KQED's wildlife video series, Deep Look, beloved by fans, renowned scientists and science media journalists alike, launches its 10th season having racked up millions of monthly views and numerous awards, including one of the most prestigious awards in science journalism. Deep Look’s new season kicked off with, Have You Met a Hagfish? It’s About Slime followed by Earthworm Love is Cuddly ... and Complicated. Upcoming videos explore how mussels form their “beards,” and how frogs shoot out their tongue super fast.
“The Deep Look team is great at revealing the extraordinary and exciting lives of tiny creatures most of us ignore, or don’t even know exist,” said Craig Rosa, Deep Look’s series producer. “Even with over 160 episodes in our collection, we have not run out of incredible stories to tell. ”
Deep Look’s mix of whimsical writing, original music, gorgeous and – yes – often gross macro photography has earned the series a huge following. Deep Look’s new season starts on the heels of closing out a very successful 2022. The series had more than 65 million video views and over 2 million YouTube subscribers. Deep Look also launched on the social media platform, TikTok, quickly gaining over 38 million views. In addition to winning several awards in 2022, Deep Look won, for the first time, a distinguished AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Gold Award in the “Video Spot News/Feature Reporting” category.
Deep Look is KQED’s most-viewed digital video production. The series is presented by PBS Digital Studios on YouTube (YouTube.com/KQEDDeepLook), where it’s also one of the network’s most popular series. Deep Look will release 17 new videos in 2023, a new one every three weeks. More details about the series’ initial line up are below.
January 24 – Hagfish Slime: This eel-like fish has been thriving for more than 300 million years. What’s its survival secret? Slime, which can expand to 10,000 times its original volume in less than half a second once it hits seawater.
February 14 – Earthworm Sex: Each earthworm comes equipped with both eggs and sperm. So its chances of finding a date are great! And when they mate, they snuggle inside cozy slime tubes.
March 7 – Mussel Beard: A mussel’s “beard” is made of byssal fibers that they use to attach themselves to rocks, boat hulls and each other. Researchers are investigating this waterproof adhesive to create a glue for use in human fetal surgery.
March 28 – Frog Tongues: How can toads (and frogs) shoot their tongue out at breakneck speed - 5x faster than a human blink - to catch and swallow their dinner? It takes a shock-absorbing tongue, and a saliva that breaks the rules of fluid dynamics.
April 18 – Bird’s Nest Fungi: These delicate mushrooms look like small bird’s nests with many tiny eggs inside. It only takes a single raindrop to bring this fungus to life, launching its spores far and wide.
About Deep Look
Launched in 2014, Deep Look is an award-winning YouTube wildlife series produced by KQED. The series has won 20 awards, including one AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award, eight Northern California Emmys, five Society of Professional Journalists NorCal Excellence in Journalism Awards, five Jackson Wild Media Awards and one People’s Voice Webby Award.
Deep Look’s production team includes KQED climate reporter Laura Klivans, host and writer; Craig Rosa, series producer; Josh Cassidy, lead producer and cinematographer; Gabriela Quirós, coordinating producer; Mimi Schiffman, producer and post-production coordinator; Sevda Eris, audience engagement director; and Jenny Oh, engagement producer. Each episode has an original score by Seth Samuel, as well as additional editing and motion graphics by Kia Simon. Many episodes include special animations by Teodros Hailye. Deep Look connects with its audience on social media, through community events, and partnerships with renowned science centers and research institutions. Discover more at KQED.org/DeepLook.
About PBS Digital Studios
PBS has long brought the public original, thought-provoking programming. PBS Digital Studios takes that same mission and applies it to the internet age. Working with creators from across the web, its network of short-form video series showcases the best of the internet while also celebrating the best of public television. pbs.org/digitalstudios
Funders
Funding for Deep Look is provided in part by PBS Digital Studios and the members of KQED.
About KQED
KQED serves the people of Northern California with a public-supported alternative to commercial media. An NPR and PBS member station based in San Francisco, KQED is home to one of the most listened-to public radio stations in the nation, one of the highest-rated public television services, and an award-winning education program helping students and educators thrive in 21st century classrooms. A trusted news source and a leader and innovator in interactive technology, KQED takes people of all ages on journeys of exploration, exposing them to new people, places and ideas. KQED.org