The programs tell the human history of California's eight Channel Islands. It is a remarkable saga, including discovery of the oldest human remains in all of North America, the first contact with Europeans in 1542, a thriving Native American culture, the Mission period, and more recent efforts to preserve the islands, including leadership by rock musician Joe Walsh. The three programs took three years to create, including 70 shoot days and 18 months of editing. Veteran Hollywood screenwriter Peter Seaman and long time independent producer Sam Tyler donated their time to the project.