Plot Synopsis

Australia is the oldest, flattest, driest inhabited continent on Earth. It's a vast landscape, shaped by epic forces that -- over 180 million years -- have divided it into two worlds: an arid interior covering 70% of the terrain, and a lush haven of mountain ranges spanning the entire eastern coast. Occupying this land of extremes are some of the most unique and resilient creatures on the planet, marsupials, mammals, and insects that have evolved and adapted to thrive inside Australia's arid heart and along its Great Dividing Range. This two-episode series made its U.S. debut on Wednesday, August 4, 2021 on Smithsonian Channel, followed one week later by the finale:

"Surviving the Arid Heart" (U.S. premiere on Wednesday, August 4, 2021 at 8pm): From the dry plains of the interior come the most recognizable images of Australia, the monolithic red rock of Uluru, the languid, bounding Red Kangaroo. The Arid Heart of Australia is vast and iconic.

"The Great Divide" (U.S. premiere on Wednesday, August 11, 2021 at 8pm): Created by titanic forces, the Great Dividing Range separates a thin ribbon of green from the continent's arid heart.