EXCLUSIVE: Simon Blakeney reveals the drama, danger and deep bonds behind ‘Kingdom’

In the wild, survival is everything. Territory is fiercely contested, alliances shift without warning, and only the strongest endure in a constant battle for dominance and survival.

Kingdom, is a new powerful six-part wildlife series from BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit, which premiered on Monday, 16 March 2026 at 20:00 on BBC Earth (DStv Channel 184), with episodes available on DStv Catch Up.

Filmed over five extraordinary years in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park, the series dives deep into the intense rivalries unfolding in Nsefu — one of the most predator-dense regions in Africa — where four dominant families, Olimba, Storm, Rita and Tenta, compete for power, survival and territory.

Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, the series combines cinematic storytelling with rigorous scientific insight to capture both the raw conflict and remarkable connections between lions, leopards, wild dogs and hyenas.

In this exclusive Q&A with Africa Jamz FM News, Kingdom series editor Simon Blakeney takes us behind the scenes of the production, revealing the unpredictability, high-stakes moments and emotional turning points that shaped the series — and what viewers can expect from this dramatic and deeply human look at life in the wild.

1. Simon, what drives these animal families to fight so fiercely? Are they guided purely by instinct, or is there a deeper strategy at play in the wild’s battle for survival?

“The location where we filmed Kingdom — Nsefu in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park — has one of the most incredible concentrations of predators in all of Africa. With so many large carnivores competing in such a small space (just 20km across), there is inevitable conflict. What is so amazing, though, is that while fortunes do rise and fall, the animals we follow in the series (lions, leopards, wild dogs and hyenas) all find ways to live alongside each other.

“Whether that’s leopards who climb trees to escape wild dogs and lions, or hyenas that team up to overwhelm a group of seemingly invincible lions. Our series is a snapshot of their remarkable lives and shows how — when they live in such close proximity — each of their actions can have a massive effect on the other animals. Hopefully Kingdom will allow viewers to discover — as we did — that the lives of different species are all far more interconnected than we ever realised,” said Simon.

2. Over the five years of filming, were there moments when nature’s unpredictability completely upended the story you thought you were going to capture?

“What was so exciting about this project is that we went out from camp every day with almost no idea of what would unfold in front of us! The animals’ fortunes could completely change overnight (or quicker), depending on the encounters they had and the choices they made. Sometimes the events were very sad, such as when a key member of a group passed away, but others were incredibly joyful, such as the first time a brand new cub popped their head out from a den. As all of these moments played out in front of our cameras, the animals were writing the story of the series for us!” said Simon.

3. Which of the four rival families the lions, leopards, wild dogs, or hyenas, surprised you the most with their personalities, alliances, or sheer determination?

“I have been really lucky to spend A LOT of time with lions over the last 10 years, so I have a real soft spot for them, but in terms of surprise, I think on Kingdom it was the wild dogs who were the most incredible animals to spend time with. They are complete chaos and smell awful, but the sheer joy and loyalty they have as a group is amazing to see. The dogs NEVER leave a member of the pack behind, and they share everything – even if food is scarce. When they settle down in the shade during the heat of the day, they always stay as close as possible to one another, often in a tangled pile we call ‘a puddle of dogs’! They just seem to genuinely enjoy and crave each other’s company, which makes them very hard not to fall in love with,” said Simon.

4. How do the battles for territory and dominance mirror human struggles for power, legacy, and survival in ways viewers might not expect?

“I think it’s impossible not to draw parallels between how the animals live their lives and how we do, although they often approach things in very different ways to us! The most heart-warming and endearing moments are when you see the animals supporting each other — for example, the moment when a young male leopard backs up his mother to drive off a hyena, or when the whole of the wild dog family call and search for a youngster who is lost. So I think the greatest moments of real ‘power’ that these animals have is when they work together, which is probably true for humans as well!” said Simon.

5. What were the most heart-stopping, unforgettable moments you captured, those that make Kingdom more than just a nature documentary, but a true story of ambition, rivalry, and survival?

“Two moments stick in my mind. One is a scene from the fourth film where — without giving too much away — one of the wild dogs gets into an incredibly dangerous situation. He is an older dog and already carrying an injury, but even so — the pack will NOT abandon him. Without hesitation, his brothers and mother put themselves at massive risk to try to rescue him — it is an incredible moment where the unshakable loyalty the dogs have to each other becomes totally clear.

“The other moment is a much more light-hearted one — it was the sheer joy of watching nine tiny lion cubs, from several different mothers, all playing together, and especially seeing the smallest of them — just a few weeks old — causing by far the greatest mayhem with her antics! As with all the animals in Kingdom, the lions had huge shifts in their fortunes — tragedies and triumphs — but watching the cubs’ unbridled joy was wonderful, and the fact that the pride had managed to raise all these cubs against the odds was a testament to the resilience and strength of their family bonds.

“I think the real joy of Kingdom is that you understand the animals’ back stories, so that when you see these special moments, they are not just incredible behaviour; you also realise what the events mean for the individuals, and what they have had to go through to get there. I hope all the viewers fall in love with the characters as much as we have!” said Simon.

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