Meet the Planets, Diana, Surviving Pompeii, Real Finding Nemo: National Geographic Announces New Series

(Photo: National Geographic/Bertie Gregory)

National Geographic has announced four new series for its 2025 lineup. Viewers will see Meet the Planets, Diana: One Day in Paris, Surviving Pompeii with Tom Hiddleston, and The Real Finding Nemo on the cable network and Disney+.

National Geographic Channel revealed more about all four shows in a press release.

National Geographic continues to lead the charge in producing boundary-pushing storytelling with the greenlight of a diverse new unscripted series slate that encapsulates the brand’s ethos across exploration, travel, contemporary and ancient history, and natural history.

“These new unscripted series epitomize everything National Geographic stands for – bold, captivating storytelling rooted in world-class research and expertise,” said Tom McDonald, executive vice president of Global Unscripted and Factual Content. “Whether it’s the cutting-edge innovation of THE REAL FINDING NEMO (working title), the storytelling panache of SURVIVING POMPEII (working title), the sweeping ambition of MEET THE PLANETS (working title), or the unparalleled access in DIANA: ONE DAY IN PARIS, National Geographic is building on its reputation as the home of the most distinctive factual series from the very best storytellers in the world.”

Expanding upon Nat Geo’s lauded, award-winning unscripted series slate, new greenlights include the following:

THE REAL FINDING NEMO (Working Title)

Following the success of the Disney+ Original series, “A Real Bug’s Life,” comes THE REAL FINDING NEMO (working title), an intimate and entertaining journey through the thrilling underwater world of charming characters where life is filled with epic drama and relatable life situations. Inspired by Pixar’s smash hit film, this series will immerse viewers in the intricate dynamics of life on the reef and beyond as the underwater citizens engage in friendship, deception, romance, and resilience. From Freeborne Media (“Our Great National Parks,” “Our Oceans,” “Our Living World”) along with the world’s best underwater cinematographers, our ocean characters will transport viewers into the world below with themes that are relevant to sea creatures and human creatures alike. Dive into a clownfish’s epic quest, the unpredictable danger-filled “drop-off,” and experience the everyday jobs that keep Reef City alive like any thriving metropolis in the human world.

For Freeborne Media, James Honeyborne is executive producer. For National Geographic, Tracy Rudolph Jackson is executive producer; Janet Vissering is senior vice president, Development and Production; Charlie Parsons is senior vice president, Development; and Tom McDonald is executive vice president, Global Factual and Unscripted Content.

SURVIVING POMPEII WITH TOM HIDDLESTON (Working Title) (Plimsoll Productions)

Tom Hiddleston brings his passion for ancient history to life in SURVIVING POMPEII WITH TOM HIDDLESTON (working title), produced by Plimsoll Productions. Continuing his partnership with “Loki” executive producer Kevin R. Wright on this original concept, Hiddleston leads a groundbreaking historical exploration that immerses audiences in the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. and the hauntingly preserved Roman city it left behind.

SURVIVING POMPEII (working title) is a creatively ambitious meld of documentary and drama on a journey into the past that is still echoed in the present. Hiddleston, who studied Classics at Cambridge University and is a dedicated enthusiast of ancient history, embarks on a detective-like quest, breathing life back into the lost voices of Pompeii’s people. Each episode uncovers real stories hidden for centuries, revealing the extraordinary instants of everyday life that allow us to touch the humanity of those who lived almost 2,000 years ago. Through richly emotional narratives, Hiddleston unveils a remarkably modern city and brings to light the lives of ordinary Romans – not just the elite – showing how their resilience and choices still echo in our world today. SURVIVING POMPEII (working title) is both a forensic investigation and a deeply empathetic experience, drawing viewers into a meticulous, minute-by-minute retelling of Pompeii’s final moments. This is history as you’ve never seen it: captivating, urgent and profoundly human.

For Plimsoll Productions, Grant Mansfield, Alan Eyres, Helen Flint and Tom Barbor-Might are executive producers. Kevin R. Wright and Tom Hiddleston are executive producers. For National Geographic, Carolyn Payne is executive producer; Bengt Anderson is senior vice president, Production; Charlie Parsons, is senior vice president, Development; and Tom McDonald is executive vice president, Global Factual and Unscripted Content.

MEET THE PLANETS (Working Title) (Maximum Effort, BBC Studios Science Unit)

From Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort and the Emmy(R) Award-winning BBC Studios Science Unit (“The Surgeon’s Cut,” “Walking with Dinosaurs”) comes MEET THE PLANETS (working title), an astronomy series that brings the galaxy’s most famous family to life, with the sun as the matriarch, surrounded by her unruly planetary children. The first series of its kind, MEET THE PLANETS (working title), will collide mind-blowing science with sharp scripted comedy and original animation, allowing the planets to speak for themselves.

For BBC Studios Science Unit, Andrew Cohen is executive producer. For National Geographic, Betsy Forhan is executive producer; Bengt Anderson is senior vice president, Production; Charlie Parsons, is senior vice president, Development; and Tom McDonald is executive vice president, Global Factual and Unscripted Content.

DIANA: ONE DAY IN PARIS (72 Films)

DIANA: ONE DAY IN PARIS is a three-part documentary series exploring the tragic death of Princess Diana on the 30th anniversary of that fateful paparazzi car chase through a Parisian motorway tunnel. Produced by the team behind the critically acclaimed “9/11: One Day in America” and “JFK: One Day in America,” the series will use the “One Day In… ” franchise’s trademark present-tense approach that bypasses conspiracy theories in favor of factual accuracy. It will uncover new insights using rare archives and interviews with witnesses who have never spoken publicly. This landmark series will look at the 24 hours before and after Diana’s death in forensic detail and follow the story through to her funeral one week later when the world mourned the passing of an icon.

For 72 Films, David Glover and Mark Raphael are executive producers. TJ Martin and Dan Lindsay are executive producers. For National Geographic, Carolyn Payne is executive producer; Bengt Anderson is senior vice president, Production; Charlie Parsons, is senior vice president, Development; and Tom McDonald is executive vice president, Global Factual and Unscripted Content.”

What do you think? Which new National Geographic shows will you check out when they arrive next year?