National Geographic has tapped actress Allison Janney to narrate its upcoming documentary special “Expedition Amelia,” the network exclusively told TheWrap.
“I’m thrilled to team up with National Geographic to help tell this story of one of history’s bravest and most influential women,” said Janney. “Earhart’s story of going against all odds to pursue her dream is just as inspirational today as it was over 80 years ago, and this story sheds new light on her life, her challenges, her triumphs and her lasting legacy as an adventurer and pioneer.”
The special follows Nat Geo explorer Dr. Robert Ballard — known for finding the Titanic in 1985 — as he embarks on an expedition to find Amelia Earhart’s airplane, which has been missing since the aviator disappeared during an attempt to fly around the world at the equator in 1937. The special was first announced in July at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour.
“It’s not the Loch-Ness Monster. It’s not Bigfoot,” Ballard says in an exclusive clip of the special, which you can watch above. “That plane exists, which means I’m going to find it.”
The expedition included a search across land and sea around a Pacific atoll called Nikumaroro in the Republic of Kiribati. Ballard and his team conducted the ocean search aboard the EV Nautilus, while National Geographic Society’s archaeologist-in-residence, Fredrik Hiebert, led the team on land in investigating Earhart’s potential campsite using bone-sniffing dogs, DNA sampling and archaeological digging.
“This ongoing expedition is one of the most exciting, challenging and intriguing missions of my career,” Ballard added in a statement. “While we’re continuing to look for answers about what happened to Earhart, our team is confident that our diligent search of the area surrounding the island has helped us decide where to look next. Earhart is an inspiration to so many young women in the world, and I’m proud that my team — which is mostly made of women, in a historically male-dominated field — has played a small role in her legacy.”
“Expedition Amelia” airs Oct. 20 on National Geographic at 8/7c.