SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL(TM) DIVES DEEP INTO THE UNSEEN BEAUTY OF

"RUSSIA'S WILD SEA"

NEW TWO-PART SERIES EXPLORING ONE OF THE WORLD'S RICHEST YET MOST DANGEROUS SEAS PREMIERES WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5 AT 8 PM ET/PT

NEW YORK - May 8, 2019 - Smithsonian Channel takes the Sea of Okhotsk by storm with RUSSIA'S WILD SEA, the first comprehensive documentary revealing this untouched area of natural wonders. Located almost 4,000 miles from Moscow in Russia's Far East, the Sea of Okhotsk is a constant survival battleground for humans and a range of wildlife that includes orcas and humpback whales, as well as tigers prowling the forests. The two-part special from award-winning director Franz Hafner tells the fascinating stories of the region's inhabitants and presents the incredible contrasts of the sea's beauty and wilderness, rarely seen on film. RUSSIA'S WILD SEA debuts on Wednesday, June 5 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel, with the second hour premiering Wednesday, June 12 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

In the Sea of Okhotsk, animal and human lives are intimately connected in ways that allow no room for error, and every decision is a matter of life or death. Riddled with typhoons in the summer, covered with packed ice in the winter and shaken by earthquakes and volcanoes overlooking its shore, the sea is an unpredictable and dangerous place. A rare, pristine natural region, this wild sea is home to millions of wild animals and the site of spectacular rocky coastlines, scores of untamed rivers and never-ending primeval forests. It is a place of both plenty and starvation, a paradise which doubles as an ultimate endurance test for living creatures.

RUSSIA'S WILD SEA explores this unforgiving environment and the ingenious adaptations that make life possible in spite of hardship, as well as gentler times of abundance when life flourishes. With no roads reaching the shores of the sea, the filmmakers, led by Hafner, arrived by plane and explored by ship, withstanding conditions such as tsunamis, pack ice, typhoons and thick fogs to capture the incredible landscape and wildlife. Granted full, exclusive access to the area, Hafner has produced the first exhaustive documentary on the region.

RUSSIA'S WILD SEA is produced by Interspot Film GmbH for ORF-Austrian Broadcasting Corporation, Smithsonian Networks, Arte France, ZDF, Channel One Russia and National Geographic in association with ORF-Enterprise. Heinrich Mayer-Moroni and Nikolaus Klingohr are executive producers for Interspot Film GmbH. Charles Poe and David Royle are executive producers for Smithsonian Channel.

Smithsonian Channel(TM), owned by Smithsonian Networks(TM), a joint venture between Showtime Networks Inc. and the Smithsonian Institution, is where curiosity lives, inspiration strikes and wonders never cease. This is the place for awe-inspiring stories, powerful documentaries and amazing factual entertainment, available in HD and 4K Ultra HD across multiple platforms. Smithsonian Channel, winner of Emmy(R) and Peabody awards for its programming, combines the storytelling prowess of SHOWTIME(R) with the unmatched resources and rich traditions of the Smithsonian, to create programming that shines new light on popular genres such as air and space, travel, history, science, nature and pop culture. Among the network's offerings are series including Aerial America, America in Color, The Lost Tapes, Mighty Ships, Million Dollar American Princesses, The Pacific War in Color and Air Disasters, as well as critically-acclaimed specials that include The Coronation, The Mountain Lion and Me, Earth from Outer Space and Titanoboa: Monster Snake. Smithsonian Networks also operates Smithsonian Channel Plus(TM), a subscription video streaming service delivering over a thousand hours of the Channel's stunning and diverse library of documentaries and series in HD and 4K Ultra HD. Smithsonian Channel is also available internationally in Canada, Singapore, Latin America and the UK. To learn more, go to www.smithsonianchannel.com, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.