By the mid-1970s, Marty Stouffer had put together several full-length documentaries that were licensed as prime time network television specials.

At that time, he approached the programming managers at Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) about a half-hour-long wildlife series, the first to focus exclusively upon the flora and fauna of North America.

The series went on to become one of the most popular aired by PBS, renowned for its unflinching portrayal of nature, as well as its extensive use of film techniques such as slow motion and close-ups.

The series is no longer on PBS; reruns still air in syndication on commercial television through much of the United States.

In 1997, Warner Bros. released a full-length feature film of the same name, which was based on the biographical story of Marty Stouffer and his brothers, Mark and Marshall.