WELCOME TO EARTH sounds like a greeting to aliens—
which most of us might as well be, considering how
little we know about our planet.
Actor Will Smith sets out to explore its far reaches
in Welcome to Earth, a Disney+ original series from
National Geographic. Three years ago, Smith led another National
Geographic series about Earth’s wonders, One Strange Rock. This
time the host leaves the studio to venture into some of the planet’s
most extreme environments—deep seas, deserts, glaciers—with
a diverse group of researchers and adventurers.
Over six episodes, Smith proves game for anything, even if ini-
tially wary. “My grandmother used to say all the best things in life
lived on the other side of fear,” he says. “I sure hope Gigi was right.”
Although uncomfortable in water, Smith folds his lanky frame
into a small yellow submersible in the Bahamas. He likens the ves-
sel to something out of Star Wars. As he and National Geographic
Explorer and marine biologist Diva Amon descend, sunlight
becomes a memory. A Trinidadian who grew up snorkeling, Amon
explains that more than 99 percent of the undersea world remainsBY
JACQUELINE CUTLERTHE FRESH EXPLORER
Welcome to Earth, a Disney+
original series from National
Geographic, premieres
December 8.Volcanologist Jeffrey John-
son (at left), Will Smith, and
explorer Erik Weihenmayer
prepare to descend into
Yasur Volcano, in Vanuatu.W