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In full disclosure, I am jealous that I did not get a chance to work on this – perhaps the most important climate change multimedia communication endeavor in history.

Climate change really is a made-for-TV story. It has all the drama of Hollywood, with real-life villains and heroes thrown in. We scientists struggle everyday to communicate the importance of climate change to the world. It is great to see communication experts come in and accomplish what scientists alone cannot.

That’s why I’m excited about the biggest climate science communication endeavor in history. Airing this spring in the US (Showtime), a cast of the world’s best climate scientists team up with the world’s best politicians and actors to tell the stories of real people from across the planet affected by climate change in Years of Living Dangerously. The first episode is available here.

The brainchild of veterans from 60 Minutes (Joel Bach and David Gelber), the series has very high standards of accuracy. Along with the blockbuster style of James Cameron, Jerry Weintraub, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, this endeavor is committed to combining great science with compelling story telling. Behind the scenes is best science team you could imagine, including Drs. Heidi Cullen, Joe Romm, Jim Hansen, Katherine Hayhoe, Michael Mann, Michael Oppenheimer  the list goes on and on.

The project consists of a series of separate stories on climate change, which unfold over nine episodes – often focusing on how a changing climate is affecting peoples’ lives. One segment is entitled “Christie and the Storm” with correspondent Mark Bittman. This segment focuses on the impact of Superstorm Sandy, the rebuilding effort in New Jersey, and the intersection of politics and weather.

Don Cheadle takes the lead in the segment “Pray for Rain”. He and Texan scientist Dr. Katherine Hayhoe look at the impacts of drought and heat in the United States in an episode that touches on everything from economics to climate to religion.