Bruce Greenwood stars in "The River"

Jungles and rainforests have always been a mystery to explorers and laymen alike. Researchers and scientists have spent decades trying to map and navigate the wondrous thickets that cover much of the Earth. But when you're searching for someone you love, even the thickest brush in the world won't get in your way.

TV host and world-famous explorer Emmet Cole (Bruce Greenwood) disappears during his mission to the Amazon, and the world mourns the loss of one its best scientists and television icons. But when his emergency beacon goes off six months after he is pronounced dead, his wife Tess (Leslie Hope) and son Lincoln (Joe Anderson) decide to go into the jungle to find him. Lincoln is reluctant to help find his father because he thinks his father was never there for him, focusing more on his TV show than his family.

Unfortunately, they have to ask Cole's former producer, Clark, to fund the search mission, and he only agrees to do so if he can send a camera crew along with them to film a documentary. Past grudges and untrusting crew members make the task even more grueling than it already was.

"The River" premieres Tuesday, Feb. 7, on ABC.

When Cole went into the jungle, his experience and knowledge of animals and nature were enough to help him navigate the thick brush and deadly animals that live among the trees and vines. However, Tess, Lincoln and the inexperienced camera crew are completely unprepared for what lies ahead.

The jungle has provided a solid setting for several successful series, including ABC's hit show "Lost." Arguably the biggest series ABC had since "Alias" went off the air, "Lost" featured many of its plot lines revolving around the jungle and its mysteries.

In the non-fiction realm, the Amazon River has given explorer Jeremy Wade plenty of fodder for his series, "River Monsters." Wade delves into the unexplored waters of the Amazon River to find his "monsters," including piranhas, a 12-foot-long catfish and the arapaima, which can lunge at its prey with more than 150 pounds of force.

"The River" has "Paranormal Activity" writer Oren Peli behind it, so viewers can be sure that there will be suspense, mystery and even a little horror around every corner. There are also rumors that film legend Steven Spielberg will be dipping his hand in the production, as well.

Shaun Parkes stars in "The River"r

Canadian-born Greenwood is no stranger to working on suspenseful, sci-fi and supernatural series and films. In NBC's series "Sleepwalkers," he played a neurotic doctor who helped his patients try to find the cause of recurring nightmares -- he often dug too deep and made things worse. In "Double Jeopardy" (1999), he played a husband who faked his own death and framed his wife. Greenwood also starred as Commanding Officer Christopher Pike in the 2009 revival of "Star Trek."

Greenwood's on-screen wife is played by Leslie Hope, who was also born in Canada. Hope's biggest role was in Season 1 of "24," starring as Jack Bauer's (Kiefer Sutherland) wife. Her work has spanned across the board, including comedy (1990's "Men at Work"), sci-fi ("SeaQuest 2032") and drama (2009's "Jesse Stone: Thin Ice").

Anderson stars as Lincoln, Cole's grown son who was just about to forgive his dad for abandoning them when Tess decided to go looking for him. Anderson starred in the 2007 hit "Across the Universe," which put several songs from "The Beatles" onto the backdrop of the Vietnam War. Anderson also starred in "Amelia" (2009), "The Crazies" (2010), and a role in the upcoming "Twilight: Breaking Dawn -- Part II," due for release in November.

The search and rescue team consists of director Lena (Eloise Mumford of 2010's "Lone Star"), mechanic Emilio (Daniel Zacapa of "Resurrection Blvd."), cameraman Andreus (Shaun Parkes of "Harley Street") and bodyguard Kurt (Thomas Kretshmann of 2005's "King Kong").

There was quite a fight for the series, pitting two of the biggest networks against each other. ABC eventually won out against NBC, which ABC credits to the success of its similar series in the past.

"I think that ABC, certainly with the success of 'Lost,' and working on their other series 'Off the Map,' has a very good sense of the depth of capability of our crew as well as the diversity of our location," said Georja Skinner, head of state's creative industries division, which oversees the Hawaii Film Office.

"The River" is filmed on location in Hawaii, much like "Lost," but the pilot was shot in the wild of Puerto Rico.

During an interview with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Skinner said having a network television series shot in Hawaii helps the economy beyond those people directly involved in the productions since businesses like restaurants, catering services and lumber and construction companies also benefit. Television shows generally have a budget of $2 million or so per episode, and about two-thirds of that is spent locally.