Hit BBC series returns for new episodes 20 YEARS after its debut and host’s decade-long break from TV

ICONIC BBC show makes an epic comeback 20 years later, with the host’s dramatic return after a 10-year TV hiatus.

After more than a decade away from TV, the filmmaker and indigenous rights advocate Bruce Perry returns to the Tribe for BBC Two and iPlayer with a brand new three-part series.

Portrait of Bruce Parry with a Mucubal woman in Angola. — Fans are in for a treat as the beloved show makes its long-awaited return, celebrating 20 years since it first hit our screensCredit: BBC

Bruce Parry with a Waimaha family in the rainforest. — The original host is also making a dramatic comeback, proving that some TV legends never really fade awayCredit: BBC

Man eating a palm weevil in the Colombian Amazon. — Two decades ago, Bruce made waves with his groundbreaking series Tribe, immersing himself with 15 different tribal communitiesCredit: BBC

He’ll journey to some of the world’s most remote corners, immersing himself in communities living radically different lifestyles, offering a fascinating glimpse into cultures and traditions few of us have ever seen.

Bruce insists that the world needs indigenous knowledge and wisdom now more than ever, especially with environmental crises on the rise.

His return to the BBC comes at a crucial moment when millions of tribal people have been forced from their homes, and those who remain face growing threats.

In this gripping series, Bruce explores the lives of three extraordinary communities and their unique traditions.

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He becomes the first foreign visitor to truly live alongside them, capturing his journey on his own camera, offering an intimate, raw look at these endangered ways of life.

Two decades ago, Bruce made waves with his groundbreaking series Tribe, immersing himself with 15 different tribal communities.

The show, which earned two BAFTA nominations for Best Factual Series, opened the world’s eyes to the traditions of remote tribes.

In 2007, he took on an even bigger challenge, spending a whole year journeying through the Amazon to uncover the environmental forces impacting the world’s largest rainforest and its people.

Amazon went on to win the prestigious BAFTA for Best Factual Series in 2009, solidifying Bruce’s reputation as one of the leading voices in immersive, investigative storytelling.

Bruce said: “It’s been over twenty years since Tribe first aired. Living with people who experience the world in such profoundly different ways was eye-opening then, but today it feels vital.

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"I believe we have so much to learn from those who still live in deep connection with the world around them.

"It feels a huge privilege that the BBC has allowed me to explore these places and themes once again.”

In the first episode of the new revived series, Bruce ventures into the heart of the Amazon rainforest to meet the Waimaha people, who reside on a remote tributary.

Once on the brink of losing their culture due to rubber tappers and missionaries, the Waimaha are initially wary of Bruce’s presence.

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Yet, his goal is to uncover their profound connection with nature that allows them to thrive in such an isolated and harsh environment.

Next, in episode two, Bruce travels to the Namib Desert, a land that has only recently become accessible after decades of civil war and lingering landmines.

Here, Bruce meets the Mucubal people, where he’s the first white person many have ever seen.

In the scorching heat of the desert, Bruce witnesses firsthand how climate change is impacting both the Mucubal and their livestock.

The journey concludes with episode three, where Bruce heads to the remote island of Sumba in Indonesia, a place where an ancient religion, Marapu, demands blood sacrifice from its followers.

Living amongst the villagers in an ancient hilltop settlement, Bruce is immersed in their rituals and traditions, surrounded by the towering megalithic tombs of their ancestors.

Tom Coveney, Commissioning Editor, Specialist Factual, said: “The original trailblazer of immersive documentary-making is back.

"I’m thrilled Bruce will once again entertain and inspire our viewers with his unquenchable thirst for adventure and infectious curiosity; this series is both a great watch and a chance to learn invaluable lessons at this critical time for our planet.”

Jamie Balment, Creative Director, Frank Films, said: “I’m not sure how, but the years – and too many litres of jungle intoxicants – have not dimmed Bruce's passion and curiosity for those living lives vastly different from our own.