated our species from the rest. It combines hard science—fossil records, genetics, climate modeling—with a narrative approach that leans into the unpredictable and often brutal journey of survival.
The series opens with Origins, spotlighting the African cradle of Homo sapiens and setting the stage for episodes that explore our contact with Neanderthals, the journey into the Americas, and the birth of power structures in Building Empires.
Produced by the BBC Studios Science Unit in partnership with NOVA and GBH, the series is built on a foundation of fresh discoveries. Viewers will see how modern technology is reshaping our understanding of the past—and reframing what it means to be human today.
Co-executive producer Chris Schmidt says the aim is to connect audiences with the full, messy sweep of their ancestral story. This isn’t about glorifying Homo sapiens, it’s about examining how close we came to never making it.
All five episodes will also stream on pbs.org/nova, the PBS app, PBS Documentaries on Prime Video, and the NOVA YouTube channel.
