Planet Earth (TV series)

Planet Earth (TV series)
Show name	Planet Earth
Genre	Nature documentary
Creator	Alastair Fothergill
Narrated	David Attenborough
Composer	George Fenton
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Num episodes	11
Executive producer	Alastair Fothergill
Runtime	50–60 minutes
Company	BBC Natural History Unit, Discovery Channel
Distributor	BBC Worldwide
First aired	2006
Related	Life, Frozen Planet

Planet Earth (TV series) is a landmark British nature documentary series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit in association with the Discovery Channel. Presented as a global survey of terrestrial and marine biomes, it showcases high-definition cinematography and cutting-edge filming techniques across diverse locations including the Amazon Rainforest, Sahara Desert, Antarctica, Great Barrier Reef, and Himalayas. The series was created and executive-produced by Alastair Fothergill and narrated by David Attenborough, garnering acclaim from institutions such as the Emmy Awards, BAFTA, and Peabody Awards.

Overview

The series offers an encyclopedic examination of Earth's habitats, highlighting subjects ranging from the African savanna and Arctic tundra to the Congo Basin and Galápagos Islands, featuring species such as the African elephant, polar bear, emperor penguin, blue whale, giant panda, komodo dragon, and sperm whale. Filming spanned continents including Africa, Asia, Oceania, South America, North America, and Europe, with sequences shot in locations like Yellowstone National Park, Serengeti, Svalbard, Patagonia, New Zealand, Borneo, and the Seychelles. The series situates wildlife behavior within broader environmental contexts, referencing events and places such as the Indian Ocean tsunami, Mount Kilimanjaro, Amazon River, Lake Baikal, and Great Plains.

Production and Development

Development began at the BBC with collaboration from organizations including the Discovery Channel, Smithsonian Institution, National Geographic Society, and regional broadcasters like NHK and France Télévisions. Key personnel beyond Fothergill included series producers and directors who had worked on The Blue Planet, Life on Earth, and The Trials of Life. Production employed technologies pioneered by teams linked to companies such as Red Digital Cinema, ARRI, and specialist aerial units from HeliFilm and operators with experience on projects for IMAX Corporation and Disney. Logistical partners included conservation NGOs like World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, Wildlife Conservation Society, and government agencies such as the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Parks Canada, and various national park authorities. Filming permissions and research drew on expertise from institutions like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Royal Geographical Society, and universities including Oxford University, Cambridge University, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Queensland.

Episodes and Format

The original broadcast comprised eleven episodes, each focusing on a specific habitat or theme such as Mountains, Deserts, Caves, Islands, Fresh Water, Polar Regions, Mesic Forests, Jungles, Coasts, Seas of the World, and Cities in companion material. Episodes combined long-form sequences with opportunistic observational footage captured over thousands of production days across regions like Madagascar, Tasmania, Borneo, Sumatra, Greenland, Iceland, Chile, Argentina, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Tanzania. The format emphasized large-scale panoramas, time-lapse sequences, macro photography, and micro-photography techniques developed with equipment used in productions for BBC Two, Channel 4, PBS, HBO, and Sky Atlantic.

Music and Narration

Music for the series was composed by George Fenton, performed by orchestras associated with institutions like the London Symphony Orchestra and recording studios used by productions for Decca Records and Sony Classical. The score blended themes to evoke biomes from the Amazon to the Siberian taiga, with contributions from soloists who have recorded with labels such as Naxos and EMI Classics. Narration was performed by David Attenborough, a broadcaster whose previous credits include Life on Earth, The Living Planet, and The Blue Planet, and whose voice lent continuity with earlier BBC natural history strands and collaborations with presenters like Louis Leakey in historical programming.

Broadcast and Reception

The series premiered on BBC One and was co-commissioned by the Discovery Channel for North American broadcast on Discovery Channel (U.S.). It was later distributed by BBC Worldwide to broadcasters including ABC (Australia), CBC Television, ZDF, Arte, NHK, and CCTV. Critics from publications such as The Guardian, The New York Times, The Times (London), Los Angeles Times, The Telegraph, and Le Monde praised its cinematography and scale, while awards bodies including the Primetime Emmy Awards, BAFTA Awards, Royal Television Society, and Peabody Awards honored its craft. The series faced discussions at forums like the United Nations General Assembly and symposiums hosted by the Royal Society and World Economic Forum regarding biodiversity and conservation messaging.

Impact and Legacy

Planet Earth influenced subsequent productions including Frozen Planet, Life, Blue Planet II, Our Planet, and international co-productions with Netflix and National Geographic. It spurred public interest in conservation initiatives by organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace, The Nature Conservancy, BirdLife International, and regional trusts including Australian Conservation Foundation and African Wildlife Foundation. Academic citations appeared in journals like Nature, Science, Conservation Biology, Journal of Biogeography, and policy discussions at agencies including the United Nations Environment Programme, Convention on Biological Diversity, and International Union for Conservation of Nature. The series also drove uptake of high-definition broadcasting standards across networks like BBC HD, Sky, DirecTV, and stimulated equipment demand from manufacturers including Sony, Canon, Panasonic, and ARRI.

Category:BBC television documentaries Category:Nature documentaries Category:Documentary television series about animals