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Planet Earth (TV series)
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This article is about the TV series. For the 2007 film based on the series, see Earth (2007 film). For the 2010 film with highlights from this series, see Planet Earth Live.

Planet Earth
Screenshot of series title card
Series title card from UK broadcast

Genre
Nature documentary
Narrated by
David Attenborough
Composer(s)
George Fenton
Country of origin
United Kingdom
Original language(s)
English
No. of episodes
11
Production

Executive producer(s)
Alastair Fothergill
Cinematography
Doug Allan
Running time
60 minutes
Production company(s)
BBC
Broadcast

Original channel
BBC One
BBC HD
Picture format
16:9 576i (SDTV)
 16:9 1080i (HDTV)
Audio format
Stereo (SD)
Dolby Digital (HD)
Original run
5 March 2006 – 10 December 2006
Chronology

Preceded by
The Blue Planet
Followed by
Frozen Planet
Related shows
The Blue Planet
Frozen Planet
External links
Website
Planet Earth is a 2006 British television series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit. Five years in the making, it was the most expensive nature documentary series ever commissioned by the BBC and also the first to be filmed in high definition.[1]
Planet Earth premiered on 5 March 2006 in the United Kingdom on BBC One. It had been shown in 130 countries worldwide by June 2007. Its first broadcast in the United States was on 25 March 2007 on the Discovery Channel, with Sigourney Weaver replacing David Attenborough's original commentary.[2]
The series comprises eleven episodes, each of which features a global overview of a different biome or habitat on Earth. At the end of each fifty-minute episode, a ten-minute featurette takes a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges of filming the series.


Contents  [hide]
1 Background
2 Broadcast details 2.1 British television
2.2 International
3 International broadcast
4 Episodes 4.1 1. "From Pole to Pole"
4.2 2. "Mountains"
4.3 3. "Fresh Water"
4.4 4. "Caves"
4.5 5. "Deserts"
4.6 6. "Ice Worlds"
4.7 7. "Great Plains"
4.8 8. "Jungles"
4.9 9. "Shallow Seas"
4.10 10. "Seasonal Forests"
4.11 11. "Ocean Deep"
5 Planet Earth: The Future
6 Feature film
7 Reception 7.1 Critical reception
7.2 Awards
7.3 Audience response
8 Merchandise 8.1 DVD
8.2 HD DVD and Blu-ray
8.3 Books
8.4 Soundtrack album
9 See also
10 References
11 Further reading
12 External links

Background[edit]
In 2001 the BBC broadcast The Blue Planet, a landmark series on the natural history of the world's oceans. It received critical acclaim, high viewing figures, audience appreciation ratings, and many awards. It also became a hugely profitable global brand, eventually being sold to 150 countries worldwide. Feedback showed that audiences particularly liked the epic scale, the scenes of new and unusual species and the cinematic quality of the series. Programme commissioners were keen for a follow-up, so Alastair Fothergill decided that the Natural History Unit should repeat the formula with a series looking at the whole planet. The idea for Planet Earth was born, and the series was commissioned by Lorraine Heggessey, then Controller of BBC One, in January 2002.[3]
A feature film version of Planet Earth was commissioned alongside the television series, repeating the successful model established with The Blue Planet and its companion film, Deep Blue. Earth was released around the world from 2007 to 2009. There was also another accompanying television series, Planet Earth: The Future, which looked at the environmental problems facing some of the species and habitats featured in the main series in more detail.
Broadcast details[edit]
British television[edit]
The episodes are each an hour in length, comprising the main programme and a 10-minute featurette called Planet Earth Diaries, which details the filming of a particular event. In the UK, Planet Earth was split into two parts, broadcast in spring and autumn 2006. The first five episodes premiered on BBC One at 9:00pm on Sundays, beginning on 5 March 2006. The programmes were repeated the following Saturday in an early evening slot on BBC Two. Along with its 2005 dramatisation of Bleak House, the BBC selected Planet Earth for its trial of high-definition broadcasts.[4] The opening episode was its first-ever scheduled programme in the format, shown 27 May 2006 on the BBC HD channel.
The first episode in the autumn series, Great Plains, received its first public showing at the Edinburgh International Television Festival on 26 August 2006. It was shown on a giant screen in Conference Square.[5] The remaining episodes were broadcast from 5 November 2006 in the same primetime BBC One slot, following a further repeat run of the spring programmes on BBC Four. The autumn episodes were broadcast simultaneously on BBC HD and were repeated on BBC Four the following week.
Besides being BBC One's featured One to Watch programme of the day, Planet Earth was heavily trailed on the BBC's television and radio channels both before and during its run. The music that was featured in the BBC trailers for the series is the track "Hoppípolla" from the album Takk... by Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. Following the advertisements, interest was so widespread that the single was re-released.[6] In the United States, the series was promoted using "The Time Has Come" from trailer music company Epic Score,[7] composed by Gabriel Shadid and Tobias Marberger.[8] The Australian trailers initially used Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity from Gustav Holst's orchestral suite The Planets, but later reverted to "Hoppípolla".
International[edit]
The BBC pre-sold the series to several overseas broadcasters,[9] including the Discovery Channel for the United States, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, China Central Television, WDR for Germany, Discovery Channel for India, Prime Television for New Zealand, and C1R for Russian broadcasts. The series was eventually sold to 130 countries.[10]
On 25 March 2007, the series began its run on American television on the Discovery network, premiering on the Discovery Channel and Discovery HD Theater. There were a number of revisions to the original British programme. Actress and conservationist Sigourney Weaver was brought in to replace David Attenborough as narrator, as it was thought her familiarity to American audiences would attract more viewers. The Discovery programmes also used a slightly different script to the British original. The series was broadcast on Sundays in one 3-hour block followed by four 2-hour blocks. The Planet Earth Diaries segments were not shown immediately after each episode, but collectively in Planet Earth: The Filmmakers' Story, a two-hour special which was broadcast after the series had finished its initial network run. Edited versions were later broadcast on The Science Channel, Animal Planet, and Planet Green.
In Canada, the series did not air on the Canadian Discovery Channel, as it is owned by CTV and the Canadian rights were exclusively sold to the CBC.[11]
International broadcast[edit]
Planet Earth premiered on BBC One on 5 March 2006 in the United Kingdom. On the same day or in the subsequent weeks or months, the series also began airing in several other countries.
International broadcasters carrying Planet Earth include:

Country / Region
Channel
 Australia ABC
GEM
 Belgium Canvas
 Brazil TV Cultura
 Canada CBC
CTV
 China CCTV (CCTV - 9)
 Czech Republic Prima Zoom
 Denmark DR)
 Germany WDR
Das Erste
 Iceland RÚV
 India Discovery Channel (India)
 Iran IRIB TV4
 Italy Mediaset Premium
BBC Knowledge
Rai Gulp
 Japan NHK
 Netherlands Evangelische Omroep
 New Zealand Prime
 Norway NRK1
 Philippines GMA News TV
 Russia Channel One Russia
 Turkey NTV
 United States Discovery Channel
Velocity (TV channel)
Science (TV network)
Animal Planet
Destination America
BBC America
Episodes[edit]

"A hundred years ago, there were one and a half billion people on Earth. Now, over six billion crowd our fragile planet. But even so, there are still places barely touched by humanity. This series will take you to the last wildernesses and show you the planet and its wildlife as you have never seen them before."
— David Attenborough's opening narration
1. "From Pole to Pole"[edit]
UK broadcast 5 March 2006, 9.41 million viewers (34% audience share);[12] U.S. broadcast 25 March 2007
The first episode illustrates a journey around the globe and reveals the effect of gradual climatic change and seasonal transitions en route. During Antarctica's winter, emperor penguins endure four months of darkness, with no food, in temperatures of −70 °C (−94 °F). Meanwhile, as spring arrives in the Arctic, polar bear cubs take their first steps into a world of rapidly thawing ice. In northern Canada, 3 million caribou complete an overland migration of3,200 kilometres (2,000 mi), longer than that of any animal, and are hunted by wolves during its journey. The forests of eastern Russia are home to the Amur leopard; with a population of just 40 individuals in the wild, it is now the world's rarest cat. This is primarily because of the destruction of its habitat, and Attenborough states that it "symbolises the fragility of our natural heritage". However, in the tropics, the jungle that covers 3% of the planet's surface supports 50% of its species. Other species shown include New Guinea's birds of paradise, African hunting dogs in their efficient pursuit of impala, elephants in Africa migrating towards the waters of the Okavango Delta, a seasonal bloom of life in the otherwise arid Kalahari Desert, and 300,000 migrating Baikal teal, containing the world's entire population of the species in one flock. The Planet Earth Diaries segment shows how the wild dog hunt was filmed unobtrusively with the aid of the Heligimbal, a powerful, gyro-stabilised camera mounted beneath a helicopter.[13]
2. "Mountains"[edit]



 The Baltoro Glacier in the Karakoram, PakistanUK broadcast 12 March 2006, 8.57 million viewers (30% audience share);[12] U.S. broadcast 25 March 2007
The second instalment focuses on the mountains. All the main ranges are explored with extensive aerial photography. Ethiopia's Erta Ale is the longest continually erupting volcano—for over 100 years. On the nearby highlands, geladas (the only primate whose diet is almost entirely grass) inhabit precipitous slopes nearly five kilometres (3 mi) up, in troops that are 800-strong: the most numerous of their kind. Alongside them live the critically endangered walia ibex, and both species take turns to act as lookout for predatory Ethiopian wolves. The Andes have the most volatile weather and guanacos are shown enduring a flash blizzard, along with an exceptional group sighting of the normally solitary puma. The Alpine summits are always snow-covered, apart from that of the Matterhorn, which is too sheer to allow it to settle. Grizzly bear cubs emerge from their den for the first time in the Rockies, while Himalayan inhabitants include rutting markhor, golden eagles that hunt migrating demoiselle cranes, and the rare snow leopard. At the eastern end of the range, the giant panda cannot hibernate due to its poor nutriment of bamboo and one of them cradles its week-old cub. Also shown is the Earth's biggest mountain glacier—the Baltoro in Pakistan, which is 70 kilometres (43 mi) long and visible from space. Planet Earth Diaries explains how difficult it was to get close-up footage of snow leopards; it was a three-year process and is the world's first-ever video footage of snow leopards.[14]
3. "Fresh Water"[edit]
UK broadcast 19 March 2006, 8.83 million viewers (32% audience share);[12] U.S. broadcast 15 April 2007
The fresh water programme describes the course taken by rivers and some of the species that take advantage of such a habitat. Only 3% of the world's water is fresh, yet all life on land ultimately depends on it. Its journey begins as a stream in the mountains, illustrated by Venezuela's Tepui, where there is a tropical downpour almost every day. It then travels hundreds of kilometres before forming rapids. With the aid of some expansive helicopter photography, one sequence demonstrates the vastness of Angel Falls, the world's highest free-flowing waterfall. Its waters drop unbroken for nearly 1,000 metres (3,000 feet) and are blown away as a mist before they reach the bottom. In Japan, the water is inhabited by the biggest amphibian, the two-metre long giant salamander, while in the northern hemisphere, salmon undertake the largest freshwater migration, and are hunted en route by grizzly bears. The erosive nature of rivers is shown by the Grand Canyon, created over five million years by the Colorado River. Also featured are smooth coated otters repelling mugger crocodiles and the latter's Nile cousin ambushing wildebeest as they cross the Mara River. Roseate spoonbills are numerous in the Pantanal and are prey to spectacled caiman. In addition, there are cichlids, piranhas, river dolphins and swimming crab-eating macaques. Planet Earth Diaries shows how a camera crew filmed a piranha feeding frenzy in Brazil—after a two-week search for the opportunity.[15]



 The Lechuguilla Cave
4. "Caves"[edit]
UK broadcast 26 March 2006, 8.98 million viewers (33% audience share);[12] U.S. broadcast 22 April 2007
This episode explores "Planet Earth's final frontier": caves. At a depth of 400 metres (1,300 ft), Mexico's Cave of Swallows is Earth's deepest Pit Cave freefall drop, allowing entry by BASE jumpers. Its volume could contain New York City's Empire State Building. In this episode divers explore the otherworldly cenotes of the Yucatán Peninsula, appearing to be flying in water (because it is so clear), allowing viewers a glimpse of the hundreds of kilometers of caves which have already been mapped. Also featured is Borneo's Deer Cave and Gomantong Cave. Inhabitants of the former include three million wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat, which have deposited guano on to an enormous mound. In Gomantong Cave, guano is many metres high and is blanketed with hundreds of thousands of cockroaches and other invertebrates. Also depicted are eyeless, subterranean creatures, such as the Texas blind salamander and (bizarrely) a species of crab. Carlsbad Caverns National Park is featured with its calcite formations. Mexico's Cueva de Villa Luz is also featured, with its flowing stream of sulphuric acid and snottite formations made of living bacteria. A fish species, the shortfin molly, has adapted to this habitat. The programme ends in New Mexico's Lechuguilla Cave (discovered in 1986) where sulphuric acid has produced unusually ornate, gypsum crystal formations. Planet Earth Diaries reveals how a camera team spent a month among the cockroaches on the guano mound in Gomantong Cave and describes the logistics required to photograph Lechuguilla. Permission for the latter took two years and local authorities are unlikely to allow another visit.[16]
5. "Deserts"[edit]
UK broadcast 2 April 2006, 9.23 million viewers (34% audience share);[12] U.S. broadcast 1 April 2007
This instalment features the harsh environment that covers one-third of the land on Earth: the deserts. Due to Siberian winds, Mongolia's Gobi Desert reaches extremes of temperature like no other, ranging from -40 °C to +50 °C (-40 °F to 122 °F). It is home to the rare Bactrian camel, which eats snow to maintain its fluid level and must limit itself to 10 litres (2.6 U.S. gal; 2.2 imp gal) a day if it is not to prove fatal. Africa's Sahara is the size of the USA, and just one of its severe dust storms could cover the whole of Great Britain. While some creatures, such as the dromedary, take them in their stride, for others the only escape from such bombardments is to bury themselves in the sand. Few rocks can resist them either and the outcrops shown in Egypt's White Desert are being inexorably eroded. The biggest dunes (300 m or 1,000 ft high) are found in Namibia, while other deserts featured are Death Valley in California and Nevada, the Sonoran in Arizona, the deserts of Utah, all in the United States, the Atacama in Chile, and areas of the Australian outback. Animals are shown searching for food and surviving in such an unforgiving habitat: African elephants that walk up to 80 kilometres (50 mi) per day to find food; lions (hunting oryx); red kangaroos (which moisten their forelegs with saliva to keep cool); nocturnal fennec foxes, acrobatic flat lizards feeding on black flies, and duelling Nubian ibex. The final sequence illustrates one of nature's most fearsome spectacles: a billion-strong plague of desert locusts, destroying all vegetation in its path. Planet Earth Diaries explains how the hunt for the elusive Bactrian camels necessitated a two-month trek in Mongolia.[17]
6. "Ice Worlds"[edit]



 The aurora borealis in AlaskaUK broadcast 5 November 2006, 6.37 million viewers (24% audience share);[12] U.S. broadcast 1 April 2007
The sixth programme looks at the regions of the Arctic and Antarctica. The latter contains 90% of the world's ice, and stays largely deserted until the spring, when visitors arrive to harvest its waters. Snow petrels take their place on nunataks and begin to court, but are preyed on by South Polar skuas. During summer, a pod of humpback whales hunt krill by creating a spiralling net of bubbles. The onset of winter sees the journey of emperor penguins to their breeding grounds, 160 kilometres (99 mi) inland. Their eggs transferred to the males for safekeeping, the females return to the ocean while their partners huddle into large groups to endure the extreme cold. At the northern end of the planet, Arctic residents include musk oxen, who are hunted by Arctic foxes and wolves. A female polar bear and her two cubs head off across the ice to look for food. As the sun melts the ice, a glimpse of the Earth's potential future reveals a male polar bear that is unable to find a firm footing anywhere and has to resort to swimming—which it cannot do indefinitely. Its desperate need to eat brings it to a colony of walrus. Although it attacks repeatedly, the herd is successful in evading it by returning to the sea. Wounded and unable to feed, the bear will not survive. Meanwhile, back in Antarctica, the eggs of the emperor penguins finally hatch. Planet Earth Diaries tells of the battle with the elements to obtain the penguin footage and of unwelcome visits from polar bears.[18]
7. "Great Plains"[edit]
UK broadcast 12 November 2006, 6.72 million viewers (24% audience share);[12] U.S. broadcast 8 April 2007
This episode deals with savanna, steppe, tundra, prairie, and looks at the importance and resilience of grasses in such treeless ecosystems. Their vast expanses contain the largest concentration of animal life. Over Africa's savanna, a swarm of 1.5 billion Red-billed Queleas are caught on camera, the largest flock of birds ever depicted.[19] In Outer Mongolia, a herd of Mongolian gazelle flee a bush fire and is forced to find new grazing, but grass self-repairs rapidly and soon reappears. On the Arctic tundra during spring, millions of migratory snow geese arrive to breed and their young are preyed on by Arctic foxes. Meanwhile, time-lapse photography depicts moving herds of caribou as a calf is brought down by a chasing wolf. On the North American prairie, bison engage in the ritual to establish the dominant males. The Tibetan Plateau is the highest of the plains and despite its relative lack of grass, animals do survive there, including yak and wild ass. However, the area's most numerous resident is the pika, whose nemesis is the Tibetan fox. In tropical India, the tall grasses hide some of the largest creatures and also the smallest, such as the pygmy hog. The final sequence depicts African bush elephants that are forced to share a waterhole with a pride of thirty lions. The insufficient water makes it an uneasy alliance and the latter gain the upper hand during the night when their hunger drives them to hunt and eventually kill one of the pachyderms. Planet Earth Diaries explains how the lion hunt was filmed in darkness using infrared light.[20]
8. "Jungles"[edit]



 A Costa Rican tree frogUK broadcast 19 November 2006, 7.04 million viewers (26% audience share);[12] U.S. broadcast 15 April 2007
This episode examines jungles and tropical rainforests. These environments occupy only 3% of the land yet are home to over half of the world's species. New Guinea is inhabited by almost 40 kinds of birds of paradise, which avoid conflict with each other by living in different parts of the island. Some of their elaborate courtship displays are shown. Within the dense forest canopy, sunlight is prized, and the death of a tree triggers a race by saplings to fill the vacant space. Figs are a widespread and popular food, and as many as 44 types of bird and monkey have been observed picking from a single tree. The sounds of the jungle throughout the day are explored, from the early morning calls of siamangs and orangutans to the nocturnal cacophony of courting tree frogs. The importance of fungi to the rainforest is illustrated by a sequence of them fruiting, including a parasite called cordyceps. The mutual benefits of the relationship between carnivorous pitcher plants and red crab spiders is also discussed. In the Congo, roaming forest elephants are shown reaching a clearing to feed on essential clay minerals within the mud. Finally, chimpanzees are one of the few jungle animals able to traverse both the forest floor and the canopy in search of food. In Uganda, members of a 150-strong community of the primates mount a raid into neighbouring territory in order to gain control of it. Planet Earth Diaries looks at filming displaying birds of paradise, focusing mainly on the filming of the six-plumed bird of paradise.[21]
9. "Shallow Seas"[edit]
UK broadcast 26 November 2006, 7.32 million viewers (28% audience share);[12] U.S. broadcast 8 April 2007
This programme is devoted to the shallow seas that fringe the world's continents. Although they constitute 8% of the oceans, they contain most marine life. As humpback whales return to breeding grounds in the tropics, a mother and its calf are followed. While the latter takes in up to 500 litres of milk a day, its parent will starve until it travels back to the poles to feed—and it must do this while it still has sufficient energy left for the journey. The coral reefs of Indonesia are home to the biggest variety of ocean dwellers. Examples include banded sea kraits, which ally themselves with goatfish and trevally in order to hunt. In Western Australia, dolphins "hydroplane" in the shallowest waters to catch a meal, while in Bahrain, 100,000 Socotra cormorants rely on shamals that blow sand grains into the nearby Persian Gulf, transforming it into a rich fishing ground. The appearance of algae in the spring starts a food chain that leads to an abundant harvest, and sea lions and dusky dolphins are among those taking advantage of it. In Southern Africa, as chokka squid are preyed on by short-tail stingray, the Cape fur seals that share the waters are hunted by the world's largest predatory fish—the great white shark. On Marion Island in the Indian Ocean, a group of king penguins must cross a beach occupied by fur seals that do not hesitate to attack them. Planet Earth Diaries shows the difficulties of filming the one-second strike of a great white shark, filmed by Simon King.[22]
10. "Seasonal Forests"[edit]



 A stand of giant redwoodsUK broadcast 3 December 2006, 7.42 million viewers (29% audience share);[12] U.S. broadcast 22 April 2007
The penultimate episode surveys the coniferous and deciduous seasonal woodland habitats—the most extensive forests on Earth. Conifers begin sparsely in the subarctic but soon dominate the land, and the taiga circles the globe, containing a third of all the Earth's trees. Few creatures can survive the Arctic climate year round, but the moose and wolverine are exceptions. 1,600 kilometres (990 mi) to the south, on the Pacific coast of North America, conifers have reached their full potential. These include some of the world's tallest trees: the redwoods. Here, a pine marten is shown stalking a squirrel, and great grey owl chicks take their first flight. Further south still, in Chile's Valdivian forests, a population of smaller animals exist, including the pudú and the kodkod. During spring in a European broad-leafed forest, a mandarin duck leads its day-old family to leap from its tree trunk nest to the leaf litter below. The Bialowieza Forest typifies the habitat that characterised Europe around 6,000 years ago: only a fragment remains in Poland and Belarus. On a summer night on North America's east coast, periodical cicadas emerge en masse to mate—an event that occurs every seventeen years. After revisiting Russia's Amur leopards in winter, a time-lapse sequence illustrates the effect of the ensuing spring on the deciduous forest floor. In India's teak forests, a langur monkey strays too far from the chital that act as its sentinels and falls prey to a tiger. In Madagascar, mouse lemurs feed on the nectar of flowering baobab trees. Planet Earth Diaries explains how aerial shots of the baobab were achieved by the use of a cinebulle, an adapted hot air balloon.[23]
11. "Ocean Deep"[edit]
UK broadcast 10 December 2006, 6.02 million viewers (22% audience share);[12] U.S. broadcast 25 March 2007
The final instalment concentrates on the least explored area of the planet—the deep ocean. It begins with a whale shark used as a shield by a shoal of bait fish to protect themselves from yellowfin tuna. Also shown is an oceanic whitetip shark trailing rainbow runners. Meanwhile, a 500-strong school of dolphins head for the Azores, where they work together to feast on scad mackerel along with a flock of shearwaters. Down in the ocean's furthest reaches, some creatures defy classification. On the sea floor, scavengers such as the spider crab bide their time, awaiting carrion from above. The volcanic mountain chain at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean also sustains life through the bacteria that surround its sulphide vents. There are thought to be around 30,000 undersea volcanoes, some of them taller than Mount Everest. Their sheer cliffs provide anchorage for several corals and sponges. Nearer the surface, the currents that surround these seamounts force nutrients up from below and thus marine life around them is abundant. Ascension Island is a nesting ground for frigatebirds and green turtles. Off the Mexican coast, a large group of sailfish feed on another shoal of bait fish, changing colour to signal their intentions to each other, allowing them to coordinate their attack. The last sequence depicts the largest animal on Earth—the blue whale, of which 300,000 once roamed the world's oceans. Now fewer than 3% remain. Planet Earth Diaries shows the search in the Bahamas for oceanic whitetip sharks.[24]

"Our planet is still full of wonders. As we explore them, so we gain not only understanding, but power. It's not just the future of the whale that today lies in our hands: it's the survival of the natural world in all parts of the living planet. We can now destroy or we can cherish. The choice is ours."
— David Attenborough, in closing
Planet Earth: The Future[edit]
Main article: Planet Earth: The Future
The latter episodes were supplemented by Planet Earth: The Future, a series of three 60-minute films that highlight the conservation issues surrounding some of the featured species and environments. The programmes are narrated by Simon Poland and the series producer was Fergus Beeley. The series began transmission on BBC Four after the ninth episode, "Shallow Seas".[25]
Feature film[edit]
Main article: Earth (2007 film)
Alongside the commissioning of the television series, BBC Worldwide and GreenLight Media secured financing for a US$15 million film version of Planet Earth.[25] This followed the earlier success of Deep Blue, the BBC's 2003 theatrical nature documentary which used re-edited footage from The Blue Planet.[26] The film was co-directed by Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield and produced by Alix Tidmarsh and Sophokles Tasioulis. Only 30% of the footage shown in Earth is new, with the remainder being reworked from the television series to suit the narrative of the film.[27] David Attenborough was replaced as narrator by high-profile actors: Patrick Stewart for the UK market and James Earl Jones for the United States.[28][29]
Earth had its worldwide premiere in September 2007 at the San Sebastián International Film Festival in San Sebastián, Spain, in Basque Country.[30] Lionsgate released the film in several international markets over the following year. In the United States, it became the first film to be released by Disneynature, the Walt Disney Company's new nature documentary arm.[29] When released on Earth Day 2009 it set the record for the highest opening weekend gross for a nature documentary, and went on to become the third highest grossing documentary of all time.[31][32] It has grossed more than $108 million worldwide; in the nature documentary genre, only March of the Penguins has achieved greater box-office success.[32]
Reception[edit]
Critical reception[edit]
[icon] This section requires expansion. (January 2010)
Planet Earth received widespread critical acclaim. Time magazine's James Poniewozik named it one of the Top 10 New TV Series of 2007, ranking it at #4.[33] It is ranked third in IMDb's list of the highest-rated TV shows, with at least 5,000 votes, with a score of 9.5/10, outranked only by the series Breaking Bad and Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey.[34]
Awards[edit]
Planet Earth won the Science and Natural History award at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards in 2007.[35] The RTS also awarded it a Judge's Award and a Photography Award at its Craft and Design Awards.[36] The series picked up two awards from the Broadcasting Press Guild for Best Documentary Series and Innovation in Broadcasting,[37] and won Best Documentary Series at the 2007 Broadcast Awards.[38] At the 2007 BAFTA Television Awards, Planet Earth was nominated in the Specialist Factual and Pioneer Audience Award categories, but lost out to Nuremberg: Goering's Last Stand and Life on Mars respectively.[39] It received three nominations at the BAFTA Television Craft Awards later the same year. George Fenton's original score won him Soundtrack Composer of the Year at the 2007 Classical BRIT Awards.[40]
Planet Earth was recognised by the American television industry, collecting the award for Nonfiction Series at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards in September 2007 and winning a further three prizes in technical categories at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards.[41] It also collected two awards from the Television Critics Association in Los Angeles in July 2007[42] and a Peabody Award in April 2008.[43]
The series was also fêted at wildlife film festivals around the globe, collected multiple prizes at the Wildscreen Festival 2006, the International Wildlife Film Festival 2007 and the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival 2007.
Audience response[edit]
The credentials of the filmmakers, the size of the production, a high-profile marketing campaign and a primetime BBC One timeslot all resulted in Planet Earth attracting large audiences when it debuted in the UK in March 2006. The first episode, "From Pole to Pole", was watched by more people than any natural history programme since Attenborough and Fothergill's previous series, The Blue Planet, in 2001.[44] The first five episodes drew an average audience of 11.4 million viewers, including the early evening repeats, outperforming even The Blue Planet.[45] When the series returned to British screens after a six-month break, it remained popular but viewing figures did not reach the same levels. The final six episodes attracted an average audience of 6.8 million viewers, appreciably lower than the spring episodes, but still higher than BBC One's average for the timeslot.[46] The BBC's 2007 Annual Report revealed that the series "received the highest audience appreciation score of any British programme on TV this year".[47]
In the United States, Planet Earth drew equally impressive ratings when it premiered on Discovery and Discovery HD Theater on 25 March 2007. The first three episodes (screened back to back) averaged 5.72 million viewers with a peak of 6.07 million viewers, giving the network its third highest audience ever. It was also the most watched Discovery programme since The Flight That Fought Back in 2005.[48][49] Planet Earth went on to break more records during its American broadcast run, reaching more than 100 million viewers in total and becoming "the most watched cable event of all time".[50][51]
Merchandise[edit]



Planet Earth DVD cover
The popularity of the television series around the world translated into strong sales of associated Planet Earth merchandise. In the United States, it became the fastest and bestselling documentary DVD in Discovery Channel's history, and the high-definition (HD) discs generated US$3.2 million in sales in just two months.[51][52] By the end of 2007, U.S. sales had topped 3 million units, making it the highest-grossing HD title and one of the top ten DVD titles of the year.[53]
In addition, the brand was licensed to other companies to produce children's books, calendars, a board game, jigsaws, stationery, cards, and more.[50]
DVD[edit]
A five-disc DVD box set of the complete series (BBCDVD1883) was released in the UK for Regions 2 and 4 (PAL) on 27 November 2006 by 2 entertain. It is presented in 5.1-channel Dolby Digital surround sound and 16:9 widescreen video. The bonus features include Planet Earth Diaries (presented immediately after each episode as for the original TV broadcast) and Planet Earth: The Future.[54] In the United States, two versions of the same five-disc set were released as a Region 1 (NTSC) DVD on 24 April 2007. The BBC Warner release retained David Attenborough's narration from the original British television broadcasts, but the Discovery Channel edition used the alternative Sigourney Weaver voiceover.
HD DVD and Blu-ray[edit]
Except for a small amount of extremely hard-to-obtain footage,[55] Planet Earth was filmed entirely in high-definition, and consequently became one of the first television series to take advantage of the new HD disc formats.
The series was released in both Blu-ray and HD DVD formats as a five-disc Region B box set on 12 November 2007. On the fifth disc, the bonus features from the standard-definition DVD set were replaced by two episodes from the BBC's Natural World series, "Desert Lions" and "Snow Leopard: Beyond the Myth", both also presented in high-definition.[56]
In the United States, the series was released as a four-disc set in both high-definition formats,[57] the Blu-ray version on single-layer BD-25 discs[58] and the HD DVD set on dual-layer HD DVD-30 discs.[59] The first U.S. high-definition releases omitted the extra disc of bonus features from the standard-definition boxed set, though these extras were included with new material in a special edition Blu-ray released in 2011.[60]
Books[edit]
Four official tie-in volumes were published by BBC Books in 2006 and 2007:
Planet Earth: As You've Never Seen It Before, written by Alastair Fothergill with a foreword by David Attenborough, was published in hardback on 5 October 2006 (ISBN 978-0563522126).
The paperback title Planet Earth: The Future was also published on 5 October 2006 (ISBN 978-0563539056). It was edited by Fergus Beeley and Rosamund Kidman Cox with a foreword by Jonathon Porritt.
A second paperback volume revealed some of the tales from the field during filming expeditions. Planet Earth: The Making of an Epic Series was written by David Nicholson-Lord and published on 9 March 2006 (ISBN 978-0563493587).
A collection of still images from the series was published in a hardcover volume as Planet Earth: The Photographs on 7 October 2007 (ISBN 978-1846073465).
Soundtrack album[edit]
Main article: Planet Earth (soundtrack)
On 20 November 2006, a two-disc soundtrack CD was released with a compilation of the incidental music specially commissioned for Planet Earth. The award-winning score was composed by George Fenton and performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra and has been performed during "Planet Earth Live" events in the United States and UK.
See also[edit]
9° North
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Slenske, Michael (2007-03-18). "All Creatures Great, Small ...and Endangered". New York Times.
2.Jump up ^ Plentl, Stephanie (2007-06-04). "Screen giants of Earth, the year's biggest film". London: The Daily Telegraph.
3.Jump up ^ Nicholson-Lord, David (2006). Planet Earth: The Making of an Epic Series. London: BBC Books.
4.Jump up ^ "BBC steps up high-definition plan". BBC News. 2006-05-09. Retrieved 2007-03-13.
5.Jump up ^ Edwards, Gareth (2006-08-25). "A vote for Independence". Edinburgh Evening News.
6.Jump up ^ "Sigur Rós re-release single due to public demand". NME.com. 2006-04-06.
7.Jump up ^ Epic Score
8.Jump up ^ "Soundtrack.net: Planet Earth trailer".
9.Jump up ^ "New Zealand and Scandinavian pre-sales for Planet Earth". BBC press office. 2005-04-11.
10.Jump up ^ Radio Times: 4–10 November 2006
11.Jump up ^ Shales, Tom (2007-03-23). "Wonders Never Cease on Planet Earth". The Washington Post.
12.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k "Weekly Top 30 Programmes". BARB. Retrieved 2009-03-30. (data available for Planet Earth broadcast weeks by searching archive)
13.Jump up ^ Produced by Mark Linfield (2006-03-05). "From Pole to Pole". Planet Earth. BBC. BBC One.
14.Jump up ^ Produced by Vanessa Berlowitz (2006-03-12). "Mountains". Planet Earth. BBC. BBC One.
15.Jump up ^ Produced by Mark Brownlow (2006-03-19). "Fresh Water". Planet Earth. BBC. BBC One.
16.Jump up ^ Produced by Huw Cordey (2006-03-26). "Caves". Planet Earth. BBC. BBC One.
17.Jump up ^ Produced by Huw Cordey (2006-04-02). "Deserts". Planet Earth. BBC. BBC One.
18.Jump up ^ Produced by Vanessa Berlowitz (2006-11-05). "Ice Worlds". Planet Earth. BBC. BBC One.
19.Jump up ^ "Red-billed quelea". BBC One. Retrieved 2010-05-17.
20.Jump up ^ Produced by Jonny Keeling (2006-11-12). "Great Plains". Planet Earth. BBC. BBC One.
21.Jump up ^ Produced by Huw Cordey (2006-11-19). "Jungles". Planet Earth. BBC. BBC One.
22.Jump up ^ Produced by Mark Brownlow (2006-11-26). "Shallow Seas". Planet Earth. BBC. BBC One.
23.Jump up ^ Produced by Mark Linfield (2006-03-03). "Seasonal Forests". Planet Earth. BBC. BBC One.
24.Jump up ^ Produced by Andy Byatt (2006-03-10). "Ocean Deep". Planet Earth. BBC. BBC One.
25.^ Jump up to: a b "Planet Earth part two – press pack". BBC press office. 2006-10-12.
26.Jump up ^ "Planet Earth set for movie release". BBC Worldwide press release. 2005-02-28.
27.Jump up ^ "Heir to Attenborough's wild world". London: The Times. 2006-10-29. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
28.Jump up ^ "Patrick Stewart interview". BBC Online. Retrieved 2010-01-24.
29.^ Jump up to: a b Barnes, Brooks (2009-04-10). "Balancing cuddliness and reality". New York Times.
30.Jump up ^ Barber, Tim (2007-08-07). "Cronenberg's Eastern Promises to open San Sebastian". Screen Daily.com.
31.Jump up ^ Kay, Jeremy (2009-04-26). "Screen Gems hits North American jackpot with Obsessed". Screen Daily.com.
32.^ Jump up to: a b "Documentary Movies at the Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2010-01-24.
33.Jump up ^ Poniewozik, James (2007-12-09). "Top 10 New TV Series". Time. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
34.Jump up ^ "IMDb: Highest Rated TV Series With At Least 5,000 Votes".
35.Jump up ^ "Dame Helen is small screen queen". BBC Online. 2007-03-14.
36.Jump up ^ "RTS Awards Archive – January 2008". www.rts.org.uk. Retrieved 2010-01-24.
37.Jump up ^ "Double award win for Life on Mars". BBC Online. 2007-03-23.
38.Jump up ^ "Broadcast awards 2007 – the winners". Broadcastnow.co.uk. 2007-01-24.
39.Jump up ^ "BAFTA Television Awards 2006". Bafta.org. Retrieved 2010-01-24.
40.Jump up ^ Music, Unlimited (2007-05-04). "Paul McCartney, Ruth Palmer among winners at Classical Brits". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
41.Jump up ^ "Discovery Channel’s Planet Earth Nabs Four Emmys". Discovery Communications, Inc. 2007-09-09.
42.Jump up ^ "US critics' award for TV's Heroes". BBC Online. 2007-07-23.
43.Jump up ^ Gough, Paul J. (2008-04-02). "Peabodys go to 'Dexter,' '30 Rock'". The Hollywood Reporter.
44.Jump up ^ "Planet Earth proves unstoppable ratings beast". Broadcast Now. 2006-03-09.
45.Jump up ^ Davies, Hugh (2006-04-04). "BBC's Planet Earth ends on natural high". London: The Daily Telegraph.
46.Jump up ^ Rogers, Jon (2006-12-14). "Creatures bring comfort to BBC1 and ITV1". Broadcast Now.
47.Jump up ^ "Annual Report 2007: Review of the Year". BBC. Retrieved 2010-01-24.
48.Jump up ^ Weprin, Alex (2007-03-28). "Planet Earth, Award-Winning BBC Television Program, to Become Children's Book Publishing Program With Scholastic". Broadcasting & Cable.
49.Jump up ^ Crupi, Anthony (2007-03-27). "Discovery Strikes Gold With 'Planet'". MediaWeek.
50.^ Jump up to: a b "Planet Earth, Award-Winning BBC Television Program, to Become Children's Book Publishing Program With Scholastic". Reuters. 2008-05-01.
51.^ Jump up to: a b "Discovery Channel’s Planet Earth the Most Watched Cable Event, Reaching over 65 Million Viewers". Discovery Communications, Inc. 2007-05-01.
52.Jump up ^ Arnold, Thomas K. (2007-06-22). "Planet Earth looks great in HD and to the BBC". USA Today.
53.Jump up ^ Sweney, Mark (2008-07-08). "BBC Worldwide annual review: Strong performance from UKTV and BBC America". London: The Guardian.
54.Jump up ^ "Planet Earth DVD Box Set". Play.com. Retrieved 2007-03-13.
55.Jump up ^ This information can be found on the back of the American HD boxed sets
56.Jump up ^ "Planet Earth: Complete BBC Series (Blu-ray)". Amazon.co.uk. 2007-11-12. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
57.Jump up ^ "Planet Earth (BD & HD DVD) in April". DVD Times. Retrieved 2007-03-13.
58.Jump up ^ "Planet Earth – The Complete BBC Series (Blu-ray)". Amazon.com. 2007-04-24. Retrieved 2007-06-29.
59.Jump up ^ "Planet Earth – The Complete BBC Series (HD DVD)". Amazon.com. 2007-04-24. Retrieved 2007-06-29.
60.Jump up ^ Iverson, Dan; Christopher Monfette (2007-06-20). "Planet Earth: The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Review". IGN DVD. Retrieved 2007-06-29.
Further reading[edit]
Alastair Fothergill discusses Planet Earth in The Times.
Text at Universal Library discussing the Planet Earth series and the technological background.
External links[edit]
Planet Earth at BBC Programmes
Discovery Channel website
Planet Earth on the Eden website
Human Planet BBC on DVD and Blu-ray
Planet Earth at the Internet Movie Database


[show]
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Planet Earth (TV series)From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, searchThis article is about the TV series. For the 2007 film based on the series, see Earth (2007 film). For the 2010 film with highlights from this series, see Planet Earth Live.Planet EarthScreenshot of series title cardSeries title card from UK broadcastGenreNature documentaryNarrated byDavid AttenboroughComposer(s)George FentonCountry of originUnited KingdomOriginal language(s)EnglishNo. of episodes11ProductionExecutive producer(s)Alastair FothergillCinematographyDoug AllanRunning time60 minutesProduction company(s)BBCBroadcastOriginal channelBBC OneBBC HDPicture format16:9 576i (SDTV) 16:9 1080i (HDTV)Audio formatStereo (SD)Dolby Digital (HD)Original run5 March 2006 – 10 December 2006ChronologyPreceded byThe Blue PlanetFollowed byFrozen PlanetRelated showsThe Blue PlanetFrozen PlanetExternal linksWebsitePlanet Earth is a 2006 British television series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit. Five years in the making, it was the most expensive nature documentary series ever commissioned by the BBC and also the first to be filmed in high definition.[1]Planet Earth premiered on 5 March 2006 in the United Kingdom on BBC One. It had been shown in 130 countries worldwide by June 2007. Its first broadcast in the United States was on 25 March 2007 on the Discovery Channel, with Sigourney Weaver replacing David Attenborough's original commentary.[2]The series comprises eleven episodes, each of which features a global overview of a different biome or habitat on Earth. At the end of each fifty-minute episode, a ten-minute featurette takes a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges of filming the series.Contents  [hide]1 Background2 Broadcast details 2.1 British television2.2 International3 International broadcast4 Episodes 4.1 1. "From Pole to Pole"4.2 2. "Mountains"4.3 3. "Fresh Water"4.4 4. "Caves"4.5 5. "Deserts"4.6 6. "Ice Worlds"4.7 7. "Great Plains"4.8 8. "Jungles"4.9 9. "Shallow Seas"4.10 10. "Seasonal Forests"4.11 11. "Ocean Dee










Planet Earth (soundtrack)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Planet Earth

Soundtrack album by George Fenton (composer)

Released
20 November 2006
Genre
Soundtrack, Classical music
Length
2:13:41
Label
EMI
Producer
BBC Records
Planet Earth is a television soundtrack album of incidental music commissioned by the BBC Natural History Unit for its 2006 nature documentary series of the same name. The music was composed and conducted by award-winning composer George Fenton, and performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra. Fenton had previously composed scores for several BBC wildlife series, among them Life in the Freezer, The Trials of Life and the predecessor to Planet Earth, The Blue Planet.
In 2007, the score for the opening episode "From Pole to Pole" won George Fenton an Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series. It was his second win, matching the success of The Blue Planet score five years earlier.
Fenton went on to compose the soundtrack for the feature film spin-off from the television series, Earth, and recorded it with the Berliner Philharmoniker.


Contents  [hide]
1 Tracklisting 1.1 Disc 1
1.2 Disc 2
2 External links

Tracklisting[edit]
The Planet Earth soundtrack spans two CDs, the division between the discs mirroring the two parts of the series broadcast in spring and autumn 2006 on British television. The opening song is "The Time has Come" composed by Epic Score.
Disc 1[edit]

#
Track Title
Track Length
Episode Title
1 "Prelude" 1:57 "From Pole to Pole"
2 "The Journey of the Sun" 3:28 "From Pole to Pole"
3 "Hunting Dogs" 3:26 "From Pole to Pole"
4 "Elephants in the Okavango" 3:07 "From Pole to Pole"
5 "Diving into the Darkness" 3:01 "Caves"
6 "Stalactite Gallery" 2:26 "Caves"
7 "Bat Hunt" 2:59 "Caves"
8 "Discovering Deer Cave" 3:49 "Caves"
9 "Angel Falls" 2:21 "Fresh Water"
10 "River Predation" 4:09 "Fresh Water"
11 "Iguacu" 2:06 "Fresh Water"
12 "The Snow Geese" 2:01 "Fresh Water"
13 "The Geladas" 2:39 "Mountains"
14 "The Snow Leopard" 4:00 "Mountains"
15 "The Karakoram" 1:54 "Mountains"
16 "The Earth's Highest Challenge" 5:31 "Mountains"
17 "Desert Winds / The Locusts" 4:58 "Deserts"
18 "Fly Catchers" 1:42 "Deserts"
19 "Namibia — The Lions and the Oryx" 5:10 "Deserts"
Disc 2[edit]

#
Track Title
Track Length
Episode Title
1 "Plains High and Low" 2:40 "Great Plains"
2 "The Wolf and the Caribou" 3:47 "Great Plains"
3 "Tibet (Reprise) / Close" 3:46 "Great Plains"
4 "Surfing Dolphins" 2:41 "Shallow Seas"
5 "Dangerous Landing" 3:20 "Shallow Seas"
6 "Mother and Calf — The Great Journey" 5:19 "Shallow Seas"
7 "The Canopy / Flying Lemur" 2:45 "Jungles"
8 "Frog Ballet / Jungle Falls" 2:37 "Jungles"
9 "The Cordyceps" 2:55 "Jungles"
10 "Hunting Chimps" 4:10 "Jungles"
11 "The Redwoods" 4:40 "Seasonal Forests"
12 "Fledglings" 3:43 "Seasonal Forests"
13 "Seasonal Change" 5:40 "Seasonal Forests"
14 "Discovering Antarctica" 2:42 "Ice Worlds"
15 "The Humpbacks' Bubblenet" 2:59 "Ice Worlds"
16 "Everything Leaves but the Emperors" 2:27 "Ice Worlds"
17 "The Disappearing Sea Ice" 3:45 "Ice Worlds"
18 "Lost in the Storm" 1:16 "Ice Worlds"
19 "A School of Five Hundred" 3:39 "Ocean Deep"
20 "Giant Mantas" 2:50 "Ocean Deep"
21 "Life Near the Surface" 2:06 "Ocean Deep"
22 "The Choice is Ours" 3:13 "Ocean Deep"
External links[edit]
Review at Soundtrack.net



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Planet Earth: The Future
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

This article is about the BBC Four documentary series. For the BBC One series, see Planet Earth (TV series).

Planet Earth: The Future
Planet Earth: The Future title card
Series title card from UK broadcast

Genre
Nature documentary
Narrated by
Simon Poland
Composer(s)
George Fenton
David Poore
Country of origin
United Kingdom
Original language(s)
English
No. of episodes
3
Production

Producer(s)
Fergus Beeley
Running time
60 minutes
Production company(s)
BBC Natural History Unit
Broadcast

Original channel
BBC Four
Picture format
SD: 576i (16:9)
Audio format
Stereo
Original run
26 November 2006 – 10 December 2006
Chronology

Related shows
Planet Earth
External links
Website
Planet Earth: The Future is a 2006 BBC documentary series on the environment and conservation, produced by the BBC Natural History Unit as a companion to the multi-award winning nature documentary Planet Earth. The programmes were originally broadcast on BBC Four immediately after the final three episodes of Planet Earth on BBC One. Each episode highlights the conservation issues surrounding some of the species and environments featured in Planet Earth, using interviews with the film-makers and eminent figures from the fields of science, conservation, politics, and theology. The programmes are narrated by Simon Poland and the series producer was Fergus Beeley.


Contents  [hide]
1 Background
2 Episodes 2.1 1. "Saving Species"
2.2 2. "Into the Wilderness"
2.3 3. "Living Together"
3 Participants
4 DVD and book
5 See also
6 External links
7 References

Background[edit]
When the first episodes of Planet Earth were broadcast in the UK, the producers were criticised by some green campaigners for glossing over the environmental problems faced by the planet. Executive producer Alastair Fothergill defended the approach, explaining that a heavy-handed environmental message would not work on primetime BBC One. However, the Planet Earth film crews witnessed first-hand scenes of environmental degradation and the increasing scarcity of wildlife in some of the shooting locations. This experience formed the basis of Planet Earth - The Future, which was designed to engage viewers in a mature debate about environmental issues.
The following year, the BBC commissioned Saving Planet Earth, the second overtly conservation-themed series to be shown on BBC One. The first BBC series to deal comprehensively with conservation was State of the Planet in 2000.
Episodes[edit]
1. "Saving Species"[edit]
Broadcast 26 November 2006
The first programme asks if there really is an extinction crisis facing certain species. Alastair Fothergill, executive producer of Planet Earth, admits that making the series was a bittersweet experience since some creatures were filmed with the knowledge that their continued existence is under threat. David Attenborough believes that conservation of the natural world is something that can unite humanity if people know enough about it. Cameraman Martyn Colbeck relates that every single day during a six-week African visit to film for "Jungles", he and his crew were awakened by the sound of gunshots. Poaching can quickly wipe out a population, and David Greer of the World Wide Fund for Nature explains that in 2005 his team confiscated 70 guns in the area — a 700% increase from 1999. Other featured animals at risk include the Walia Ibex, the Snow Leopard, the boto, and saiga Antelope. The attack of a polar bear on a walrus colony on dry land in "Ice Worlds" was a rare occurrence. Footage from a 1997 BBC Wildlife Special shows the bears hunting smaller prey on sea ice. Species have always become extinct, but now, the viewer is told, the rate of extinction is accelerating and it will "really reach biblical proportions within a few decades." Mankind is urged to respect biodiversity: it is estimated that if a monetary value could be put on all that the world's ecosystems do for humanity, it would total some US$30 trillion.
2. "Into the Wilderness"[edit]
Broadcast 3 December 2006
The second part looks at man's potential effect on the world's areas of wilderness. As the human population has grown, only a quarter of Earth's land now remains uninhabited (aside from Antarctica). Although around 12% is protected, this may not be enough — providing such places are not just 'enclosures' and bordering territories are also managed. Ethiopia's Semien Mountains are increasingly encroached upon for farming land, and this example leads to the question of overpopulation. Some interviewees argue that it is not just about numbers: how humans consume their natural resources is also important. However, others believe that the world would be greatly more sustainable if the population level was reduced to about half its current level. Jonathon Porritt believes that this could be achieved simply: by good education on family planning. Consumption of fresh water is highlighted: there are now 40,000 more dams in existence than in 1950. The controversy over drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is discussed by both its advocates and opponents. E. O. Wilson's concept of biophilia is discussed, and David Attenborough believes that a child's innate love of wildlife, for whatever reason, is being lost in adulthood. An answer to deforestation is found in Costa Rica, where farmers are paid to allow their pasture to revert to forest for its water ecosystem services. The also deals with climate change and related global warming, which is now happening at a faster rate than ever before.
3. "Living Together"[edit]
Broadcast 10 December 2006
The last episode deals with the future of conservation. It begins by looking at previous efforts. The 'Save The Whales' campaign, which started in the 1960s, is seen to have had a limited effect, as whaling continues and fish stocks also decline. In the 1990s, as head of the Kenya Wildlife Service, Richard Leakey took on the poachers by employing armed units. Although it was successful in saving elephants, the policy was detrimental to the Maasai people, who were forced from their land. The need for "fortress" areas is questioned, and the recently highlighted Raja Ampat coral reef in Indonesia is an example. The more tourism it generates, the greater the potential for damage — and inevitable coastal construction. Sustainable development is viewed as controversial, and one contributor perceives it to currently be a "contradiction in terms". Trophy hunting is also contentious. Those that support it argue that it generates wealth for local economies, while its opponents point to the reducing numbers of species such as the markhor. Ecotourism is shown to be beneficial, as it is in the interests of its providers to protect their environments. However, in some areas, such as the Borneo rainforests, the great diversity of species is being replaced by monocultures. The role of both religion and the media in conservation is argued to be extremely important. Contributors to the programme admit a degree of worry about the future, but also optimism.
Participants[edit]
The following is an alphabetical list of the interviewees featured in the series, with their titles and professions as credited on screen:
Neville Ash, World Conservation Monitoring Centre, UN Environment Programme
David Attenborough, broadcaster
Ulises Blanco, farmer
Mark Brownlow, producer, Planet Earth
Martyn Colbeck, cameraman, Planet Earth
James Connaughton, senior White House environmental advisor
Huw Cordey, producer, Planet Earth
Robert Costanza, professor of ecological economics, University of Vermont
Ahmed Djoghlaf, executive secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity, UN Environment Programme
Dr. Betsy Dresser, senior vice president, Audubon Nature Institute
Johan Eliasch, entrepreneur
Simon Evans, big game hunter
Alastair Fothergill, series producer, Planet Earth
David Greer, park advisor, World Wide Fund for Nature
Dr. Chadden Hunter, wildlife biologist
Tony Juniper, executive director, Friends of the Earth
Peyton Knight, National Center for Public Policy Research
Marek Kryda, consultant, Animal Welfare Institute, Poland
James Leape, Director General, Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF International)
Moisés Léon, Tropical Science Center[clarification needed]
Mark Linfield, producer, Planet Earth
James Lovelock, independent scientist and proponent of the Gaia hypothesis
Dr. Barbara Maas, chief executive, Care for the Wild International
Professor Wangari Maathai, founder, Green Belt Movement
Richard Mabey, writer
Jeffrey A. McNeely, chief scientist, World Conservation Union
Nisar Malik, conservationist
Tony Martin, Natural Environment Research Council
Professor Robert M. May, Oxford University
Dr. E.J. Milner-Gulland, Imperial College London
Russell Mittermeier, president, Conservation International
Henry Ndede, chairman, Friends of Nairobi National Park, Kenya
Dr. Craig Packer, ecologist
Martin Palmer, chief executive, Alliance of Religions and Conservation
Dr. Roger Payne, president, Ocean Alliance
Jonathon Porritt, chair, Sustainable Development Commission, UK
Dr. Sandra Postel, author and global water analyst
Mark Stanley Price, chief executive, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
Professor Carlos Quesada, University of Costa Rica
Adam Ravetch, cameraman & Arctic wildlife specialist
Muttulingam A. Sanjayan, Lead Scientist, The Nature Conservancy
Clare Short MP, former Secretary of State for International Development
Sakana Ole Turede, Chair, Kitengela Pastoral Land Owners Association, Kenya
Jan Kees Vis, director of sustainable agriculture, Unilever
Dr. Robert Watson, chief scientist, World Bank
Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury
E. O. Wilson, professor Emeritus, Harvard University
DVD and book[edit]
All three episodes of Planet Earth - The Future are included as a bonus feature on the fifth disc of the British and North American versions of the Planet Earth DVD box set (BBCDVD1883 in the UK). It was omitted from the HD DVD and Blu-ray sets because of the mixture of standard and high-definition footage.
An accompanying book, Planet Earth - The Future: What the Experts Say (ISBN 978-0-563-53905-6), was published by BBC Books on 5 October 2006. The editors are Rosamund Kidman-Cox and Fergus Beeley, and Jonathon Porritt wrote the foreword.
See also[edit]
Planet Earth, the television series which spawned Planet Earth - The Future
Earth, the associated feature film released in 2007
Saving Planet Earth, a BBC series highlighting the plight of endangered species broadcast in 2007
Media coverage of climate change
External links[edit]
Planet Earth: The Future at the Internet Movie Database
References[edit]
 


Categories: 2006 British television programme debuts
2006 British television programme endings
2000s British television series
BBC television documentaries
Documentary films about nature
Documentary films about environmental issues





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Saving Planet Earth
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search


Saving Planet Earth
Saving Planet Earth promo image
Promotional image

Genre
Nature documentary
Telethon
Presented by
See episodes for detail
Country of origin
United Kingdom
Original language(s)
Indonesian
No. of episodes
11
Production

Executive producer(s)
Sara Ford
Producer(s)
Paul Appleby
 Lucy Bowden
Running time
30 minutes
Production company(s)
BBC Natural History Unit
Broadcast

Original channel
BBC One
BBC Two
CBBC
Picture format
576i (16:9)
Audio format
Stereo
Original run
24 June 2007 – 6 July 2007
External links
Website
Saving Planet Earth is a season of nature documentaries with a conservation theme, screened on BBC Television in 2007 to mark the 50th anniversary of its specialist factual department, the BBC Natural History Unit.
The series featured films contributed by a number of celebrities on the plight of various endangered species, and coincided with the launch of the BBC Wildlife Fund, a charitable organisation which distributes money to conservation projects around the world. The television series culminated in a live fundraising telethon on BBC Two, hosted by Alan Titchmarsh, which raised over £1 million for the charity.
The BBC broadcast a second live telethon in 2010. Wild Night In was presented by Kate Humble, Chris Packham and Martin Hughes-Games and featured conservation projects which had benefited from the support of the BBC Wildlife Fund. This helped to raise a further £1 million.


Contents  [hide]
1 Background
2 Episodes 2.1 1. Saving Planet Earth
2.2 2. Saving Gorillas
2.3 3. Saving Tigers
2.4 4. Saving Crocodiles
2.5 5. Saving Albatross
2.6 6. Saving Rhinos
2.7 7. Saving Wolves
2.8 8. Saving Elephants
2.9 9. Saving Turtles
2.10 10. Saving Orangutans
2.11 11. Saving Planet Earth - Live
3 References
4 External links

Background[edit]
The format of Saving Planet Earth was something of a departure for the Unit, using celebrities not normally associated with natural history programmes rather than selecting a familiar face from its pool of specialists.
The season began with a special hour-long programme on BBC One entitled "Sharing Planet Earth", a clarion call for action to conserve nature, presented by David Attenborough. It was followed by nine documentaries broadcast nightly over the course of a fortnight, in which celebrities investigated the plight of endangered species. Each programme was introduced by Alan Titchmarsh and featured a short narration by Attenborough to provide some background information on the featured species.
Along with the BBC One programmes, a five-part series entitled Saving Planet Earth - UK was broadcast in parallel on BBC Two. Presented by Michaela Strachan, it aimed to show audiences the threats facing British wildlife, and how they could help by becoming directly involved in conservation.
A second five-part series on the CBBC Channel followed seven young competition winners on their own personal journeys to destinations including Brazil and Borneo to report on threatened species.
The season culminated with a live fundraising evening to raise money for a newly established conservation charity, the BBC Wildlife Fund.
Episodes[edit]
1. Saving Planet Earth[edit]
The opening programme, presented by David Attenborough and featuring footage from many of his earlier series and some of the BBC's most successful natural history productions, takes a global view of the threats facing wildlife. Attenborough ponders the question of whether there is enough space and resources to accommodate the rapidly growing human population and all of the other species on our planet, and poses that we will need to change our wasteful ways if we are not to lose a significant number of species to extinction.

"All the animals we’ll see over the course of the series are disappearing because of one species: humans. We know that we are using more than our fair share of the planet and its resources and we must now redress this imbalance. Any effort to do so – no matter how big or small – is valuable, if we wish to ensure a future that is healthy for all life on planet Earth."
— David Attenborough’s closing words
2. Saving Gorillas[edit]
In the first of nine 30-minute films focussing on particular threatened species, pop star Will Young travels to Cameroon to report on the plight of the lowland gorilla. Although more numerous than its mountain-dwelling cousins, its numbers are declining fast due to habitat loss and poaching.
3. Saving Tigers[edit]
Tigers have been a protected species for many years, but despite this they are increasingly threatened by extinction due to poaching and increasing conflict with humans. But can the spiritual and deeply felt respect for tigers held by ordinary Indians offer a lifeline for the species? Newsreader Fiona Bruce reports from Bandhavgarh National Park, where acclaimed wildlife cameraman and tiger expert Alphonse Roy has been watching and filming them for 20 years.
4. Saving Crocodiles[edit]
DJ Edith Bowman travels 6,000 miles to Cambodia on the trail of the very rare Siamese crocodile, which was hunted to brink of extinction. Now, conservation charities such as The Wildlife Conservation Society and Fauna and Flora International are working in partnership with the Cambodian government and have established a crocodile farm to increase the population size.
5. Saving Albatross[edit]
Carol Thatcher flies to the Falkland Islands to find out why the black-browed albatross and its relatives are under threat. Albatross numbers have plummeted in recent years due to long-line fishing practices.
6. Saving Rhinos[edit]
Former England cricketer Phil Tufnell reports from Assam in India, one of the last remaining homes of the Indian rhinoceros. Fewer than 2,000 are left in the wild due to poaching for their horns.
7. Saving Wolves[edit]
In the southern part of the Ethiopian Highlands, a remote mountain region and the last home of the Ethiopian wolf, Graham Norton discovers that encroachments by the ever-expanding human population is threatening the wolf's survival.
8. Saving Elephants[edit]
Adrenaline junkie Jack Osbourne journeys to northern Namibia to investigate the plight of the desert elephant. Although saved from extinction by the banning of the ivory trade, the desert elephants now face a new threat. Local people once roamed the land as migrants, but their recent conversion to farming has brought them into conflict with elephants over precious resources.
9. Saving Turtles[edit]
Of the seven remaining species of sea turtle, six are seriously threatened with extinction. Saira Khan travels to Sri Lanka, one of the best places in the world to see turtles, but even here commercial fishing practices and pressure on the turtles' nesting beaches are driving numbers down.
10. Saving Orangutans[edit]
TV presenter Nick Knowles reports from Borneo, where orangutan numbers are being decimated due to the deforestation of the island and the growth of palm plantations. He visits a sanctuary where more than 600 orphaned young apes are cared for. Their mothers are usually killed by plantation workers, because the orangutans are attracted to the palms for food and can damage the crops. Their young are taken for the pet trade or are simply left to die, but those lucky enough to be rescued are brought to the sanctuary. Now, it simply can't cope with the number of apes being brought in and desperately needs extra funds. This programme was incorporated into the live fundraising broadcast (see below).
11. Saving Planet Earth - Live[edit]
The series culminated in a live fundraising event broadcast from Kew Gardens, hosted by Titchmarsh and featuring interviews with many of the BBC’s natural history presenters, including Attenborough, Strachan, Bill Oddie, Kate Humble, Simon King, Steve Leonard, Jonathan Scott, Chris Packham and Charlotte Uhlenbroek. A registered charity, the BBC Wildlife Fund, was established to direct funds raised by the programmes to conservation charities in the field to help save the featured animals, and other species, from extinction. Saving Planet Earth enabled the Fund to raise £1 million on the night, a total which had almost doubled by the end of 2010.[1]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ BBC Wild: History
External links[edit]
BBC Wildlife Fund - official website
Earth Saving Tips at Bd Environment
 


Categories: BBC television documentaries
Documentary films about nature
Environmental television




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The Blue Planet
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This article is about the BBC nature documentary. For other uses, see Blue Planet.

The Blue Planet
Screenshot of series title card
Series title card from UK broadcast

Also known as
The Blue Planet: Seas of Life
Genre
Nature documentary
Narrated by
David Attenborough
Composer(s)
George Fenton
Country of origin
United Kingdom
Original language(s)
English
No. of episodes
8
Production

Executive producer(s)
Alastair Fothergill
Running time
50 minutes
Production company(s)
BBC Natural History Unit
Discovery Channel
Broadcast

Original channel
BBC One
Picture format
16:9 (PAL)
Audio format
Stereophonic
Original run
12 September 2001 – 31 October 2001
Chronology

Related shows
Planet Earth
Frozen Planet
External links
Website
The Blue Planet is a British nature documentary series created and produced by the BBC, It premiered on 12 September 2001 in the United Kingdom. It is narrated by David Attenborough.
Described as "the first ever comprehensive series on the natural history of the world's oceans",[1] each of the eight 50-minute episodes examines a different aspect of marine life. The underwater photography included creatures and behaviour that had previously never been filmed.[2]
The series won multiple Emmy and BAFTA TV awards for its music and cinematography.[3] The executive producer was Alastair Fothergill and the music was composed by George Fenton. David Attenborough narrated this series prior to presenting the next in his 'Life' series of programmes, The Life of Mammals (2002), and the same production team created Planet Earth (2006).


Contents  [hide]
1 Background
2 Episodes 2.1 1. "The Blue Planet"
2.2 2. "The Deep"
2.3 3. "Open Ocean"
2.4 4. "Frozen Seas"
2.5 5. "Seasonal Seas"
2.6 6. "Coral Seas"
2.7 7. "Tidal Seas"
2.8 8. "Coasts"
3 DVDs and book
4 Film
5 Live concert tour
6 Overseas
7 Criticism
8 References
9 External links

Background[edit]
The series took almost five years to make, involving nearly 200 filming locations. The fact that most of the ocean environment remains a mystery presented the production team with many challenges. Besides witnessing animal behaviour for the first time, the crew also observed some that were new to science. The producers were helped by marine scientists all over the world with state-of-the-art equipment.
Blue whales — whose migration routes were previously unknown — were located by air, after some of the animals had been given temporary radio tags. The camera team spent three years on standby, using a microlight to land on the water nearby when they finally caught up with the creatures in the Gulf of California. The open ocean proved more difficult and over 400 days were invested in often unsuccessful filming trips. After six weeks, the crew chanced upon a school of spinner dolphins, which in turn led them to a shoal of tuna. Off Mexico, the behaviour of a flock of frigatebirds guided the cameramen to a group of sailfish and marlin: the fastest inhabitants of the sea. Near the coast of Natal in South Africa, the team spent two seasons attempting to film the annual sardine run, a huge congregation of predators such as sharks and dolphins that assembles to feast on the migrating fish by corralling them into 'bait balls'. Meanwhile, in Monterey Bay, orca were documented attacking gray whales and killing a calf. Filming in the deep ocean required the use of special submersibles. One of them enabled the crew to dive over a mile into the San Diego trench, where the carcass of a 40-ton gray whale had been placed to attract a large variety of scavengers.[4]
Upon its first transmission on BBC One, over 12 million people watched the series and it regularly achieved an audience share of over 30%.
Episodes[edit]

"Our planet is a blue planet: over seventy percent of it is covered by the sea. The Pacific Ocean alone covers half the globe. You can fly across it non-stop for twelve hours and still see nothing more than a speck of land. This series will reveal the complete natural history of our ocean planet, from its familiar shores to the mysteries of its deepest seas."
— David Attenborough, from episode one
1. "The Blue Planet"[edit]



 Sunset over the Pacific Ocean
Broadcast 12 September 2001,[5] the first episode looks at how ocean life is regulated around the globe by currents and the varying position of the sun. Near a Pacific seamount, there is a large concentration of marine animals because when the current makes contact with the submerged rock, it forces upwards plankton and other organisms. This in turn attracts other fish to the area that are higher up the food chain, like tuna, and those that are higher still, such as silky sharks. Off South Africa, a similar situation occurs every June when sardines migrate and are pursued by a caravan of various predators. The South Atlantic waters are the roughest, and storms also churn up nutrients to the surface. These feeding grounds have led to the world's largest albatross breeding colony, on Steeple Jason Island, west of the Falklands. Phytoplankton forms the basis of all sea life, and every night some 1,000 million tonnes of creatures ascend from the deep to search for food. Lunar phases can also have a bearing on events and the mass arrival of Ridley sea turtles on a Costa Rican beach is shown. Herring initiate the most productive food chain, providing sustenance for humpback whales, and Steller's and California sea lions. In addition, their eggs are nutrition for many, both above and in the sea. Along the coast of California, a migrating gray whale and her calf are targeted by a pod of orcas, who hunt down and kill the calf. Meanwhile another gray whale carcass has sunk to the bottom of the deep sea. Hagfish, a sleeper shark, and other scavengers arrive to feast on the carcass. A year and a half later the carcass is stripped to the bone. This episode won an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Cinematography for Non-Fiction Programming". George Fenton's work in this episode won another Emmy for "Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore)".[3] This episode was broadcast in the United States with the title "Ocean World".
2. "The Deep"[edit]
Broadcast 19 September 2001, the next programme explores the unknown depths of the ocean. Over 60% of the sea is more than a mile deep and it forms the planet's most mysterious habitat. A sperm whale descends 1,000 metres to look for food and is followed, with the Johnson Sealink submersible. On the way down, a number of unusual creatures are witnessed, such as transparent squid and jellies, whose photophores give pulsating displays of colour. In such dark places, both being able to see (or sense movement) and the means of quick concealment are equally desirable. To that end, some use bioluminescence as a means of detecting food or evading predators. A descent to the very bottom of the ocean — some 4,000 metres — reveals life even at such cold temperatures, much of it new to science. It is dominated by echinoderms that sweep the sea bed; however, there are occasional large hunters, such as chimaera. In addition, sixgill sharks can grow up to eight metres in length and have remained unchanged for 150 million years. They are described as "living fossils" and relatively little is known about them. The remains of a gray whale are filmed being consumed by hagfish, a sleeper shark, probably a Greenland sleeper or a Pacific sleeper and the submersible involved in filming this is DSV Alvin, which is the same submersible that Robert Ballard used in 1986 to explore the wreck of the Titanic, as acrylic sphere submersibles cannot reach that depth. As the continental slope flattens out, it joins the abyssal plain, which can form huge trenches. At seven miles, the deepest is the Mariana trench, and fish have been found there right down to the very bottom. Attenborough remarks that more is known about the surface of the moon. Species captured on film for the first time include the Dumbo octopus and the hairy anglerfish. This episode was nominated for two Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Editing and Outstanding Sound Mixing in the non-fiction category. It was also nominated for a BAFTA TV award for Best Innovation.[3]
3. "Open Ocean"[edit]
Broadcast 26 September 2001, the third installment focuses on life in the "marine deserts": seas that are furthest from land. Such waters contain the swiftest and most powerful of ocean hunters. A feeding frenzy is shown, as striped marlin, tuna and a Sei whale (later identified as a Bryde's whale) pick off a shoal of sardines until all within it have been consumed. Manta rays also gather to eat the eggs of spawning surgeonfish. Accumulations of plankton correspond to ocean 'boundaries' and consequently, schools of fish seek them out. This in turn attracts predators, and a sailfish is filmed on the attack. The only escape for smaller fish is to put as much distance between them and their pursuers as possible. Bluefin tuna are able to heat their bodies and so can hunt in colder conditions than the others of their species. Off the coast of New Zealand, an undersea volcano has formed an island and the nearby currents sweep many kinds of creatures to it, again creating huge feeding grounds. Another Pacific seamount is surrounded by hammerhead sharks, but not to seek food: they are there to allow other fish to clean them of parasites. However, others that are on the lookout for prey arrive in vast numbers. A large pod of common dolphins is too big to feed all at once and so splits up into smaller expeditions. One of these ends up near the Azores with a shoal of mackerel in its sights, but they have to compete for their quarry with an attendant flock of shearwaters and a group of adult yellowfin tuna.
4. "Frozen Seas"[edit]



Polar bear
Broadcast 4 October 2001, the next episode compares oceanic life in the Arctic and Antarctica. The winter in these regions brings temperatures of minus 50°C and frozen seas that create the biggest challenge. However, there are polynyas in the Arctic, which are free of ice owing to the pressure of currents on either side, and such places do provide refuge for some species, like the walrus and the bowhead whale. A pod of belugas is shown: their movements are limited to a single hole in the ice — therefore putting them at risk of attack from polar bears. Everything changes with the arrival of summer, when melting ice brings a variety of migratory visitors. At the other end of the planet, in the Antarctic, winter is even more harsh, but emperor penguins and Weddell seals stay throughout. Under the sea ice, krill shrink in size and revert to their juvenile form in order to save energy. Chinstrap penguins overwinter to the north, beyond the ice, but return during the spring to breed. Having managed to get ashore, they have to walk a great distance to find a nest site, and the most favoured is Zavodovski Island, an active volcano whose warmth keeps ice from forming. Further south, as the sea ice breaks up, humpback and minke whales appear, their target the abundant krill. The leopard seal is the Antarctic's top predator. It is most effective underwater, and emperor penguins propel themselves at speed through its territory. Nonetheless, it almost invariably makes a kill.
5. "Seasonal Seas"[edit]
Broadcast 10 October 2001, this programme surveys the effects of the seasons on the world's temperate seas — the most productive on Earth. Sable Island near Nova Scotia boasts the largest colony of grey seals, which breed there when the weather is at its worst. The pups remain marooned for weeks until the spring, when they are strong enough to swim. Spring also heralds the bloom of phytoplankton: it provides food for copepods, and they in turn are prey to jellyfish, which assemble in vast, million-strong swarms. On the Californian coast, giant kelp also flourishes and by summer, grows at the rate of a metre a day. It provides a sanctuary for shoals of fish and sea otters, the latter anchoring themselves to the seaweed when resting and keeping its grazers in check by eating them. Late summer in Alaska sees Pacific salmon heading inshore to breed. However, the level of their favoured river is too low and they are forced to wait in the open sea, where they fall prey to a salmon shark. The early autumn near Vancouver Island, and the temperature drops slowly. There, the last of the year's baby herring become the focus for a feeding frenzy by diving auks and murres, and marauding rockfish. Pacific white-sided dolphins also inhabit these waters and, when not hunting nocturnally, socialise during the day. As winter arrives in the north, adult herring seek shelter but are hunted by orca, which club the fish with their tails to subdue them by creating waves of pressure.
6. "Coral Seas"[edit]
Broadcast 17 October 2001, the next instalment is about coral reefs, which are so crowded that they play host to a perpetual battle for space, even among the coral itself. It starts life as a larva that becomes a polyp. Having multiplied, it hardens into a limestone skeleton and grows to form a reef. As the community flourishes, animals develop relationships with one another and such a place can feature a huge variety of ocean life. Although corals feed nocturnally on plankton, sunlight is vital because even though they are animals, each contains millions of single-celled algae. This in turn is the favoured sustenance of the humphead parrotfish, whose jaws are so powerful that it erodes much of the reef into fine sand. Algae also grows on the top of the reef and a battle for grazing rights between shoals of powder blue and convict tangs is shown, the former being initially overwhelmed by the latter's weight of numbers before regaining the upper hand. The night-time hunting of a marbled ray alerts other predators and a group of whitetip reef sharks moves in, from which few are safe. Several breeding strategies are examined, including the acrobatic habits of brown surgeonfish and the colourful courtship of the flamboyant cuttlefish. Humpback whales are visitors to the reef and males establish their seniority by the loudness and strength of their song. Being fixed to the seabed, corals must synchronise their reproduction with lunar phases and the rising spring temperatures.
7. "Tidal Seas"[edit]



Tidal bore at Fundy Bay
Broadcast 24 October 2001, the penultimate episode deals with marine life that is structured around the rising and falling tides. These are caused by the gravitational pull of the orbiting moon, but in some locations, this can also combine with the power of the sun to create a tidal bore. The world's largest tides are to be found in the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia and therefore it is a rich feeding ground. A school of finback whales is closely shadowed by a flock of Cory's shearwaters. However, they only have a limited time to feed before low tide, when they must retreat and other creatures appear. Elsewhere, some of the latter include sand bubbler crabs, bears (which feed on shellfish) and a snail species that can 'surf', and some Sand lancelets being preyed on by dogfish sharks. The extreme spring tides allow opportunists to forage further, and raccoons are shown tackling a red rock crab. Some larger fish that hunt on the seabed, such as nurse sharks and stingrays, are forced to sit and wait until there is sufficient water in which to swim. A giant horse conch is shown devouring a tulip snail, and hermit crabs battle over its vacant shell. The varying water levels are no obstacle to tarpon: they can breathe air. This enables them to inhabit stagnant areas and hunt in them. The autumn equinox combines with a hurricane off the Bahamas to create a much higher tide than is usual, flooding large parts of the coast. When the sea recedes, it leaves behind salt: food for brine shrimps and the perfect habitat in which flamingos can breed.
8. "Coasts"[edit]
Broadcast 31 October 2001, the final programme examines the world's coastal environments, "the most dynamic of all ocean habitats". The perils of living in such places are highlighted by Marine Iguanas on the Galápagos Islands, whose diet of seaweed is quickly grabbed between crashing breakers. Many shores provide sites in which to breed or lay eggs. Apart from birds, turtles are among other major species to do so, and the mass emergence of flatbacks on Crab Island in Australia is reduced by predatory herons, pelicans and other hunters. Each year, four million seabirds, comprising fourteen species, return to the island of Talan in eastern Russia to nest. By ensuring that all their chicks eventually leave at the same time, they lessen the impact of predators. The rough seas of the Southern Ocean play host to penguins, and a group of them is shown being pursued by an aggressive bull sea lion. The planet's coldest seas are in Antarctica, and on South Georgia each spring, thousands of Southern elephant seals arrive to breed. A pair of males is shown fighting a bloody battle to control a harem of females, and Attenborough states that these fights, which are rarely fatal, can go on for 20 minutes or longer. In Patagonia, the social nature of sea lions is shown as they establish colonies, each of them several hundred strong. While in some respects it is an ideal location for the growing young, high tide brings danger for the colony as a pod of orcas habitually goes on the attack. Having snatched a victim, the predator returns to the open ocean to 'play' with it.
DVDs and book[edit]



The Blue Planet DVD cover (first release).
The series was available as a 3-disc DVD set (BBCDVD1089, released 3 December 2001), including interviews with the production team, a photo gallery and three additional programmes:
Making Waves: the making of The Blue Planet (50 mins)
Deep Trouble: an ecological documentary (50 mins)
Blue: a five-minute theatrical short
The first DVD has now been superseded by a 4-disc Special Edition (BBCDVD1792, released 3 October 2005), which features three extra programmes:
The Abyss
Dive to Shark Volcano
Amazon Abyss
In the US, there is a different 5-disk Special Edition (BBC040754, released 2 October 2007). It contains the featured presentations as well as a 5th disk containing 4 special presentations:[6]
Amazon Abyss: discover an array of creatures living in the Amazon
Dive to Shark Volcano: venture to Cocoa Island, an underwater volcano
Beneath the Tides: explore an estuary in winter
Antarctica
The accompanying book, The Blue Planet: A Natural History of the Oceans by Andrew Byatt, Alastair Fothergill and Martha Holmes (with a foreword by David Attenborough), was published by BBC Books on 27 September 2001 (ISBN 0-563-38498-0).
In the U.S., BBC released The Blue Planet: Seas of Life on Blu-ray Discs on April 9, 2013.
Film[edit]
Main article: Deep Blue (2003 film)
Deep Blue is a 2003 nature documentary film that is a theatrical version of The Blue Planet. Alastair Fothergill and Andy Byatt are credited as directors, and six cinematographers are also credited. The film premiered at the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain on September 20, 2003. It screened in over 20 territories from 2003 to 2005 and grossed over $30 million at the box office.
Live concert tour[edit]
The Blue Planet was turned into a theatrical presentation entitled The Blue Planet Live! and toured the UK in 2006. The UK live shows were presented by World Class Service Ltd. George Fenton conducted the Manchester Camerata Orchestra in Manchester, Newcastle and Nottingham during December 2006, in three critically acclaimed shows. The tour continued in April 2007, again conducted by George Fenton, in London, Cardiff, Birmingham and returning to Manchester and Nottingham.
For the show, some of the most spectacular sequences from the series have been edited together and are displayed on a huge screen (18 metres wide and 3 storeys high). The presentation is introduced by a special guest.
The tour continued in April 2008 with dates at Wembley Arena, Nottingham Arena, Manchester Central, Cardiff St. David's and Birmingham Symphony Hall.[7]
The Blue Planet Live! continues to be staged:
in June 2012 in Singapore performed by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra[8]
in July 2011 in the Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia performed by the Russian National Orchestra, narrator Jane Pauley[9]
Overseas[edit]
The series was sold to over 50 countries.[10] In the USA, it was shown as The Blue Planet: Seas of Life with the episodes in a different order, the first one being retitled "Ocean World". The series aired on the Discovery Channel and was narrated by Pierce Brosnan.
Criticism[edit]
The series attracted some criticism when it was revealed that some of the footage was filmed at an aquarium in Wales. Series producer Alastair Fothergill said that around 2% of the whole series was filmed in tanks at aquariums.[11][12]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ From DVD cover
2.Jump up ^ "The Blue Planet homepage". BBC Online. Retrieved 31 March 2009.
3.^ Jump up to: a b c "Awards for the Blue Planet (2001)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 31 March 2009.
4.Jump up ^ Holmes, Martha (2001). Making Waves (DVD). United Kingdom: BBC.
5.Jump up ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008044n/episodes/guide
6.Jump up ^ "amazon.com website". Retrieved 16 July 2010.
7.Jump up ^ "The Blue Planet Live". SMG World Class. Retrieved 31 March 2009.[dead link]
8.Jump up ^ "The Blue Planet Live! Performed by Singapore Symphony Orchestra". SISTIC. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
9.Jump up ^ "PECO Pops @ the Mann - The Blue Planet Live Russian National Orchestra - Broadcast Journalist Jane Pauley, narrator". The Mann Center for the Performing Arts. 27 July 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
10.Jump up ^ "The Blue Planet set for movie release". BBC Press Office. 3 March 2003.
11.Jump up ^ "BBC defends indoor lobster footage". BBC News Online. 14 October 2001. Retrieved 11 May 2009.
12.Jump up ^ "FAKERY in Wildlife Documentaries". the fifth estate. CBC Television. 26 November 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
External links[edit]
The Blue Planet at BBC Programmes
The Blue Planet on the Eden website
Discovery Channel's Blue Planet homepage
Simon King, Cameraman
The Blue Planet at the BFI's Screenonline
The Blue Planet at the Internet Movie Database





[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
David Attenborough's television and radio series


The Life series
Life on Earth (1979) ·
 The Living Planet (1984) ·
 The Trials of Life (1990) ·
 Life in the Freezer (1993) ·
 The Private Life of Plants (1995) ·
 The Life of Birds (1998) ·
 The Life of Mammals (2002) ·
 Life in the Undergrowth (2005) ·
 Life in Cold Blood (2008)
 

Other TV series
Zoo Quest (1954–63) ·
 The People of Paradise (1960) ·
 The Miracle of Bali (1969) ·
 The Tribal Eye (1975) ·
 Wildlife on One (1977) ·
 The First Eden (1987) ·
 Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives (1989) ·
 BBC Wildlife Specials (1995–2008) ·
 State of the Planet (2000) ·
 The Blue Planet (2001) ·
 Planet Earth (2006) ·
 Are We Changing Planet Earth? (2006) ·
 Nature's Great Events (2009) ·
 Life (2009) ·
 First Life (2010, 2013) ·
 Madagascar (2011) ·
 Frozen Planet (2011) ·
 Attenborough: 60 Years in the Wild (2012) ·
 Africa (2013) ·
 David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities (2013–) ·
 David Attenborough's Rise of Animals: Triumph of the Vertebrates (2013)
 

Other TV
 programmes
Christmas Lecture: The Language of Animals (1973) ·
 Horizon special: How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth? (2009) ·
 Horizon: The Death of the Oceans? (2010) ·
 other programmes as listed in filmography
 

3D programmes
 and films
Flying Monsters 3D (2010) ·
 The Bachelor King 3D (2011) ·
 Kingdom of Plants 3D (2012) ·
 Galapagos 3D (2013) ·
 Micro Monsters 3D (2013) ·
 David Attenborough's Natural History Museum Alive (2014)
 

DVD collections
Great Wildlife Moments (2003) ·
 Attenborough in Paradise (2005) ·
 The Life Collection (2005) ·
 Life on Land (2008)
 

Radio
Scars of Evolution (2005) ·
 David Attenborough's Life Stories (2009–11) ·
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Frozen Planet
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Frozen Planet
Frozen Planet.png
BBC series title card

Genre
Nature documentary
Created by
BBC Natural History Unit
Directed by
Rachit Dalal
Narrated by
BBC version
David Attenborough
Discovery Channel version
Alec Baldwin (parts 1-6)[1]
David Attenborough (part 7)
Composer(s)
George Fenton Barnaby Taylor (Episode 7: On Thin Ice)
Country of origin
United Kingdom
Original language(s)
English
No. of episodes
7
Production

Executive producer(s)
Alastair Fothergill
Producer(s)
Miles Barton, Vanessa Berlowitz, Kathryn Jeffs, Mark Linfield, Dan Rees
Cinematography
John Aitchison, Doug Allen, Doug Anderson, David Baillie, James Balog, Barrie Britton, John Brown, Richard Burton, Jo Charlesworth, Rod Clarke, Martyn Colbeck, Stephen de Vere, Justine Evans, Wade Fairley, Tom Fitz, Ted Giffords, Oliver Goetzl, Joel Heath, Max Hug Williams, Michael Kelem, Ian McCarthy, Alastair MacEwen, David McKay, Jamie McPherson, Justin Maguire, Hugh Miller, Peter Nearhos, Didier Noirot, Ivo Nörenberg, Petter Nyquist, Mark Payne-Gill, Anthony Powell, Rachit Dalal, Adam Ravetch, Tim Shepherd, Warwick Sloss, Mark Smith, Gavin Thurston, Jeff Turner, Mateo Willis, David Wright, Mike Wright, Daniel Zatz
Running time
60 minutes
Production company(s)
BBC
The Open University
Broadcast

Original channel
BBC One
Picture format
HDTV 1080i Blu-ray 1080p
Audio format
Dolby Digital
Original run
26 October 2011 – 28 December 2011
Chronology

Preceded by
Planet Earth (TV series)
Followed by
Africa (BBC documentary series)
Related shows
The Blue Planet
Planet Earth
External links
Website
Frozen Planet is a British nature documentary series, co-produced by the BBC and The Open University.[2] It was filmed by the BBC Natural History Unit. The production team, which includes executive producer Alastair Fothergill and series producer Vanessa Berlowitz, were previously responsible for the award-winning series The Blue Planet (2001) and Planet Earth (2006), and Frozen Planet is billed as a sequel of sorts.[citation needed] David Attenborough returns as narrator.[3] It is distributed under licence by the BBC in other countries, Discovery Channel for North America, ZDF for Germany, Antena 3 for Spain and Skai TV for Greece.[4]
The seven-part series focuses on life and the environment in both the Arctic and Antarctic. The production team were keen to film a comprehensive record of the natural history of the polar regions because climate change is affecting landforms such as glaciers, ice shelves, and the extent of sea ice. The film was met with critical acclaim and holds a Metacritic score of 90/100.[5] Despite such, it has been criticized for limited coverage of the effects of global warming and attribution of recent climate change.[6]
Whilst the series was broadcast in full in the UK, the BBC chose to make the series' seventh episode, which focuses on climate change, optional for syndication in order to aid sales of the show in countries where the issue is politically sensitive. The US Discovery Channel originally announced that they would air only the first six episodes of the show, but they later added the seventh episode to their schedule.[7][8]
In 2012, the US broadcast won four Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Nonfiction Series.[9]


Contents  [hide]
1 Filming
2 Broadcast
3 Episodes 3.1 1. "To the Ends of the Earth"
3.2 2. "Spring"
3.3 3. "Summer"
3.4 4. "Autumn"
3.5 5. "Winter"
3.6 6. "The Last Frontier"
3.7 7. "On Thin Ice"
3.8 Special. "The Epic Journey"
4 Reception 4.1 "On Thin Ice" in the United States
4.2 Ratings
4.3 Awards
5 Merchandise 5.1 DVD and Blu-ray
5.2 Book
5.3 Open University poster
5.4 Calendar
6 References
7 External links

Filming[edit]
Filming finished in 2010 and focused on the challenges facing polar bears and arctic wolves in the north and adelie penguins and wandering albatrosses in the south, although many other storylines are developed. After an introductory episode, the subsequent four episodes depict the changing seasons at the poles, before an episode focusing on mankind’s activities there.[10] The final episode, "On Thin Ice", examines how global warming is affecting the polar regions.[11] Filmmakers worked in new locations, including Antarctica’s active volcanoes and the Russian Arctic. Sequences captured include migrating eider ducks, footage of a fur seal colony from the air, and pack hunting of seals by orca. The aerial photography used the Cineflex and Gyron cameras pioneered on Planet Earth, which enable steady footage to be captured from long-range without disturbing the animals.
From late April to early May 2009, BBC crews were in Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada[12] filming the annual breakup of the river of the same name, which flows into Great Slave Lake.
The BBC was accused of staging after it was reported that one scene of a polar bear giving birth was filmed in a Dutch (initially reported as German) animal park.[13][14] The BBC defended the shots, explaining that it would have been impossible to film the event in the wild without endangering the cubs, that the commentary was careful not to mislead the audience,[15] and that the Frozen Planet website had already explained how the scene was captured before the story appeared in the media.[16]
Broadcast[edit]
Frozen Planet was broadcast on BBC One and BBC One HD starting 26 October 2011. Each of the first six episodes comprises the main programme followed by a 10-minute featurette called Freeze Frame, which shows how some of the sequences were filmed. David Attenborough's principal role is to narrate the programmes, but he appears briefly on camera to give an introduction and a closing statement. For the seventh programme, "On Thin Ice", he serves as writer and presenter for what was billed by the BBC as a personal statement on the effects of climate change at the poles. A special programme called "Frozen Planet: The Epic Journey" featuring re-edited highlights from the series was broadcast on BBC One on 28 December 2011.
In the United States, Frozen Planet premiered on the Discovery Channel on 18 March 2012 with Alec Baldwin replacing David Attenborough as narrator of the first six episodes.[17][18] The "Autumn" episode from the BBC series was replaced by "The Making Of Frozen Planet", a compilation of the Freeze Frame featurettes, and the title of the sixth episode was changed from "The Last Frontier" to "Life in the Freezer". The network originally decided not to broadcast Attenborough's "On Thin Ice" episode, citing "scheduling conflicts", but later reversed their decision,[19][20] and "On Thin Ice" was broadcast on Earth Day, 22 April 2012.
In Australia, the series was broadcast on the Nine Network beginning on 27 October 2011. In France, the series has been acquired by France Television, and aired in March–April 2013 under the name "Terres de Glace".[21]
Episodes[edit]
All episode names from BBC website[22] Ratings include overnight audience shares, with consolidated viewers supplied by BARB.[23]
1. "To the Ends of the Earth"[edit]
UK broadcast 26 October 2011, 8.81 million viewers[23] (27.4% audience share)[24]
This episode travels from the North Pole to the South Pole encountering different climates and landscapes on the way. Animals highlighted in this episode include the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), the Short-tailed Shearwater (Puffinus tenuirostris), the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), the caribou (Rangifer tarandus), the gray wolf (Canis lupus) hunting for American bison (Bison bison), the Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa), the Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua), the South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens), the killer whale (Orcinus orca) hunting for crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophagus) and Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii), a species of icefish (suborder Notothenioidei), and a species of sea spider (order Pantopoda).
Produced by Vanessa Berlowitz.
2. "Spring"[edit]
UK broadcast 2 November 2011, 9.72 million viewers[23] (31.4% audience share)[25]
This episode follows the polar spring: the ice melts and migratory animals move to the polar regions. Most animals give birth to their offspring. Animals highlighted in this episode include the Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae), the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) hunting for ringed seal (Pusa hispida), the narwhal (Monodon monoceros), a species of sea gooseberry (phylum Ctenophora), a species of sea slug, a species of sea snail, the 'Arctic cod' (could be Arctogadus glacialis or Boreogadus saida), the Arctic Woolly Bear Moth (Gynaephora groenlandica), the arctic wolf (Canis lupus arctos), the King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus), the Macaroni Penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus), the Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans), the southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina), and the killer whale (Orcinus orca).
Produced by Mark Linfield.
3. "Summer"[edit]
UK broadcast 9 November 2011, 8.84 million viewers[23] (29.0% audience share)[26]
This episode follows the short polar summer: the sun doesn't set for months and the ice is largely gone. Animals highlighted in this episode include the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), the Red Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius), the Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea), the Common Eider (Somateria mollissima), the Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus), the Lapland Bunting (Calcarius lapponicus), the arctic wolf (Canis lupus arctos) hunting for muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus), the King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus), the Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella), the crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophagus), the Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba), the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) being hunted by killer whales (Orcinus orca), and the Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) being hunted by South Polar Skua (Stercorarius maccormicki).
Produced by Miles Barton.
4. "Autumn"[edit]
UK broadcast 16 November 2011, 7.29 million viewers[23] (22.3% audience share)[27]
This episode follows the polar autumn: temperatures are dropping, seas are freezing, and arctic animals migrate south away from the expanding ice. Animals highlighted in this episode include the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), the beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas), the Brünnich's Guillemot (Uria lomvia) being hunted by arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus), the muskox (Ovibos moschatus), the caribou (Rangifer tarandus), the Southern Giant Petrel (Macronectes giganteus), the South Georgia Pintail (Anas georgica georgica), the Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) being hunted by leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx), and the Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri).
Produced by Miles Barton.
5. "Winter"[edit]
UK broadcast 23 November 2011, 8.29 million viewers[23] (27.2% audience share)[28]
This episode follows the polar winter: the polar regions are scourged by extreme cold and strong winds. The snow spreads into the subarctic regions such as the taiga forests of the northern hemisphere. Animals highlighted in this episode include the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), the Spectacled Eider (Somateria fischeri), the Common Eider (Somateria mollissima), the gray wolf (Canis lupus) hunting for American bison (Bison bison), the wolverine (Gulo gulo), the Common Raven (Corvus corax), an unspecified vole (subfamily Arvicolinae) hunted by both the Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa) and the least weasel (Mustela nivalis), the Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri), the Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii), the bald notothen (Pagothenia borchgrevinki, called "Borchgrevinki fish" by David Attenborough), and the Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae).
Produced by Kathryn Jeffs.
6. "The Last Frontier"[edit]
UK broadcast 30 November 2011, 6.64 million viewers[23] (19.2% audience share)[29]
This episode explores human activity in the polar regions. In the north, Longyearbyen and Norilsk are among the coldest permanent settlements in the world. The Dolgan tribe of northern Russia are dependent on reindeer while the Inuit of Chukotka risk their lives hunting for walruses and collecting guillemot eggs. Also, Special Forces defend the Danish claim to Greenland, and in Alaska rockets are used to study the spectaculair Aurora Borealis.
On Antarctica, there are no permanent human residents, but people visit the continent for various reasons. Tourists visit to see King Penguins, biologists use robot submarines to discover new life forms, geologists study the active volcano Mount Erebus and its unique caves, and astronomers use balloons to study cosmic rays. Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station is located exactly at the South Pole, it is named after the leaders of the first two expeditions to reach the Pole, Roald Amundsen (in 1911) and Robert Falcon Scott (in 1912).
Produced by Dan Rees.
7. "On Thin Ice"[edit]
UK broadcast 7 December 2011, 8.07 million viewers[23] (27.4% audience share)[30]
This episode shows climate change, global warming, the melting of the ice caps and their consequences. Polar bears and Adélie Penguins lose their habitat and the Inuit people have to adapt as well.
Produced by Dan Rees.
Special. "The Epic Journey"[edit]
UK broadcast 28 December 2011, 5.66 million viewers[23]
This short special shows Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station and other scientific researchers in the Polar regions.
Produced by Vanessa Berlowitz.
Reception[edit]
"On Thin Ice" in the United States[edit]
There was uncertainty surrounding whether the series' seventh episode, which focuses on climate change, would air in the United States, where it is a politically sensitive issue.
In an interview with Radio Times cited in the Daily Mail, Attenborough explains that "data from satellites collected over the last 40 years show a drop of 30% in the area of the Arctic sea ice at the end of each summer." Former UK Conservative politician Lord Lawson dismissed the idea as "alarmism",[31] provoking a polar oceanographer working with the show to describe his criticism as "patronising", wrong and the "usual tired obfuscation and generalisation".[32] Attenborough subsequently rebutted Lawson's allegations.[33]
This episode was initially not expected to be shown in the United States. Ten networks that would have run the episode opted out, citing fear of controversy and "the reaction it might draw from America's climate change skeptics", including the fact that "the timing of a one-sided global warming programme could be particularly sensitive in the U.S., where climate change is an issue in the presidential race."[34][35]
On 6 December 2011, the Discovery Channel announced that it would air the seventh and final episode of Frozen Planet.[8] "On Thin Ice" includes on-camera shots of Attenborough, who narrates the British version, discussing what shrinking glaciers and rising temperatures mean for people and wildlife that live in the region as well as the rest of the planet. The music for this episode was composed by Barnaby Taylor.
Ratings[edit]
The series quickly became a ratings success in the UK, with the second episode broadcast on 2 November 2011 becoming the highest rating natural history programme there since 2001.[36] The series drew an average audience of 8.67 million viewers.[37]
Awards[edit]
In May 2012, Frozen Planet won in three categories at the British Academy Television Craft Awards, collecting prizes for best sound, best editing and best photography.[38] At the BAFTA Television Awards, Frozen Planet was nominated for Best Specialist Factual and the YouTube Audience Award but lost in both categories.[39] It was also nominated for a Royal Television Society award.[40]
The US broadcast won four prizes at the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards in September 2012, including outstanding non-fiction series, cinematography, sound editing and picture editing.[41] The following month, it won in three categories at the Wildscreen Festival in Bristol, UK, taking the Panda Awards for best sound, best cinematography and best series, the latter shared with Human Planet.[42] In January 2013, the series won the public vote for Best Documentary Series at the UK's National Television Awards, beating out Big Fat Gypsy Weddings, One Born Every Minute and Planet Earth Live.[43]
Merchandise[edit]



Frozen Planet book
DVD and Blu-ray[edit]
Three disc region-free Blu-ray and Region 2+4 DVD box sets were released on 8 December 2011, and include the complete series as broadcast in the UK.[44][45] In North America, the Blu-ray and Region 1 DVD box sets were released on 17 April 2012, and unlike the Discovery broadcast version, retained David Attenborough's original narration. They also include extra features not present on the UK discs: Frozen Planet: The Epic Journey, an hour-long edited highlights, and Production Video Diaries, a series of 47 video shorts made by the crew as they filmed the series.[46]
Book[edit]
Frozen Planet: A World Beyond Imagination accompanies the TV series and was released in hardcover format on 13 October 2011. It is written by the series producers Alastair Fothergill and Vanessa Berlowitz, with a foreword by David Attenborough. The UK version was published by BBC Books (ISBN 9781846079627)[47] and the North American version was published by Firefly Books (ISBN 9781554079919).
Open University poster[edit]
A Frozen Planet poster was produced in collaboration with and distributed for free by The Open University.[2] Both the Arctic Circle and Antarctica are mapped. In addition, detailed profiles of the respective flora and fauna, geology and ice formations are provided as well as timelines of human exploration.
Calendar[edit]
Frozen Planet wall calendars were published in the UK for 2012 (ISBN 9781847708564),[48] 2013 (ISBN 9781780540818)[49] and 2014 (ISBN 9781780543093).
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "Discovery Channel Announces March 18 P… : Discovery Communications". Corporate.discovery.com. 2011-12-06. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
2.^ Jump up to: a b "Delve deeper into the Frozen Planet with The Open University". Press Release. The Open University. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
3.Jump up ^ Holmwood, Leigh (21 September 2007). "Attenborough is back – again". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
4.Jump up ^ "Discovery, BBC Team Again for ‘Frozen Planet’ TV Event for 2012". Multichannel News. 9 April 2008.
5.Jump up ^ http://www.metacritic.com/tv/frozen-planet/season-1
6.Jump up ^ Stelter, Brian (2012-04-20). "Discovery's ‘Frozen Planet' Is Silent on Causes of Climate Change". The New York Times.
7.Jump up ^ Bloxham, Alex (15 November 2011). "BBC drops Frozen Planet's climate change episode". London: The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
8.^ Jump up to: a b "Discovery Channel Announces March 18 Premiere Date for Frozen Planet : Discovery Channel". Dsc.discovery.com. 2011-12-06. Retrieved 2011-12-13.
9.Jump up ^ "'Games of Thrones' top creative arts Emmy winner". The Denver Post. Associated Press. 15 September 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
10.Jump up ^ "Expression of Interest: BBC Frozen Planet". International Polar Year website. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
11.Jump up ^ "Episode guide". BBC Website. BBC. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
12.Jump up ^ "Hay River remains on flood watch". CBC website. 5 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
13.Jump up ^ Singh, Anita (2011-12-12). "Frozen Planet: BBC 'faked' polar bear birth". London: Telegraph. Retrieved 2011-12-13.
14.Jump up ^ Pearson, Allison (2011-12-14). "Fake? Sir David Attenborough is a wonder of the world". London: Telegraph. Retrieved 2011-12-15.
15.Jump up ^ "BBC News - Frozen Planet: BBC denies misleading fans". BBC. 2011-12-12. Retrieved 2011-12-13.
16.Jump up ^ "BBC One - Frozen Planet, Winter, The newest polar bear in the world". BBC. Retrieved 2011-12-13.
17.Jump up ^ Levin, Gary (8 April 2008). "Another sweeping nature special when 'Planet' freezes over". USA Today. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
18.Jump up ^ "Discovery.com/tv/frozen-planet/episode-guide". Retrieved 2012-04-14.
19.Jump up ^ Madrak, Susie (17 November 2011). "La La La, We Can't Hear You! Discovery Channel Won't Show Last Episode Of Climate Change Series". Crooks and Liars. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
20.Jump up ^ "Frozen Planet's climate change episode to air in United States". Radio Times. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
21.Jump up ^ http://www.france4.fr/emission/terres-de-glace
22.Jump up ^ "BBC One – Frozen Planet – Episode guide". Bbc.co.uk. 2011-10-26. Retrieved 2011-11-02.
23.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i "Weekly Top 30 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
24.Jump up ^ Published Thursday, 27 October 2011, 14:46 BST (2011-10-27). "'Frozen Planet' premiere delights 6.8m – TV News". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2011-11-25.
25.Jump up ^ Published Thursday, 3 November 2011, 10:40 GMT (2011-11-03). "David Attenborough's 'Frozen Planet' soars to 8.5 million – TV News". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2011-11-25.
26.Jump up ^ Published Thursday, 10 November 2011, 10:45 GMT (2011-11-10). "'The Only Way Is Essex' series finale dazzles almost 1.4m – The Only Way Is Essex News – TV". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2011-11-25.
27.Jump up ^ Published Thursday, 17 November 2011, 10:59 GMT (2011-11-17). "'Pan Am' takes flight with 1.8m on BBC Two – TV News". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2011-11-25.
28.Jump up ^ Published Thursday, 24 November 2011, 10:52 GMT. "'Frozen Planet' rises to 6.6m on BBC One – TV News". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2011-11-25.
29.Jump up ^ Published Thursday, 1 December 2011, 12:38 GMT. "Crissy Rock's 'I'm a Celebrity' exit nabs more than 8m - TV News". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2011-12-04.
30.Jump up ^ Published Thursday, 8 December 2011, 10:40 GMT. "Champions League football draws 5.4m on ITV1 - TV News". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2011-12-09.
31.Jump up ^ David Attenborough is accused of climate change sensationalism by Lord Lawson. In the Daily Mail, 30 November 2011. Page found 2011-12-05.
32.Jump up ^ 'Patronising and wrong': Frozen Planet scientist refutes Nigel Lawson criticism. The Guardian, 8 December 2011. Page found 2011-12-08.
33.Jump up ^ David Attenborough: Frozen Planet was not alarmist about climate change, Environment, The Guardian, 3 January 2012. Page found 2012-01-03.
34.Jump up ^ "Climate change episode of Frozen Planet won't be shown in the U.S. as viewers don't believe in global warming". Daily Mail (London). 15 November 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
35.Jump up ^ "David Attenborough weighs in on the consequences of climate change -- but you won't hear him in the U.S". io9. 5 December 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
36.Jump up ^ Mark Sweney (2010-08-23). "David Attenborough's Frozen Planet tops TV ratings | Media | guardian.co.uk". London: Guardian. Retrieved 2011-11-11.
37.Jump up ^ Hickman, Leo (8 December 2011). "'Patronising and wrong': Frozen Planet scientist refutes Nigel Lawson criticism". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
38.Jump up ^ "'Frozen Planet' Collects Three BAFTA Craft Awards, 'Sherlock', Brian Eno Also Winners". Huffington Post. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
39.Jump up ^ "Bafta TV Awards 2012: The winners". BBC News. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
40.Jump up ^ "Royal Television Society awards: the nominations". The Guardian. 28 February 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
41.Jump up ^ "OU/BBC co-production Frozen Planet scoops four Emmy awards". Open University. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
42.Jump up ^ "Three more awards for Open University co-production Frozen Planet at Wildscreen Panda Awards". Open University. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
43.Jump up ^ "National Television Awards 2013: Frozen Planet wins Best Documentary Series". Radio Times. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
44.Jump up ^ Fothergill, Alastair. "Frozen Planet – The Complete Series [Blu-ray]: Amazon.co.uk: David Attenborough, Alastair Fothergill: Film & TV". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-11-10.
45.Jump up ^ Fothergill, Alastair. "Frozen Planet – The Complete Series [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: David Attenborough, Alastair Fothergill: Film & TV". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-11-02.
46.Jump up ^ "Frozen Planet (David Attenborough narrated version)". Amazon.com. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
47.Jump up ^ David, Sir. "Frozen Planet: Amazon.co.uk: Alastair Fothergill, Vanessa Berlowitz: Books". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-11-02.
48.Jump up ^ Fothergill, Alastair (2009-09-09). "Official BBC Earth Frozen Planet Calendar 2012: Amazon.co.uk: Books". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-11-02.
49.Jump up ^ "Frozen Planet - BBC Earth Official Calendar 2013". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
External links[edit]
Frozen Planet at BBC Programmes
Discovery Channel Frozen Planet page
Frozen Planet on the Eden website
Frozen Planet: Explore the polar regions at The Open University OpenLearn





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David Attenborough's television and radio series


The Life series
Life on Earth (1979) ·
 The Living Planet (1984) ·
 The Trials of Life (1990) ·
 Life in the Freezer (1993) ·
 The Private Life of Plants (1995) ·
 The Life of Birds (1998) ·
 The Life of Mammals (2002) ·
 Life in the Undergrowth (2005) ·
 Life in Cold Blood (2008)
 

Other TV series
Zoo Quest (1954–63) ·
 The People of Paradise (1960) ·
 The Miracle of Bali (1969) ·
 The Tribal Eye (1975) ·
 Wildlife on One (1977) ·
 The First Eden (1987) ·
 Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives (1989) ·
 BBC Wildlife Specials (1995–2008) ·
 State of the Planet (2000) ·
 The Blue Planet (2001) ·
 Planet Earth (2006) ·
 Are We Changing Planet Earth? (2006) ·
 Nature's Great Events (2009) ·
 Life (2009) ·
 First Life (2010, 2013) ·
 Madagascar (2011) ·
 Frozen Planet (2011) ·
 Attenborough: 60 Years in the Wild (2012) ·
 Africa (2013) ·
 David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities (2013–) ·
 David Attenborough's Rise of Animals: Triumph of the Vertebrates (2013)
 

Other TV
 programmes
Christmas Lecture: The Language of Animals (1973) ·
 Horizon special: How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth? (2009) ·
 Horizon: The Death of the Oceans? (2010) ·
 other programmes as listed in filmography
 

3D programmes
 and films
Flying Monsters 3D (2010) ·
 The Bachelor King 3D (2011) ·
 Kingdom of Plants 3D (2012) ·
 Galapagos 3D (2013) ·
 Micro Monsters 3D (2013) ·
 David Attenborough's Natural History Museum Alive (2014)
 

DVD collections
Great Wildlife Moments (2003) ·
 Attenborough in Paradise (2005) ·
 The Life Collection (2005) ·
 Life on Land (2008)
 

Radio
Scars of Evolution (2005) ·
 David Attenborough's Life Stories (2009–11) ·
 Tweet of the Day (2013–14)
 

 


Categories: BBC television documentaries
BBC high definition programmes
Documentary films about nature
Open University
2010s British television series
2011 British television programme debuts
2011 British television programme endings
Discovery Channel shows








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The Life of Mammals
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The Life of Mammals
The Life of Mammals DVD cover
Region 2 DVD cover

Genre
Nature documentary
Presented by
David Attenborough
Composer(s)
Dan Jones
 Ben Salisbury
Country of origin
United Kingdom
Original language(s)
English
No. of episodes
10
Production

Executive producer(s)
Mike Salisbury
Running time
50 minutes
Production company(s)
BBC Natural History Unit
Discovery Channel
Broadcast

Original channel
BBC One
Picture format
16:9 (PAL)
Audio format
Stereophonic
Original run
20 November 2002 – 5 February 2003
Chronology

Preceded by
The Life of Birds
Followed by
Life in the Undergrowth
External links
Website
The Life of Mammals is a nature documentary series written and presented by David Attenborough, first transmitted in the United Kingdom from 20 November 2002.
A study of the evolution and habits of the various mammal species, it was the fourth of Attenborough's specialised surveys following his major trilogy that began with Life on Earth. Each of the ten episodes looks at one (or several closely related) mammal groups and discusses the different facets of their day-to-day existence and their evolutionary origins. All the programmes are of 50 minutes' duration except the last, which extends to 59 minutes.
The series was produced by the BBC Natural History Unit in conjunction with the Discovery Channel. The executive producer was Mike Salisbury and the music was composed by Dan Jones and Ben Salisbury. It was later shown on Animal Planet.
Part of David Attenborough's 'Life' series, it was preceded by The Life of Birds (1998), and followed by Life in the Undergrowth (2005). However, in between the former and this series, David Attenborough presented State of the Planet (2000) and narrated The Blue Planet (2001).


Contents  [hide]
1 Background
2 Production
3 Themes
4 Episodes 4.1 1. "A Winning Design"
4.2 2. "Insect Hunters"
4.3 3. "Plant Predators"
4.4 4. "Chisellers"
4.5 5. "Meat Eaters"
4.6 6. "The Opportunists"
4.7 7. "Return to the Water"
4.8 8. "Life in the Trees"
4.9 9. "The Social Climbers"
4.10 10. "Food for Thought"
5 DVD and book
6 References
7 External links

Background[edit]
The mammals are such a widespread, varied and successful group of animals that Attenborough had previously devoted no fewer than five episodes of Life on Earth to them. Nevertheless, there was much that remained untold and behaviour that was hitherto unfilmed. The Life of Mammals was intended to be his definitive account of the subject.
Attenborough took on the series at the suggestion of the BBC Natural History Unit. The naturalist's wife, Jane, had died in 1997, midway through the making of The Life of Birds, which had caused its postponement. However, Attenborough had been grateful for the fact that there was still work to be done to ensure its completion. Similarly, he was glad of another opportunity to keep himself occupied:

"The Life of Birds was transmitted in the autumn of 1998, and was sufficiently well received for the Unit to ask me if I would like to tackle another similar series about another group of animals. How about mammals? I was in my mid-seventies but I decided I would rather do that than sit at home by myself."[1]
Production[edit]
Despite his age, Attenborough travelled just as extensively as in all his previous productions, with each episode leapfrogging to a multitude of locations around the world.
The filming, as ever, provided many challenges. To capture footage for the first time of skunks foraging in a cave of bats, extra protective measures had to be taken for the crew, as it was a very hostile environment. The air was full of ammonia, the main occupants urinated copiously from above, and other inhabitants included flesh-eating maggots and a rattlesnake.
For a sequence featuring grizzly bears at close quarters, the camera team were accompanied by Buck Wilde, an ursine specialist. When a bear was too inquisitive he was able to command it to turn away simply by raising his hands. However, a cameraman confessed that at the time, he was sure there would come a moment when the animal would just continue towards them regardless.[2]
To get themselves up into the canopy of a tropical rainforest the crew used a catapult to fire a fishing line 100 metres into the uppermost branches. This was then attached to a rope and pulley counterbalance system. The difficulties involved were first actually finding an ideal tree, and then, having settled on one, watching out for passing snakes and primates en route to the top.[2]
Big cats that hunt nocturnally, such as lions, leopards and tigers, had never been extensively filmed doing so before. But the latest infrared technology revealed behaviour that had previously been guessed at from evidence discovered the next day.[2] The series was among the first to benefit from the features of digital television. After each episode's transmission on BBC One, terrestrial viewers were shown a ten-minute featurette on an aspect of its making. Those with digital equipment had the option of switching to an interactive quiz, hosted by Attenborough.
Themes[edit]
In his previous natural history series, Attenborough had been reticent about describing man's impact on the natural environment (unless it was relevant to the content, as in the last episode of The Living Planet or The First Eden). However, since State of the Planet, the presenter had become more publicly outspoken on the subject. In the final programme of this series, "Food for Thought", he took the opportunity to put the case explicitly for finding ways to deal with overpopulation.
Episodes[edit]

"Warm-bloodedness is one of the key factors that have enabled mammals to conquer the Earth, and to develop the most complex bodies in the animal kingdom. In this series, we will travel the world to discover just how varied and how astonishing mammals are."
— David Attenborough, from episode one
1. "A Winning Design"[edit]



 The coat of the Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) both provides it with protection from the cold and camouflages it.
Broadcast 20 November 2002, the first episode gives a general overview of mammals before moving on to monotremes and marsupials. Attenborough begins in the high Arctic, where he contrasts the Arctic fox's ability to live there all the time (thanks to its dense coat of fur) with his own need for protective clothing, despite them both being mammals. From there, he travels to Australia to illustrate the evolution of the species with the help of the echidna and the platypus. Both creatures, unlike all other mammals, lay eggs — similar to birds and reptiles — and have been around for 100 million years. With an optical probe, the inside of a platypus nest is able to be shown for the first time. The defining characteristic of a marsupial is its pouch, inside which its young develop, having been born externally. Kangaroos and koalas are two examples that inhabit a warm environment, while the wombat demonstrates its ability to withstand a cold climate. Red kangaroos, in particular, are more at home in arid, desert-like conditions, while their grey cousins are sociable and prefer more temperate climes. The mammalian tongue is very adaptable, and those of numbats and honey possums have become greatly extended to enable the gathering of insects and nectar respectively. However, the most successful group of mammals are the placentals. Attenborough witnesses a wildebeest being born and explains both the dangers and advantages of this way of reproduction.
2. "Insect Hunters"[edit]
Broadcast 27 November 2002, this programme discusses insectivores. Shrews are descendants of the earliest mammals, which were scurrying creatures that had a diet of insects. Their warm blood enabled them to hunt at night while dinosaurs slept; they nurtured their young and gave them milk. When the dinosaurs died out some 65 million years ago, the mammals' inherent features meant that they could proliferate. The shrews evolved: the elephant shrew is shown, alongside its prepared pathway of getaway routes; while others adapted further into species of mole, including the Golden mole. The increased relative size of armadillos came about because they broadened their diet. Other animals grew larger owing to more of their favoured nutrition being available: these include the giant anteater and the pangolin. However, Attenborough hails the evolution of the bat — a winged mammalian insect catcher that can navigate using echolocation — as being "magical". The European brown long-eared bat switches off its echolocation and then uses its keen sense of hearing to detect an insect's location through its movements. He ascends 3 kilometres into the night sky over Texas to investigate why there should be so many bats at such a height. It transpires that this is also heights to which moths from the Tropics climb up as they migrate. Whereas the bats in Texas are forced to migrate in winter, Attenborough visits a cave in Canada where they stay all year round and go into deepest hibernation when the cold weather arrives. In New Zealand, bats seem to have reverted to the hunting techniques of their ancestors, and are shown tackling a weta on the ground.
3. "Plant Predators"[edit]
Broadcast 4 December 2002, the next instalment looks at herbivorous mammals. The sloth is a leaf-eater, but it has compensated for the lack of nutriment in its diet by doing less (its reactions are a quarter the speed of a human's). This doesn't apply to all herbivores, which rely on bacteria in their stomachs to digest the leaves' cellulose. Plants can be poisonous, but Brazilian tapirs — the largest inhabitant of the South American rainforest — deal with them by eating a little of each species and then supplementing it with kaolin. The pika collects and stores plants to survive through the winter. In East Africa, via infrared cameras, Attenborough observes a herd of elephants squeezing into a pitch black cave and gouging the walls with their tusks to mine salt for their diet. Grazing animals, such as caribou and wildebeest, must migrate at the onset of winter and make long journeys to find new pastures. Despite its spiny fortification, the acacia is favoured by antelope, elephants and giraffes, which all have adaptations to reach its leaves. Smaller grazers are always at risk from carnivores: so they have developed the means to detect and evade them, and do so more often than may be supposed. A herd of buffalo are shown defending one of their number by charging the lions attacking it. However, the horns of antelope are primarily used for fighting each other to determine rank within their group and to maintain a breeding ground. Topi are shown doing so to the point where they are so exhausted that they easily succumb to a pack of hyenas.
4. "Chisellers"[edit]



 The eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) eats acorns of one species and stores the other more toxic (and thus longer keeping) species for winter.
Broadcast 11 December 2002, the fourth episode examines rodents, which are characterised by strong, sharp, continuously growing incisors. These enable the animals to eat food that others find impossible, such as nuts or wood, and have enabled them to become the most successful and numerous of all mammals. Attenborough visits the forests of Virginia, where the grey squirrels are able to differentiate between the acorns of the red oak and the white oak: eating the latter and storing the former. Seed-eaters can live almost anywhere, and the desert-dwelling kangaroo rat uses its cheek pouches to transport its supply back to its burrow. A family of beavers is shown in Wyoming. Their construction skills have enabled the building of a dam, which has given them a lake so they can safely swim and forage in the nearby woodland. Infrared cameras are installed in their lodge during winter and a pair of muskrats are revealed to be sharing it. Many rodents are nocturnal, and a porcupine is shown warning off a young leopard. The naked mole rat is a burrower that, like bees and ants but unlike any other mammal, lives colonially with castes of individuals. Rats and mice are the largest group of rodents, comprising some 1,300 species. They reproduce rapidly: a female house mouse can become pregnant at five weeks old, and a plague of the creatures is shown exploiting a grain store. The South American mara has to eat grass on plains, but still nests in burrows. The world's largest rodent is the capybara, a semi-aquatic animal from South America.
5. "Meat Eaters"[edit]
Broadcast 18 December 2002, this programme is devoted to carnivorous mammals. Attenborough starts in the English countryside, where, besides humans farming sheep, a stoat chases and catches a rabbit. Meat is one of the most energy-rich foods there is, and there are several groups that eat it exclusively. Among the most prolific to do so are cats and dogs. Canine adaptations are varied, and are illustrated by the differences between fennecs and Arctic foxes. Meanwhile, the biggest concentration of meat occurs on the plains of Africa, and African hunting dogs are shown capturing a wildebeest with efficient teamwork. However, the largest wild canid is the wolf, and Attenborough successfully communicates with a pack of them in North America before they embark on an exhausting hunt for elk. Back in Africa, infrared cameras are used to examine the nocturnal activities of lions, which bring down a zebra. During the day, a solitary cheetah — the fastest animal on four legs — swiftly overtakes an impala and despatches it. One of the most adaptable of the big cats is the leopard, and infrared technology is again used to spot one of them as it searches an Indian village for domestic goats. As it does so, it comes dangerously close to the hut where Attenborough sits with his observation equipment. Finally, Attenborough visits the frozen North to witness the animal kingdom's most powerful predator, the Siberian tiger, albeit one that is held in captivity.
6. "The Opportunists"[edit]
Broadcast 8 January 2003, the next instalment deals with those mammals that are omnivorous. Attenborough goes to a zoo in Atlanta to see the giant panda. He contrasts its restrictive diet of bamboo with the less selective forms of nutrition favoured by other species. The raccoon is among the most successful: its sensitive hands and inquisitive nature have enabled it to become extremely adaptable. To the other extreme, one of the scarcest omnivores is the babirusa, a kind of pig found in Indonesia. A good sense of smell is vital for such creatures and wild boars have become expert foragers. Foxes have gained a reputation for killing more chickens than they need to: in fact they demonstrate foresight by burying surplus food to eat later. Skunks visit a cave of bats and cross a carpet of guano to seek out the young that fall from the ceiling. The most formidable opportunists are grizzly bears, and Attenborough observes them fishing for migrating salmon in Alaska. Their feeding habits in the lead up to hibernation are discussed in detail. The replacement of natural habitats by modern cities and the extravagance of their human occupants have provided a rich source of sustenance for many. Raccoons, bears and foxes have all become well adapted to an urban lifestyle. However, in this regard, it is the brown rat that has become most abundant. Finally, Attenborough points out that it is the opportunistic traits of humans that have enabled them to dominate the world.
7. "Return to the Water"[edit]



 The blue whale (mother and calf pictured) is the largest living mammal species (scale image).
Broadcast 15 January 2003, this episode concentrates on marine dwellers. Astride an elephant, Attenborough highlights their love of water, before moving on to those that are completely at home in it. In proportion to their size, sea otters probably have the biggest appetites of any mammal, and Attenborough swims with them off the Californian coast. Their adaptations include webbed feet, which in one way or another (as flippers) are common to all seagoing mammals. Sea lions are shown leading their young into the water for the first time, and navigating entangling beds of kelp. In Antarctica, the differences between true seals and sea lions are illustrated: the former don't have the external ears or the mobility on land of the latter. Meanwhile, in the Arctic, ringed seal pups are prey to polar bears. Other pinnipeds shown include hooded seals and harbour seals. The manatee is a grazer descended from land-living herbivores and spends its entire life in the water. Near south-eastern America, there live dolphins that specialise in synchronically 'herding' fish on to the river banks before feeding. With the aid of computer animation, Attenborough walks the length of a blue whale — the largest creature on the planet — to demonstrate its vast physiology, and then travels alongside one in the open ocean. Whale song, and particularly that of humpback whales, is examined. The tumultuous breeding habits of southern right whales are shown off the shores of Patagonia.
8. "Life in the Trees"[edit]
Broadcast 22 January 2003, the next programme surveys arboreal mammals. Attenborough's introduction takes place in the close company of meerkats. They work as a team, and one will always act as a lookout. For this it climbs to the highest point nearby, which in this instance proves to be Attenborough's shoulder. Up in the canopy of the tropical rainforest, there is a greater variety of food than anywhere else in the natural world, so it is unsurprising that many animals exist there. Sloths and coatis exemplify the skills needed to move around in such a habitat. Especially suited to ascending tree trunks are sun bears and tamanduas, the latter possessing a prehensile tail, something it has in common with the woolly monkey. The flying squirrel can leap a distance of 15 metres by virtue of the fur membrane between its wrist and ankle. A five million-strong colony of fruit bats is also shown, and little impact is made on their numbers by predatory eagles and crocodiles. Infrared cameras are again employed to study nocturnal lorises and lesser bushbabies. Their ancestral relatives reached the island of Madagascar, where they diversified and are known as lemurs. They are particularly adept at jumping, and their technique is analysed. They are hunted by the fossa, a kind of mongoose, which is a match for them athletically. In the forests of Southeast Asia can be found the "supreme tree-traveller", the fastest flightless inhabitants of the canopy in the world: gibbons.
9. "The Social Climbers"[edit]
Broadcast 29 January 2003, the penultimate instalment focuses on monkeys. Together with apes (which includes humans), monkeys are part of the most social group of mammals. Their habits are rooted in relationships with others of their kind and a natural intelligence and inquisitiveness. Capuchins display all these qualities as they search for food. The differing face colours of the saki denote seniority within its group. The only nocturnal monkeys are douroucoulis and being active at night enables them to share the food resources of others in the same area. Pygmy marmosets, the smallest monkeys in the world, are captured feeding at the tops of trees and gnawing away on tree trunks to feast on the gum inside. Different tamarin species are shown co-operating to alert each other to the presence of a common predator, a tayra. Monkeys have good colour vision, and howler monkeys use it to select non-toxic leaves to eat. Attenborough travels through the African jungle with an alliance of species: several types of monkey and even mongooses combine to watch out for danger. They have a different alarm call for each enemy and Attenborough demonstrates this by placing a stuffed leopard nearby. In Sri Lanka, the naturalist also spends time with a troop of toque macaques — one of the most studied groups of monkeys in the world. It has been discovered that the creatures are born into a class system, in which position brings privileges. When the world's climate changed 10 million years ago, some monkeys ventured into open grassland, and they are illustrated by some of the most resourceful: baboons and geladas.
10. "Food for Thought"[edit]



 A young orangutan
Broadcast 5 February 2003, the final episode studies apes and the evolution of human society to its current state. In Borneo, rescued orangutans that have spent time with humans have learned to imitate their activities, and have done so entirely on their own initiative. They are shown hand-paddling a canoe, washing socks, and using a hammer and saw. In Africa, Attenborough encounters a group of orphaned chimpanzees that are being prepared for their return to the wild. Again, they display a great capacity for gaining knowledge and passing it on. A different chimp culture exists in Uganda, where a large concentration of rival males lives in an uneasy alliance that, in rare cases, can lead to extreme violence. In Tanzania, Attenborough examines some of the earliest footprints to have been left by man's upright-walking ancestors. In the Kalahari Desert, indigenous San (Bushmen) undertake a persistence hunt. It provides an illustration of how early man pursued his prey with no weapons. The domestication of cattle led to farms and then to villages. With vastly increased food supplies, the number of human beings multiplied. Ritual and the arts flourished, and villages became towns. Attenborough visits Tikal, the capital of the Maya people, who achieved sophisticated advances in architecture, mathematics and astronomy. However, the Maya couldn't sustain their population — and, Attenborough warns, we may be precariously close to a similar catastrophe.

"Three and a half million years separate the individual who left these footprints in the sands of Africa from the one who left them on the moon. A mere blink in the eye of evolution. Using his burgeoning intelligence, this most successful of all mammals has exploited the environment to produce food for an ever-increasing population. In spite of disasters when civilisations have over-reached themselves, that process has continued, indeed accelerated, even today. Now mankind is looking for food, not just on this planet but on others. Perhaps the time has now come to put that process into reverse. Instead of controlling the environment for the benefit of the population, perhaps it's time we control the population to allow the survival of the environment."
— David Attenborough, in closing
DVD and book[edit]
The series is available in the UK for Regions 2 and 4 as a 4-disc DVD (BBCDVD1128, released 7 April 2003) and as part of The Life Collection. Its special features include six 'behind the scenes' featurettes, fact files, a photo gallery, the original score and a special 10-minute video-to-music montage.
The accompanying book, The Life of Mammals by David Attenborough (ISBN 0-563-53423-0), was published by BBC Books on 17 October 2002.
Both DVD and book have been translated to other languages.
The Dutch version of the DVD produced by Evangelische Omroep removed all references to (amongst others) evolution, fossils, and continental drift.[3] The narration by David Attenborough has been replaced by a not always accurate Dutch translation, and cuts were made to the episodes.[4] The tenth episode was not broadcast at all on Evangelische Omroep, and is not included on the EO DVD of the series.[5] The Dutch version of the book includes the full text of the original book, as did the Dutch language version of the programme broadcast on the Belgian broadcaster Canvas.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Attenborough, David (2002). Life on Air. BBC Books. p. 373. ISBN 0-563-53461-3.
2.^ Jump up to: a b c Sourced from behind the scenes features on the DVD
3.Jump up ^ "EO haalt verwijzingen evolutietheorie uit natuurfilms". De Volkskrant. 28 July 2007.
4.Jump up ^ See YouTube clips [1], [2], [3] for side-by-side comparisons.
5.Jump up ^ "EO - e-Shop - Het leven van zoogdieren 3DVD". Retrieved 29 July 2007.
External links[edit]
The Life of Mammals at BBC Programmes
The Life of Mammals on the Eden website
The Life of Mammals at the Internet Movie Database





[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
David Attenborough's television and radio series


The Life series
Life on Earth (1979) ·
 The Living Planet (1984) ·
 The Trials of Life (1990) ·
 Life in the Freezer (1993) ·
 The Private Life of Plants (1995) ·
 The Life of Birds (1998) ·
 The Life of Mammals (2002) ·
 Life in the Undergrowth (2005) ·
 Life in Cold Blood (2008)
 

Other TV series
Zoo Quest (1954–63) ·
 The People of Paradise (1960) ·
 The Miracle of Bali (1969) ·
 The Tribal Eye (1975) ·
 Wildlife on One (1977) ·
 The First Eden (1987) ·
 Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives (1989) ·
 BBC Wildlife Specials (1995–2008) ·
 State of the Planet (2000) ·
 The Blue Planet (2001) ·
 Planet Earth (2006) ·
 Are We Changing Planet Earth? (2006) ·
 Nature's Great Events (2009) ·
 Life (2009) ·
 First Life (2010, 2013) ·
 Madagascar (2011) ·
 Frozen Planet (2011) ·
 Attenborough: 60 Years in the Wild (2012) ·
 Africa (2013) ·
 David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities (2013–) ·
 David Attenborough's Rise of Animals: Triumph of the Vertebrates (2013)
 

Other TV
 programmes
Christmas Lecture: The Language of Animals (1973) ·
 Horizon special: How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth? (2009) ·
 Horizon: The Death of the Oceans? (2010) ·
 other programmes as listed in filmography
 

3D programmes
 and films
Flying Monsters 3D (2010) ·
 The Bachelor King 3D (2011) ·
 Kingdom of Plants 3D (2012) ·
 Galapagos 3D (2013) ·
 Micro Monsters 3D (2013) ·
 David Attenborough's Natural History Museum Alive (2014)
 

DVD collections
Great Wildlife Moments (2003) ·
 Attenborough in Paradise (2005) ·
 The Life Collection (2005) ·
 Life on Land (2008)
 

Radio
Scars of Evolution (2005) ·
 David Attenborough's Life Stories (2009–11) ·
 Tweet of the Day (2013–14)
 

 


Categories: 2002 British television programme debuts
2003 British television programme endings
2000s British television series
BBC television documentaries
Documentary films about nature






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Life in the Undergrowth
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search


Life in the Undergrowth
Life in the Undergrowth DVD cover
Region 2 DVD cover

Genre
Nature documentary
Directed by
Peter Bassett
Mike Salisbury
Bridget Appleby
Stephen Dunleavy

Presented by
David Attenborough
Composer(s)
David Poore
 Ben Salisbury
Country of origin
United Kingdom
Original language(s)
English
No. of episodes
5
Production

Executive producer(s)
Mike Gunton
Producer(s)
Mike Salisbury
Running time
50 minutes
Production company(s)
BBC Natural History Unit
Animal Planet

Broadcast

Original channel
BBC One
Picture format
576i (16:9)
Audio format
Stereophonic
Original run
23 November 2005 – 21 December 2005
Chronology

Preceded by
The Life of Mammals
Followed by
Life in Cold Blood
External links
Website
Life in the Undergrowth is a BBC nature documentary series written and presented by David Attenborough, first transmitted in the UK from 23 November 2005.
A study of the evolution and habits of invertebrates, it was the fifth of Attenborough's specialised surveys following his major trilogy that began with Life on Earth. Each of the five 50-minute episodes looks at a group (or aspect) of the creatures using innovative photographic techniques.
The series was produced in conjunction with Animal Planet. The executive producer was Mike Gunton, the series producer Mike Salisbury, and the music was composed by Ben Salisbury and David Poore. The Chief Scientific Consultant was Dr. George McGavin.[1]
Within David Attenborough's 'Life' series, it was preceded by The Life of Mammals (2002), and is followed by Life in Cold Blood (2008). Before the latter, Attenborough narrated Planet Earth (2006). In May–June 2006, he also presented a two-part documentary on global warming: the programmes were entitled Are We Changing Planet Earth? and Can We Save Planet Earth?.


Contents  [hide]
1 Background
2 Episodes 2.1 1. "Invasion of the Land"
2.2 2. "Taking to the Air"
2.3 3. "The Silk Spinners"
2.4 4. "Intimate Relations"
2.5 5. "Supersocieties"
3 DVD and book
4 Viewer's Guide
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

Background[edit]
Invertebrates had been largely ignored by filmmakers in the past, due to the difficulties in filming them, but advances in lens and camera technology gave the makers an opportunity to film the creatures at their level. The series features a balance of everyday European invertebrates such as the wolf spider and housefly and more exotic varieties such as the redback spider of Australia and venomous centipedes of the Amazon. This was the first time that such animals had been photographed at such a high level of detail for television (some sequences were filmed in high definition format), and provided not only casual viewers but also scientists with a new understanding of certain species' behaviour.
Production of the series took around two years, during which time filming took place around the world, from the Amazonian rainforest to Costa Rica, Australia, Malaysia, Hungary, Switzerland and many more locations, including the United Kingdom.
To follow and understand the various species looked at throughout the series, the production team consulted with some of the foremost experts on invertebrate life. In certain instances, their help proved invaluable, particularly when coming across particularly dangerous species or societies. In other instances, the specialists helped to provide some of their most recent discoveries, enabling the makers to showcase in rich detail the complex processes through which invertebrates may interact with their environment, as well as the regular processes of all animals in the wild, such as their mating rituals and hunt for food. Many of the creatures' interactions were not only filmed for the first time, but were also recorded with such extraordinary magnification that scientists who studied them were able to answer specific questions that observance with the naked eye had hitherto rendered impossible.



 Filming of mayflies was made possible by their appearance on the last day.
As always, time and money constraints played a huge part. The filming schedules had to be arranged to fit in with expected dates of major events that were planned to be included, such as the emergence of the North American cicadas or the mass emergence of mayfly in Hungary. As is usual in the preparation of a nature documentary, not everything went to plan, due to the unpredictable nature of the subject matter.


File:Many cicadas 2004.320x240.ogg
Play media


 Planning was necessary to film the emergence of 17 year cicadas like these.
Although filming took place over several years, time constraints still meant that some scenes almost weren't filmed, and a few never materialised at all. For instance, the simultaneous mass emergence of the mayfly in Hungary did not occur until the deadline day for its filming, as David Attenborough had to be in Switzerland the very next day to film the mating of wood ants. Using expert advice, the team had come to film at the time of the annual emergence, but the problem of the unusually wet spring had delayed the event. Luckily, on the very last day conditions were perfect, and the mayfly emerged — apparently in one of the more impressive manifestations of recent times. Because of these kinds of occurrences being largely dependent on environmental factors such as temperature or moisture, it was nearly impossible to tell exactly when they would happen. Instead the producers had to rely on expert estimates, but even these could be completely unpredictable. So although the mayfly appearance was captured, others were missed, such as the advent of a type of moth in Arizona (despite the camera crew camping out in the area twice, two weeks at a time).
Sometimes subjects were so small that it would have been impossible to film them in the wild. Instead, the construction of a complete habitat in a studio allowed easy pursuit of their actions, allowing the camera to capture them throughout their day. This technique was used on the wolf spider, for example, which provided some 200 hours of film — notably including its courting ritual. Despite the arm span of the grown spider being no more than 1 cm, even the newborn arachnids are shown in tight close-up as they climb on to their mother's back.
Filming also involved entering rough environments. To film the giant centipede, a team had to endure a dark cave whose floor was covered with guano, beetles and cockroaches.
Episodes[edit]



 The first episode begins with a close-up of a snail.
"An eye from another world; a smell-detector, investigating the path ahead. We don't often see a snail that way, and that's because we've only recently had the tiny lenses and electronic cameras that we need to explore this miniature world. But when we meet its inhabitants face to face, we suddenly realise that their behaviour can be just as meaningful to us as the behaviour of many animals more our own size."
— David Attenborough's opening narration
1. "Invasion of the Land"[edit]



 Original footage includes predation by a velvet worm.
Broadcast 23 November 2005, the first episode tells how invertebrates became the first creatures of any kind to colonise dry land. Their forerunners were shelled and segmented sea creatures that existed 400 million years ago. Some of them ventured out of the water to lay their eggs in safety, and Attenborough compares those first steps with today's mass spawning of horseshoe crabs off the Atlantic coast of North America. Some animals abandoned the oceans altogether when the land became green with algae, mosses and liverworts. The earliest ground-dwellers were millipedes, which were quickly followed by other species. Springtails are shown to be smaller than the head of a pin and, for their size, can jump immense heights. The velvet worm hunts nocturnally and has scarcely changed over millennia, while the giant centipede can kill instantly and is shown hunting bats in Venezuela. Mating habits are explored, including the unusual ritual of leopard slugs and the meticulous nest maintenance of the harvestman. The arrival of earthworms was of great importance since they changed the nature of the soil, leading to a proliferation of plant life. Despite their aquatic ancestry, many invertebrates, particularly those with no exoskeleton, need a moist environment to keep themselves from drying out. Finally, a creature that has adapted to a desert habitat, the scorpion, is shown as it pursues its dangerous courting dance, followed by the birth of up to fifty individuals.
2. "Taking to the Air"[edit]



 A hoverfly in flight
Broadcast 30 November 2005, the next programme deals with flying insects. It begins in Central Europe, where the Körös River plays host to millions of giant mayflies as they rise from their larval skins to mate. — the climax of their lives. Mayflies and dragonflies were among the first to take to the air about 320 million years ago, and fossils reveal that some were similar in size to a seagull. Damselflies are also looked at in detail. One species, the rare cascade damsel, inhabits waterfalls, while another, the helicopter damsel, lives away from water (unlike all the others in its group) and is also the biggest. Several types of butterfly are shown, but all have common habits, and Attenborough describes their physiology. Together with moths, they possess the largest wings, and this surface area gives ample opportunity to display for partners or warn off predators. In cold weather, bumblebees must warm themselves to prepare for flight: they 'disable' their wings, enabling them to exercise their muscles without taking off. The vestigial rear wings of flies and crane flies are used for navigation, and arguably the most accomplished insect aviator is the hoverfly, which makes continuous adjustments while in the air to remain stationary. Beetles that are capable of flight have to keep their wings below covers, and a specimen of the largest, the titan beetle, is shown. Attenborough attempts to entice a male cicada, only to have it land on his ear (causing laughter from the camera team).
3. "The Silk Spinners"[edit]



 A wolf spider with young attached to her abdomen
Broadcast 7 December 2005, the third instalment examines the spiders and others that produce silk. Attenborough visits New Zealand's Waitomo Caves, which are inhabited by fungus gnats whose illuminated larvae sit atop glistening, beaded filaments to lure their prey. The ability to spin silk developed early in the invertebrates' history, being first used as an adhesive. The female lacewing still applies it in this way, to suspend its eggs from plant stems. Spiders first employed it as a sensitive trip line to detect movement, and Attenborough illustrates this by encouraging a trapdoor spider. The speed with which it appears causes the presenter to jump in surprise. The webs spun by orb-weavers are complex and can comprise up to 60 metres of silk and 3,000 separate attachments. A time-lapse sequence reveals their intricate construction. The largest are made by Nephila and can be several metres across. The venomous redback spins three-dimensionally, and fixes vertical lines that suspend its unlucky meals in mid-air. Meanwhile, the bolas spider swings a length of silk with a sticky blob on the end, with which to snare passing moths. Argiope exemplifies the dangers of mating that are faced by some male spiders: unless they are careful, they can be consumed by the females. The courtship of the wolf spider, though less risky, is one of the more elaborate. Its nesting habits are discussed, along with the eventual birth of its young, which cling to their mother's back.
4. "Intimate Relations"[edit]



 A white crab spider has captured a fly visiting a flower, showing a mix of mutualism and predation.
Broadcast 14 December 2005, the penultimate episode focuses on the relationships between invertebrates and plants or other animals. It begins with ants and aphids: the former 'herd' the latter and protect them in return for secreted honeydew. The activities of gall-inducing insects are described, using the example of the oak tree. Many plants recruit insects to aid pollination, offering nectar for doing so, and some predators have adopted camouflage to take advantage of this, such as the crab spider. Stick insects rely on ants to hide their eggs underground for them in safety. In the Californian desert, the blister beetle's larvae congregate on a stem and, by releasing a pheromone, attract a male digger bee on the lookout for a female. They climb aboard their visitor and eventually transfer to its mate, which will in turn unwittingly deposit them in its nest — providing sustenance. An orchard spider is shown enduring a parasitic wasp grub, which injects its host with a hormone that deranges it and halts the spinning of webs. The grub then sucks the liquid from the spider's body and uses the remaining silk to form its cocoon. Fairy wasps are so small that they can lay their eggs inside those of water beetles — and can even mate while inside them. The tiger beetle larva ambushes ants by plugging its burrow with its head and pouncing. However, this doesn't work with Methocha, an ant-like wasp, which avoids the jaws of the beetle larva, paralyses it with a sting, and lays its eggs on the host. After dragging the paralysed larva deeper into the burrow, the entrance is carefully plugged and concealed. Ants defend their colonies fiercely; however Alcon blue butterflies manage to get their young inside the ants' nests by giving their young a scent exactly like that of the ant larvae; as a result the caterpillars are treated as if they were in fact ant larvae. However, this strategy is not flawless. Ichneumon wasps break into the ant colonies and release chemicals that make the ant guardians attack each other; the wasp then injects two of her eggs into the butterfly caterpillars. However, the ants seem to save at least one caterpillar as one of the pupae is later shown hatching into an adult Alcon blue butterfly.
5. "Supersocieties"[edit]



 Harvester ants plug up the exits of nearby ants with small stones.
Broadcast 21 December 2005, the final programme looks at the superorganisms formed by bees, ants and termites. Attenborough reveals that their colonies, whose individuals were once considered purely servile, are "full of conflict, power struggles and mutinies." They evolved when such creatures moved away from a solitary existence and started building nests side-by-side, which led to a collective approach to caring for their young. There are about 20,000 species of bee, and a queen bumblebee is shown starting a new nest. As it grows, the inhabitants all help to maintain it and bring nectar and pollen. However, anarchy erupts when the queen starts to destroy eggs laid by her workers: she is stung to death and the colony ends. Ants live in bigger societies, which can make them vulnerable, but Attenborough goads a nest of wood ants into demonstrating their defence: formic acid. In Australia, a nest in a mangrove swamp has to be continuously rearranged to escape the tides. Meanwhile, desert-dwelling harvester ants block up nearby nests in an effort to maximise their food pickings. A bivouac of army ants is explored: they prove to be one of those most regimented organisms, where the action of each individual is for the good of the million-strong colony. Attenborough investigates magnetic termites, whose slab-like mounds are all aligned to account for the movement of the Sun. Finally, a full-scale battle between termites and matabele ants is depicted in close-up.

"If we and the rest of the backboned animals were to disappear overnight, the rest of the world would get on pretty well. But if [the invertebrates] were to disappear, the land's ecosystems would collapse. The soil would lose its fertility. Many of the plants would no longer be pollinated. Lots of animals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals would have nothing to eat. And our fields and pastures would be covered with dung and carrion. These small creatures are within a few inches of our feet, wherever we go on land — but often, they're disregarded. We would do very well to remember them."
— David Attenborough, in closing
DVD and book[edit]
The series is available in the UK for Regions 2 and 4 as a 2-disc DVD (BBCDVD1737, released 5 December 2005) and as part of The Life Collection. Its special features comprise an interview with the series producer, Mike Salisbury, and the original score.
The accompanying 320-page book, Life in the Undergrowth by David Attenborough (ISBN 0-563-52208-9), was published by BBC Books on 10 October 2005.
Viewer's Guide[edit]
In 2008, the BBC made available online a viewer's guide to Life in the Undergrowth, specially designed to help the viewer locate an exciting clip a particular scientific or geographical lesson.

Topic
Subtopic
Species
Episode
Description

Adaptation Feeding Strategies Moth, Hummingbird Hawk Moth 2 - Taking to the Air How different moths feed on tree sap and nectar, including the hummingbird hawk moth.
Behaviour Camouflage Stick Insect 4 - Intimate Relations Features a stick insect that, through camouflage, looks exactly like a dried leaf.
Behaviour Social Groups Bee, Wasp 5 - Super Societies Colonial breeding and organisation of super societies in bees and wasps.
Communication Pheromones Alcon Butterfly 4 - Intimate Relations Alcon butterfly caterpillars using pheromones to disguise themselves as ant larvae to hide in ant nests.
Competition Animals Harvester Ant, Long Legged Ant 5 - Super Societies Competition for seeds between harvester ants and long legged ants.
Cooperation Cooperation Army Ant 5 - Super Societies Features a million or more army ants cooperating in hunting and nesting.
Decomposers Decomposers Earthworm, Giant Gippsland earthworm 1 - Invasion of the Land Features the earthworm and its importance for the soil, and six feet long giant gippsland earthworm.
Evolution Invertebrates  1 - Invasion of the Land Evolution of land invertebrates, how they have adapted to survive out of water and their relationship with green plants.
Habitats Deserts Scorpion 1 - Invasion of the Land Features a typical desert landscape and explains how scorpions are able to survive in this dry, hostile environment.
Habitats Ponds Diving Beetle, Fairy Wasp, Water Flea 4 - Intimate Relations Features a variety of pond creatures including diving beetles, fairy wasps and water fleas.
Habitats Gardens Aphid, Ant, Ladybird 4 - Intimate Relations Features the friend and foe relationships between gardeners, aphids, ants and ladybirds.
Locomotion Flight Dragonfly 2 - Taking to the Air Explains the mechanics of how dragonflies fly, showing their amazing speed and maneuverability.
Locomotion Flight Bumblebee, Fly 2 - Taking to the Air Wing design and flight mechanics of bumblebees and flies. Immaculate aerial control makes a male more attractive to females in hover flies.
Parasites Parasites Wasp, Cabbage White Butterfly 2 - Taking to the Air Wasp parasitising cabbage white butterfly caterpillars.
Parasites Parasites Blister Beetle, Digger Bee 4 - Intimate Relations Deception by blister beetle larvae in order to parasitise digger bee nests.
Parasites Parasites Bot Fly 4 - Intimate Relations Bot fly life cycle which includes parasitising house flies and cows.
Predation Invertebrates Velvet Worm, Giant Centipede 1 - Invasion of the Land Features some of the most vicious invertebrate hunters: the velvet worm catching its prey by shooting strings of glue and the giant centipede hunting bats in caves.
Predation Invertebrates Glowworm, Mayfly 3 - The Silk Spinners Dramatic spectacle of glowworms catching mayflies in a New Zealand cave.
Predation Invertebrates Bolas Spider 3 - The Silk Spinners Bolas spider using droplet pheromone as bait to lure moths.
Predation Invertebrates White Crab Spider, Assassin Bug 4 - Intimate Relations Features white crab spiders and assassin bugs using pheromones to lure their prey into their claws.
Reproduction Courtship Spring Tail 1 - Invasion of the Land The bizarre headbutting courtship dance of tiny spring tails.
Reproduction Courtship Mojave Sand Scorpion 1 - Invasion of the Land The Mojave sand scorpion's dangerous courtship ritual.
Reproduction Hermaphrodites Leopard Slug 1 - Invasion of the Land Features the unusual mating behaviour of leopard slugs which have both male and female organs.
Reproduction Parental Care Paper Wasp 5 - Super Societies Shows how paper wasps build colonial nests and share parental duties which enables them to raise more young.
Reproduction Invertebrates Wolf Spider 3 - The Silk Spinners Courtship, mating, egg laying and parental care in wolf spiders.
Reproduction Invertebrates Cabbage White Butterfly 2 - Taking to the Air Life cycle of the cabbage white butterfly.
Reproduction Invertebrates Paper Wasp, Bumblebee 5 - Super Societies Colonial breeding strategies of paper wasps and bumblebees.
Shelters Shelters Termite 5 - Super Societies Features termites constructing a gigantic mound which is equipped with protective features.
Symbiosis Plants and Insects Duroia Tree 4 - Intimate Relations How ants depend on the Duroia tree for a nesting site, and in return protect the tree from plant predators and competing plants.
Symbiosis Plants and Insects Ant, Aphid 4 - Intimate Relations How ants protect aphids from predation by ladybirds, and in return get a meal of sugary nectar.
Children's Favourites Mini Beasts  1 - Invasion of the Land Features a fascinating montage of mini beasts at very close quarters.
Children's Favourites Mini Beasts Snail 1 - Invasion of the Land Features a snail thriving in dark, damp conditions.
Children's Favourites Mini Beasts Spider 3 - The Silk Spinners Features a spider skilfully constructing its web.
Learning to Learn Teamwork Bee 5 - Super Societies Features bees working together to help make their colonies a success.
Learning to Learn Teamwork Army Ant 5 - Super Societies Features a million or more army ants working together to establish a new nesting site.

See also[edit]
Microcosmos (nature documentary with similar subject matter)
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "Dr George McGavin". Jo Wander Management. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
External links[edit]
BBC Life in the Undergrowth homepage
Life in the Undergrowth at BBC Programmes
Life in the Undergrowth on the Eden website
Life in the Undergrowth at the Internet Movie Database
Fly on the Wall at the Open University's Open2.net site





[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
David Attenborough's television and radio series


The Life series
Life on Earth (1979) ·
 The Living Planet (1984) ·
 The Trials of Life (1990) ·
 Life in the Freezer (1993) ·
 The Private Life of Plants (1995) ·
 The Life of Birds (1998) ·
 The Life of Mammals (2002) ·
 Life in the Undergrowth (2005) ·
 Life in Cold Blood (2008)
 

Other TV series
Zoo Quest (1954–63) ·
 The People of Paradise (1960) ·
 The Miracle of Bali (1969) ·
 The Tribal Eye (1975) ·
 Wildlife on One (1977) ·
 The First Eden (1987) ·
 Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives (1989) ·
 BBC Wildlife Specials (1995–2008) ·
 State of the Planet (2000) ·
 The Blue Planet (2001) ·
 Planet Earth (2006) ·
 Are We Changing Planet Earth? (2006) ·
 Nature's Great Events (2009) ·
 Life (2009) ·
 First Life (2010, 2013) ·
 Madagascar (2011) ·
 Frozen Planet (2011) ·
 Attenborough: 60 Years in the Wild (2012) ·
 Africa (2013) ·
 David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities (2013–) ·
 David Attenborough's Rise of Animals: Triumph of the Vertebrates (2013)
 

Other TV
 programmes
Christmas Lecture: The Language of Animals (1973) ·
 Horizon special: How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth? (2009) ·
 Horizon: The Death of the Oceans? (2010) ·
 other programmes as listed in filmography
 

3D programmes
 and films
Flying Monsters 3D (2010) ·
 The Bachelor King 3D (2011) ·
 Kingdom of Plants 3D (2012) ·
 Galapagos 3D (2013) ·
 Micro Monsters 3D (2013) ·
 David Attenborough's Natural History Museum Alive (2014)
 

DVD collections
Great Wildlife Moments (2003) ·
 Attenborough in Paradise (2005) ·
 The Life Collection (2005) ·
 Life on Land (2008)
 

Radio
Scars of Evolution (2005) ·
 David Attenborough's Life Stories (2009–11) ·
 Tweet of the Day (2013–14)
 

 


Categories: 2005 British television programme debuts
2005 British television programme endings
2000s British television series
BBC television documentaries
Nature educational television series






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Life in Cold Blood
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Life in Cold Blood
Life in Cold Blood DVD cover
Region 2 DVD cover

Genre
Nature documentary
Presented by
David Attenborough
Composer(s)
David Poore
 Ben Salisbury
Country of origin
United Kingdom
Original language(s)
English
No. of episodes
5
Production

Executive producer(s)
Sara Ford
Producer(s)
Miles Barton
 James Brickell
 Hilary Jeffkins
 Adam White
Running time
50 minutes
Production company(s)
BBC Natural History Unit
Animal Planet
Broadcast

Original channel
BBC One
Picture format
16:9 (PAL)
Audio format
Stereophonic
Original run
4 February 2008 – 3 March 2008
Chronology

Preceded by
Life in the Undergrowth
External links
Website
Life in Cold Blood is a BBC nature documentary series written and presented by David Attenborough, first transmitted in the United Kingdom from 4 February 2008 on BBC One.[1]
A study of the evolution and habits of amphibians and reptiles, it is the sixth and last of Attenborough's specialised surveys following his major trilogy that began with Life on Earth.
The series comprises five 50-minute programmes, each one followed by Under the Skin, a 10-minute section that features Attenborough interviewing the scientists whose work has led to the sequences included in the main programme. It also examines the challenges faced by the crew and reveals some of the techniques used to film the series.[2]
The series is a co-production between the BBC and Animal Planet. The executive producer is Sara Ford and the series producer is Miles Barton. The Under the Skin segments were produced by James Brickell in collaboration with the Open University.[2] The score for the main films was composed by David Poore and Ben Salisbury, whilst the music for Under the Skin was written and performed by Tony Briscoe.
The series won the 2009 BAFTA Television Award in the Specialist Factual category.[3] Within David Attenborough's 'Life' series, it is preceded by Life in the Undergrowth (2005).


Contents  [hide]
1 Background
2 Episodes 2.1 1. "The Cold Blooded Truth"
2.2 2. "Land Invaders"
2.3 3. "Dragons of the Dry"
2.4 4. "Sophisticated Serpents"
2.5 5. "Armoured Giants"
3 DVD and book
4 References 4.1 Citations
4.2 Other sources
5 External links

Background[edit]
Filming began in the early part of 2006 and, as with Attenborough's previous series, the production team travelled the world to photograph the required sequences. In May 2006, Attenborough celebrated his 80th birthday in the Galápagos Islands while filming giant tortoises, one of which, called Lonesome George, was thought to be the same age.[4] Lonesome George died on 24th June 2012; he was believed to have been more than 100 years old.
Several innovative techniques were used to capture footage. Thermal imaging cameras were used to demonstrate the creatures' variable body temperatures, probe cameras allowed access to underground habitats and even a matchbox-sized one was attached to the shell of a tortoise.[5]
Expert scientists helped the producers to film animal behaviour that is rarely seen. The team 'staked out' radiotagged timber rattlesnakes in order to witness one of them despatching its prey. However, for Attenborough's close encounter with a spitting cobra, a captive snake that was used to being handled was placed in a natural setting and the presenter wore a face visor. Other examples of 'pets' being used were for sequences depicting the lassoing tongue of a chameleon (which had to be filmed at ultra-high speed) and the digestive system of a python (which was enhanced by computer-generated imagery).[5]
Life in Cold Blood is Attenborough's last major series and also represents the final study in his 'Life' series, which comprises 79 programmes. In a 2008 interview, he stated:

The evolutionary history is finished. The endeavour is complete. If you'd asked me 20 years ago whether we'd be attempting such a mammoth task, I'd have said 'Don't be ridiculous'. These programmes tell a particular story and I'm sure others will come along and tell it much better than I did, but I do hope that if people watch it in 50 years' time, it will still have something to say about the world we live in.[6]
However, although Attenborough was 81 years old at the time of the series' broadcast, he continued to assist the BBC Natural History Unit by providing narration for projects such as Nature's Great Events, Life and Frozen Planet.[7]
Attenborough confirmed on the penultimate edition of Parkinson, broadcast on 16 December 2007, that he did not intend to retire completely and would still make occasional single documentaries, rather than any more series.
Episodes[edit]

"Reptiles and amphibians are sometimes thought of as primitive, dull and dimwitted. In fact, of course, they can be lethally fast, spectacularly beautiful, surprisingly affectionate and very sophisticated."
— David Attenborough's opening words
1. "The Cold Blooded Truth"[edit]
Broadcast 4 February 2008, the first episode discusses the keys to success of reptiles and amphibians, looking at thermoregulation, parental care and the time-scales on which reptiles operate. Attenborough begins in the Galápagos Islands, using thermal imaging to demonstrate how marine iguanas warm their bodies by basking in the sun before feeding. Meanwhile, the lizard inhabitants of a Minorcan island have a relationship with its indigenous dead horse arum plants. Attenborough visits Dassen Island to witness one of the world's greatest concentrations of tortoises — around 5,000 of them. Few reptiles are active at night, but crocodiles can rely on water that retains much of its daytime temperature. Conversely, amphibians' moist skin would be damaged by the sun and so most are nocturnal. An exception is the waxy monkey leaf frog, which can deal with sunlight by covering its body in a wax secretion. A puff adder illustrates the relative inactivity of reptiles compared to mammals: one large meal can last up to a year. When it hatches at the onset of winter, the young painted turtle stays underground, near frozen until the spring when it can emerge. Attenborough wonders if the dinosaurs' immense size allowed them to maintain warm blood. The leatherback turtle is able to retain body heat due to its large size and insulating body fat. Under the Skin looks at the hunt for the pygmy leaf chameleon, filmed in Madagascar.[8]
2. "Land Invaders"[edit]
Broadcast 11 February 2008, the second programme explores the world of amphibians, of which there are some 6,000 known species. Attenborough visits Australia to illustrate how they became the first back-boned creatures to colonise land: the lungfish, which is capable of breathing air, and whose ancestors became the first amphibians. The largest of them is the Japanese giant salamander and two are shown wrestling for territory. In North America, the marbled salamander spends most of its life on land, yet is still able to retain the necessary moisture in its skin through the damp leaf litter. A female caecilian is filmed with her young, whose rapid growth is discovered to be the result of eating their mother's skin — re-grown for them every three days. The most successful amphibians are frogs and toads. Their calls are most active during the breeding season: females are impressed by both volume and frequency. However, gestures are sometimes needed and the poisonous Panamanian golden frog uses a conspicuous form of 'semaphore'. Most other frogs rely on camouflage and the South American red-eyed tree frog is an example. An African bullfrog is shown defending its exposed tadpoles by digging a canal for them. Meanwhile, the male marsupial frog keeps its young moist by carrying them in its skin pouches. Under the Skin examines the filming of the last population of Panamanian golden frogs, which is threatened by a fungal disease.[9]
3. "Dragons of the Dry"[edit]
Broadcast 18 February 2008, the third instalment takes a look at the immense diversity, social skills and displays of the lizards. While they are highly adept at camouflage, occasionally there is a need to break cover in order to ward off rivals. Attenborough holds up a mirror to an anole and causes it to extend its colourful throat flap as a warning sign. Madagascar is host to over 60 species of chameleon but one of the largest, Meller's chameleon, is native to Malawi and two rival males are shown jousting. A female South African dwarf chameleon demonstrates its ability to change colour when communicating to a potential mate, and the chameleon's muscular tongue is depicted lassoing its prey. In southern Australia, Attenborough uses a baited fishing rod to attract the attention of a rare pygmy bluetongue skink, thought to have been extinct for over thirty years until it was rediscovered in 1992. Shinglebacks are among the most devoted lizards and breeding pairs can reunite each year for up to two decades. Alongside South Africa's Orange River, large groups of flat lizards feed on the swarms of black flies, but the males also use the occasion to indulge in social squabbling. The Mexican beaded lizard is one of the few with a poisonous bite, but males do not employ it when wrestling each other. Finally, Attenborough comes face to face with a perentie, Australia's largest monitor lizard. Under the Skin focuses on filming in Australia.[10] Animals monitor lizard termite lace monitor Jacky Dragon American anole gecko Treehopper leaf-tailed gecko American robin five-lined skink Pygmy Blue-Tongued Skink shingleback Augrabies Flat Lizard Mexican beaded lizard
4. "Sophisticated Serpents"[edit]
Broadcast 25 February 2008, the fourth episode focuses on the most modern reptiles, the snakes, exploring how they have managed to become successful despite their elongated body shape. Attenborough explains how they evolved from underground burrowers to surface hunters, losing their limbs in the process. With the aid of infrared cameras, a timber rattlesnake is shown lying in wait for a mouse and sensing its repeated path before despatching and eating it. A snake's constantly flickering tongue is used to gather and evaluate the molecules of its surroundings, and Attenborough visits Carnac Island to witness a population of blind tiger snakes, which feed on the chicks of nesting gulls. He also confronts a Mozambique spitting cobra, which quickly sprays venom over the presenter's protective face visor. The similarities in colouration between the harmless kingsnake and potentially lethal coral snake are highlighted. An example of a snake that can tackle unusual prey is the Queen snake, which almost exclusively hunts newly-moulted crayfish. A pair of rival male King cobras are seen battling and infant cobras are shown hatching: their venom is immediately as fatal as that of their parents. In Argentina, a yellow anaconda evades nearby caimans to give birth to live young. Finally a turtle-headed sea snake feeds not on fish, but on their eggs laid on a coral reef. Under the Skin discusses the filming of timber rattlesnakes during inclement weather.[11]
5. "Armoured Giants"[edit]
Broadcast 3 March 2008, the final programme covers the most ancient of the reptiles: the crocodiles and turtles. In the Galápagos Islands, among the giant tortoises, Attenborough explains how the creatures came to develop their shells as a defence against predators. This is demonstrated by the eastern box turtle, whose shell includes a hinged 'drawbridge'. The aquatic pig-nosed turtle is unusual in that its eggs need to be submerged before hatching, whereas those of other species would drown; Attenborough illustrates this by dropping an egg into a jar of water: it immediately hatches. In the open ocean, male sea turtles attempt to separate a rival from its mate by attacking and overwhelming the pair, stopping them from taking in air. In northern Australia, Attenborough observes a large gathering of crocodiles at a flooded coastal road: they time their arrival to ambush migrating mullet. The complex communication and body language of the American alligator is investigated and in Argentina, the calls of young caimans help their mother locate and lead them to a nursery pool. The mother's maternal instinct extends to releasing unhatched babies by gently crushing their eggs in its jaws. In Venezuela, a female spectacled caiman in charge of an entire crèche leads the infants from a drying river bed on a trek to permanent water. Under the Skin explores filming on the Galápagos Islands and Attenborough's meeting with Lonesome George.[12]

"Reptiles and amphibians are sometimes seen as simple, primitive creatures. That's a long way from the truth. The fact that they are solar-powered means that their bodies require only 10% of the energy that mammals of a similar size require. At a time when we ourselves are becoming increasingly concerned about the way in which we get our energy from the environment and the wasteful way in which we use it, maybe there are things that we can learn from 'life in cold blood'."
— David Attenborough, in closing
DVD and book[edit]
A 2-disc DVD set of the series (BBCDVD2553) was released on 25 February 2008.[13] The accompanying 288-page book, Life in Cold Blood by David Attenborough (ISBN 0-563-53922-4), was published by BBC Books on 7 December 2007, in advance of the television series.[14] The Region 1 DVD was released on 5 August 2008 (S.R.P. $34.98) through Warner Home Video.
References[edit]
Citations[edit]
1.Jump up ^ RadioTimes.com: Life in Cold Blood
2.^ Jump up to: a b BBC Press Office: Life in Cold Blood
3.Jump up ^ "Television Awards Winners in 2009". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. 2009-04-26. Retrieved 2009-10-23.
4.Jump up ^ BBC David Attenborough biography
5.^ Jump up to: a b BBC Science and Nature: Life in Cold Blood filming techniques
6.Jump up ^ Radio Times 26 Jan–1 Feb 2008: "The Last Word", interview with Jeremy Paxman
7.Jump up ^ Guardian: David Attenborough returns for two BBC natural history series
8.Jump up ^ Writer David Attenborough, Director Scott Alexander, Producer Miles Barton (2008-02-04). "The Cold Blooded Truth". Life in Cold Blood. BBC. BBC One.
9.Jump up ^ Writer David Attenborough, Director Scott Alexander, Producer Hilary Jeffkins (2008-02-11). "Land Invaders". Life in Cold Blood. BBC. BBC One.
10.Jump up ^ Writer David Attenborough, Director Scott Alexander, Producer Miles Barton (2008-02-18). "Dragons of the Dry". Life in Cold Blood. BBC. BBC One.
11.Jump up ^ Writer David Attenborough, Director Scott Alexander, Producer James Brickell (2008-02-25). "Sophisticated Serpents". Life in Cold Blood. BBC. BBC One.
12.Jump up ^ Writer David Attenborough, Director Scott Alexander, Producer Adam White (2008-03-03). "Armoured Giants". Life in Cold Blood. BBC. BBC One.
13.Jump up ^ BBC Shop: Life in Cold Blood DVD
14.Jump up ^ BBC Shop: Life in Cold Blood book
Other sources[edit]
Queens of the Web Tim Flannery review from The New York Review of Books
External links[edit]
Life in Cold Blood at BBC Programmes
Life in Cold Blood on the Eden website
Life in Cold Blood at the Internet Movie Database
Under the Skin at the Open University's Open2.net site
BBC on YouTube: David Attenborough face to face with a spitting cobra





[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
David Attenborough's television and radio series


The Life series
Life on Earth (1979) ·
 The Living Planet (1984) ·
 The Trials of Life (1990) ·
 Life in the Freezer (1993) ·
 The Private Life of Plants (1995) ·
 The Life of Birds (1998) ·
 The Life of Mammals (2002) ·
 Life in the Undergrowth (2005) ·
 Life in Cold Blood (2008)
 

Other TV series
Zoo Quest (1954–63) ·
 The People of Paradise (1960) ·
 The Miracle of Bali (1969) ·
 The Tribal Eye (1975) ·
 Wildlife on One (1977) ·
 The First Eden (1987) ·
 Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives (1989) ·
 BBC Wildlife Specials (1995–2008) ·
 State of the Planet (2000) ·
 The Blue Planet (2001) ·
 Planet Earth (2006) ·
 Are We Changing Planet Earth? (2006) ·
 Nature's Great Events (2009) ·
 Life (2009) ·
 First Life (2010, 2013) ·
 Madagascar (2011) ·
 Frozen Planet (2011) ·
 Attenborough: 60 Years in the Wild (2012) ·
 Africa (2013) ·
 David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities (2013–) ·
 David Attenborough's Rise of Animals: Triumph of the Vertebrates (2013)
 

Other TV
 programmes
Christmas Lecture: The Language of Animals (1973) ·
 Horizon special: How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth? (2009) ·
 Horizon: The Death of the Oceans? (2010) ·
 other programmes as listed in filmography
 

3D programmes
 and films
Flying Monsters 3D (2010) ·
 The Bachelor King 3D (2011) ·
 Kingdom of Plants 3D (2012) ·
 Galapagos 3D (2013) ·
 Micro Monsters 3D (2013) ·
 David Attenborough's Natural History Museum Alive (2014)
 

DVD collections
Great Wildlife Moments (2003) ·
 Attenborough in Paradise (2005) ·
 The Life Collection (2005) ·
 Life on Land (2008)
 

Radio
Scars of Evolution (2005) ·
 David Attenborough's Life Stories (2009–11) ·
 Tweet of the Day (2013–14)
 

 


Categories: 2000s British television series
2008 British television programme debuts
2008 British television programme endings
BBC television documentaries
Documentary films about nature
Nature educational television series





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Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search


Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives
Box cover for the 2004 DVD release
2004 DVD box cover by 2 Entertain

Also known as
Kadonneen elämän jäljillä (Finland)
Genre
Documentary television
Written by
David Attenborough
Presented by
David Attenborough
Theme music composer
Terry Oldfield
Composer(s)
Terry Oldfield
Country of origin
England
Original language(s)
English, Spanish
No. of series
1
No. of episodes
4
Production

Executive producer(s)
Mike Salisbury
Editor(s)
Colin Cradock
Cinematography
Graham Frake
Camera setup
Stephen Bolwell, Jim Harris
Production company(s)
BBC Bristol, TBS
Distributor
BBC (TV), 2 Entertain (DVD)
Broadcast

Original channel
BBC Two
Original run
23 April 1989 – 14 May 1989
Chronology

Preceded by
The First Eden (1987)
Followed by
The Trials of Life (1990)
External links
BBC Two Programmes – Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives
Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives is a four-part BBC documentary series concerning the discovery of fossils. It is written and presented by David Attenborough, produced by Mike Salisbury, and was originally broadcast in April 1989. It was made in between the second and third instalments of Attenborough's "Life" series: The Living Planet and The Trials of Life, respectively. The study of rocks and their ancient secrets was something of a boyhood passion for David Attenborough. In these programmes, his enthusiasm for the subject is undiminished. With the help of expert palaeontologists, fossil hunters and (for the time) modern animation techniques, Attenborough attempts to show how life evolved in Earth's distant past. To do so, he travels the globe to visit the world's most famous fossil sites.
Release[edit]
2 Entertain published the series on DVD (catalog number BBCDVD1466) on 27 September 2004.
List of episodes[edit]

No.
Title
Original air date

1
"Magic in the Rocks" 23 April 1989
A picture of prehistoric life emerges, as Attenborough unearths several major clues in the form of fossilised remains that were undiscovered for millennia.

2
"Putting Flesh on Bone" 30 April 1989
Attenborough explores vanished lives of prehistoric creatures and using the latest evidence, scientists reconstruct a pterodactyl in the form of a model aircraft — to see if such a beast could indeed have flown.
Animals: Icthyosaurs ·  Arthropleura (identifided as giant millipede) ·  Trilobites ·  Pterosaurs ·  Pteranodon ·  Quetzalcoatlus 
3
"Dinosaur" 7 May 1989
Attenborough visits several museums of natural history. With the aid of dinosaur skeletons, he demonstrates how they existed in real life, and speculates about the reasons for their sudden demise.
Animals: Giraffatitan (identified as Brachiosaurus) ·  Diplodocus (identified as Seismosaurus) ·  Stegosaurus ·  Allosaurus ·  Hadrosaurs ·  Triceratops ·  Tyrannosaurus ·  Struthiomimus ·  Apatosaurus 
4
"The Rare Glimpses" 14 May 1989
Four famous locations that have the most suitable conditions for fossilisation are explored. Not only are common animals preserved, but also plants and other, seldom-seen creatures.
Locations: Burgess Shale ·  Solnhofen Limestone ·  Messel Pit ·  La Brea Tar Pits ·  Animals: Trilobite ·  Anomolocaris ·  Archaeopteryx ·  Propalaeotherium ·  Leptictidium ·  Pholidocercus ·  Columbian Mammoth ·  Hagerman Horse ·  Paramylodon ·  Smilodon ·  Dire Wolf ·  Steppe Bison ·  American Lion 
External links[edit]
Lost Worlds Vanished Lives at the British Film Institute
Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives at the Internet Movie Database





[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
David Attenborough's television and radio series


The Life series
Life on Earth (1979) ·
 The Living Planet (1984) ·
 The Trials of Life (1990) ·
 Life in the Freezer (1993) ·
 The Private Life of Plants (1995) ·
 The Life of Birds (1998) ·
 The Life of Mammals (2002) ·
 Life in the Undergrowth (2005) ·
 Life in Cold Blood (2008)
 

Other TV series
Zoo Quest (1954–63) ·
 The People of Paradise (1960) ·
 The Miracle of Bali (1969) ·
 The Tribal Eye (1975) ·
 Wildlife on One (1977) ·
 The First Eden (1987) ·
 Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives (1989) ·
 BBC Wildlife Specials (1995–2008) ·
 State of the Planet (2000) ·
 The Blue Planet (2001) ·
 Planet Earth (2006) ·
 Are We Changing Planet Earth? (2006) ·
 Nature's Great Events (2009) ·
 Life (2009) ·
 First Life (2010, 2013) ·
 Madagascar (2011) ·
 Frozen Planet (2011) ·
 Attenborough: 60 Years in the Wild (2012) ·
 Africa (2013) ·
 David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities (2013–) ·
 David Attenborough's Rise of Animals: Triumph of the Vertebrates (2013)
 

Other TV
 programmes
Christmas Lecture: The Language of Animals (1973) ·
 Horizon special: How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth? (2009) ·
 Horizon: The Death of the Oceans? (2010) ·
 other programmes as listed in filmography
 

3D programmes
 and films
Flying Monsters 3D (2010) ·
 The Bachelor King 3D (2011) ·
 Kingdom of Plants 3D (2012) ·
 Galapagos 3D (2013) ·
 Micro Monsters 3D (2013) ·
 David Attenborough's Natural History Museum Alive (2014)
 

DVD collections
Great Wildlife Moments (2003) ·
 Attenborough in Paradise (2005) ·
 The Life Collection (2005) ·
 Life on Land (2008)
 

Radio
Scars of Evolution (2005) ·
 David Attenborough's Life Stories (2009–11) ·
 Tweet of the Day (2013–14)
 

 


Categories: BBC television documentaries
Documentary films about nature
Documentary films about prehistoric life
1980s British television series
1989 British television programme debuts
1989 British television programme endings







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This page was last modified on 24 July 2014 at 22:05.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Worlds,_Vanished_Lives










Are We Changing Planet Earth?
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search


Are We Changing Planet Earth?
Awcpe.jpg
Programme title card

Also known as
The Truth About Climate Change
Genre
Nature documentary
Directed by
Nicholas Brown
Presented by
David Attenborough
Composer(s)
Samuel Sim
Country of origin
United Kingdom
Original language(s)
English
No. of episodes
2
Production

Executive producer(s)
Sacha Baveystock
Producer(s)
Jeremy Bristow
Running time
60 minutes
Production company(s)
BBC Natural History Unit
Open University
Broadcast

Original channel
BBC One
Picture format
Before 1999: 576i (4:3)
 Since 1999: 576i (16:9)
Audio format
Stereo
Original run
24 May 2006 – 1 June 2006
Chronology

Related shows
Climate Change: Britain Under Threat (2007)
External links
Website
Are We Changing Planet Earth? and Can We Save Planet Earth? are two programmes that form a documentary about global warming, presented by David Attenborough. They were first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 24 May and 1 June 2006 respectively.
Part of a themed season by the BBC entitled "Climate Chaos", the programmes were produced in conjunction with the Discovery Channel and the Open University. They were directed by Nicolas Brown and produced by Jeremy Bristow. The music was composed by Samuel Sim.
Attenborough undertook the assignment in between his 'Life' series Life in the Undergrowth and Life in Cold Blood. Around the same time, the naturalist also narrated Planet Earth.


Contents  [hide]
1 Background
2 Are We Changing Planet Earth? 2.1 Effects
2.2 Causes
2.3 The future
3 Can We Save Planet Earth? 3.1 Likely changes
3.2 Domestic pollution
3.3 Reducing emissions
4 DVD
5 Related documentaries
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

Background[edit]
Attenborough had confessed to previously being sceptical about the belief that global warming is predominantly caused by humans. But now, he argued, the evidence of it was too overwhelming to ignore. He became sure of it when he saw graphs provided by climatologists that demonstrated the link between increasing temperatures and the levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, with the growth in population and industrialisation:

"I was absolutely convinced this was no part of a normal climatic oscillation which the Earth has been going through and that it was something else."[1]
Throughout his television career, Attenborough had, by and large, purposely avoided specific references to the effect of humans on the ecology of the planet. He saw his role simply as a presenter of programmes on natural history. However, the final episode of The Living Planet (1984) had been devoted to man's own habitat and his destruction of others, and in later years, Attenborough started to become more outspoken about the subject. The three-part State of the Planet in 2000, and the last instalment of The Life of Mammals (2002), which dealt with the evolution of Homo sapiens and subsequent overpopulation, were explicit in this regard.
Attenborough acknowledged that the tone of the "Climate Chaos" programmes was more forthright than most of those in which he had previously appeared:

"It's true to say these programmes about climate change are different, in that previously I have made programmes about natural history, and now you could say I have an engaged stance. The first is about the fact that there is climate change and that it is human-induced. So I'm glad that the BBC wanted some clear statement of the evidence as to why these two things are the case."[2]
Although the two programmes represent Attenborough's personal take on global warming and the surrounding controversy, he backs up his arguments with findings from leading scientists and climatologists. The first instalment investigates the effects and probable causes of the phenomenon, and the likely outcome if things remain unchecked. The second looks at the future in more detail and discusses mitigating actions that can be taken. Computer graphics are used to demonstrate how the atmosphere is polluted by day-to-day activities that human beings take for granted.
Are We Changing Planet Earth?[edit]

"This is our planet: planet Earth. It contains an astonishing variety of landscapes and climates. Since life began, around 4,000 million years ago, it has gone through extraordinary changes in its climate and in the species that live on it. But now it seems that our planet is being transformed — not by natural events, but by the actions of one species: mankind."
— David Attenborough's opening narration
Effects[edit]
Attenborough begins his by returning to his 1979 series, Life on Earth, and specifically his closing words: "…Man has an unprecedented control over the world and everything in it. And so, whether he likes it or not, what happens next is very largely up to him." He notes that when he spoke those words he could have had no idea that man might have unleashed forces that are now altering the Earth's climate. The naturalist highlights several meteorological and climatological catastrophes: Hurricane Katrina, the collapse of glaciers in Greenland, drought in the Amazon River, forest fires in Australia, and one of Europe's hottest summers (that caused 27,000 deaths). He wonders if, somehow, there is a connection between these events. Scientists all over the world are linking the changes in the Earth's weather to a global rise in temperatures. The actual figure is just 0.6°C since 1900, but this is only an average. For example, the Arctic has warmed by up to 3°C, and this threatens its whole ecosystem. A team has been surveying polar bears in the region for the last 25 years, and over that time, the animals have declined in number by a quarter. Each year the Arctic ice is also now melting three weeks earlier. The overall rate of glacier melt is accelerating: in southern Greenland, the amount of ice flowing into the sea has doubled in a decade, resulting in a rise of sea levels. This is exacerbated by the increase in temperatures, which causes oceans to expand. When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, the sea temperatures of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean were the highest ever recorded. In addition, the 2005 hurricane season was the worst ever. Scientists who have studied such severe weather warn that from now on hurricanes in the area will be more intense, more destructive and possibly more frequent. Also in 2005, the Amazon region suffered its worse drought in 60 years, decimating local fish populations. Six months later, trees have still not recovered. The abnormally warm seas in the Atlantic had disrupted the rainfall in the forest and for similar reasons, coral reefs are also at risk, leading to the phenomenon of coral bleaching.
Causes[edit]
Attenborough points out that because of natural forces, the Earth's temperature has been fluctuating for millions of years, long before humans arrived. However, it is the additional carbon dioxide, leading to an increase in the greenhouse effect, which must also be taken into account. When fossil fuels are burnt, such as coal, fuel oil or natural gas, the carbon emissions combine with oxygen to further thicken the Earth's atmospheric 'blanket' and thus warm the planet. An analysis of ice cores can provide information from thousands of years ago. Comparisons of carbon dioxide levels show that those of today are far beyond anything seen in the past. The scientists interviewed are convinced that humans are responsible.
The future[edit]
Scientists cannot predict changes to the climate with much certainty — but they can anticipate the likelihood that they will occur. Attenborough visits the Met Office in Exeter to learn their conclusions. Their findings include several factors, and allow for natural climate change as well as man-made carbon dioxide emissions. A graph shows that up until around 1970, the variance in Earth's temperatures was largely due to inherent anomalies, but from then on there is a marked escalation, which can only be explained by human activity. A computer model reveals that, for example, the 2003 European heat wave — by present reckoning a 1 in 200 years event — will be something that occurs every other summer by 2040, and by 2080 would be considered to be cool weather. Attenborough is wholly persuaded:

"We're all involved in this: our whole way of life is structured around the burning of fossil fuels. I find it sobering to think that while I've been travelling the world, trying to record the complexity and beauty of our planet, that I too have been making my own contribution to global warming. As I recognised when I presented Life on Earth all those years ago, we are a flexible and innovative species and we have the capacity to adapt and modify our behaviour. Now we most certainly have to do so if we're to deal with climate change. It's the biggest challenge we have yet faced."
Can We Save Planet Earth?[edit]
Likely changes[edit]
Attenborough starts the second programme by looking at potential future events, before warning that what happens over the next few years is crucial. A BBC weather forecast for the year 2050 shows that summer temperatures of 38°C for the UK are "par for the course". The probable range by which the planet will warm over the next century is between 1.4°C and 5.8°C. Or, says Attenborough, "to put it another way, the impact of global warming will be somewhere between severe and catastrophic." The naturalist is invited to watch a film that illustrates regional change over the next 100 years. A 2°C rise for the south of England, for example, may not seem to be much but that is not all there is to it. Rainfall is also predicted to be more intense and storms could be five times more frequent than they are at the moment. This makes extreme events, such as the 2004 Boscastle flood, much more likely. Current defences for severe wind or rain will shortly become inadequate. Even Hurricane Katrina, with the devastation it caused, is described as "not particularly powerful". In Australia, a new approach is needed to combat brush fires after the hottest year on record. If the Amazon tropical rainforest were to disappear, not only would an entire ecosystem vanish, but a valuable way of cooling the planet would go as well. Meanwhile, the glaciers continue to melt: one scientist reveals that an area the size of Texas has been lost over the last 20 years. Attenborough is told that a warming of 2°C is inevitable, as a consequence of our actions over the last 25 years, but whether or not we end up at 6°C is still very much within our control.
Domestic pollution[edit]
Every year humans add 25 billion tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, and over half of it comes from their domestic activity. Attenborough introduces the Carbons, a fictional family occupying an average Western suburban house near a city. Their electrical requirements are supplied via fossil fuels. As Attenborough points out, the Carbons are not bad people, but as Westerners, they have one of the most energy-hungry lifestyles on the planet. They are a two-car household, and each vehicle emits 10 tons of CO2 over the course of a year. The power used to run the Carbons' home and all its comforts translates into a similar amount. Much of the family's plentiful food supply will have crossed continents by the time it reaches their kitchen, and will have added a tenth to their annual emissions. Yet more are produced by their refuse: buried in a landfill, it heats up as it decomposes and releases greenhouse gases. Mr Carbon's business trips by air contribute to the fastest growing source of CO2. The combined total of the Carbons' yearly air pollution is 45 tons.
Also shown are Mr and Mrs Tan, a fictional couple who live in an average Chinese suburb. At present, their energy usage is one seventh of that of the Carbons. However, this is set to change. As China becomes more industrialised, its emissions are set to overtake those in the West. As of 2006, the country is planning to build a large, coal-fired power plant every week for the next seven years.
Reducing emissions[edit]
The challenge is to freeze emissions at their current level. :
Household solutions Turning heating down by a few degrees
Turning off televisions and similar equipment instead of leaving them in 'standby'
Composting vegetable waste
Buying locally grown food to save on transporting it
Using energy-efficient lighting
Insulating homes properly
Using a gas cooker instead of an electric one
Driving more fuel-efficient cars
Using more public transportation
Tripling the world's nuclear power
Scaling up renewable energy, such as solar and wind power
Pumping back emissions to below the sea bed
the world is waking up to climate change, and everyone has a part to play in halting it. If the Greenland ice cap were to melt, the sea would flood much of south-east Britain, including central London. It would take just a 5-metre rise to drown most of Florida and leave Miami 50 miles off shore. A similar deluge would wipe Bangladesh off the map. Worldwide, 150 million people could be displaced within 50 years.

"In the past, we didn't understand the effect of our actions. Unknowingly, we sowed the wind and now, literally, we are reaping the whirlwind. But we no longer have that excuse: now we do recognise the consequences of our behaviour. Now surely, we must act to reform it: individually and collectively; nationally and internationally — or we doom future generations to catastrophe."
— David Attenborough, in closing
DVD[edit]
A Region 2 DVD entitled The Truth About Climate Change (EKA40264) featuring both documentaries was released by Eureka Video on 23 June 2008.[3]
Related documentaries[edit]
An Inconvenient Truth: a film that showcases Al Gore's presentation on global warming, arguing that humans are the cause of climate change.
The 11th Hour: a 2007 documentary film, created, produced and narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, on the state of the natural environment.
See also[edit]
Energy use and conservation in the United Kingdom
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Times Online: It's serious — Attenborough says stop climate change
2.Jump up ^ Commondreams.org: Climate Change is the Major Problem Facing the World
3.Jump up ^ "The Truth About Climate Change DVD". Eureka Video. Retrieved 16 June 2008.
External links[edit]
BBC News: How you can save energy





[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
David Attenborough's television and radio series


The Life series
Life on Earth (1979) ·
 The Living Planet (1984) ·
 The Trials of Life (1990) ·
 Life in the Freezer (1993) ·
 The Private Life of Plants (1995) ·
 The Life of Birds (1998) ·
 The Life of Mammals (2002) ·
 Life in the Undergrowth (2005) ·
 Life in Cold Blood (2008)
 

Other TV series
Zoo Quest (1954–63) ·
 The People of Paradise (1960) ·
 The Miracle of Bali (1969) ·
 The Tribal Eye (1975) ·
 Wildlife on One (1977) ·
 The First Eden (1987) ·
 Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives (1989) ·
 BBC Wildlife Specials (1995–2008) ·
 State of the Planet (2000) ·
 The Blue Planet (2001) ·
 Planet Earth (2006) ·
 Are We Changing Planet Earth? (2006) ·
 Nature's Great Events (2009) ·
 Life (2009) ·
 First Life (2010, 2013) ·
 Madagascar (2011) ·
 Frozen Planet (2011) ·
 Attenborough: 60 Years in the Wild (2012) ·
 Africa (2013) ·
 David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities (2013–) ·
 David Attenborough's Rise of Animals: Triumph of the Vertebrates (2013)
 

Other TV
 programmes
Christmas Lecture: The Language of Animals (1973) ·
 Horizon special: How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth? (2009) ·
 Horizon: The Death of the Oceans? (2010) ·
 other programmes as listed in filmography
 

3D programmes
 and films
Flying Monsters 3D (2010) ·
 The Bachelor King 3D (2011) ·
 Kingdom of Plants 3D (2012) ·
 Galapagos 3D (2013) ·
 Micro Monsters 3D (2013) ·
 David Attenborough's Natural History Museum Alive (2014)
 

DVD collections
Great Wildlife Moments (2003) ·
 Attenborough in Paradise (2005) ·
 The Life Collection (2005) ·
 Life on Land (2008)
 

Radio
Scars of Evolution (2005) ·
 David Attenborough's Life Stories (2009–11) ·
 Tweet of the Day (2013–14)
 

 


Categories: BBC television documentaries
Documentary films about global warming
2000s British television series
2006 British television programme debuts
2006 British television programme endings




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This page was last modified on 16 August 2014 at 07:54.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Are_We_Changing_Planet_Earth%3F











State of the Planet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search


State of the Planet
State of the Planet DVD cover
Region 2 DVD cover

Genre
Nature documentary
Presented by
David Attenborough
Composer(s)
Sarah Class
Country of origin
United Kingdom
Original language(s)
English
No. of episodes
3
Production

Producer(s)
Rupert Barrington
Running time
50 minutes
Production company(s)
BBC Natural History Unit
Broadcast

Original channel
BBC One
Picture format
SD: 576i (16:9)
Audio format
Stereo
Original run
15 November 2000 – 29 November 2000
External links
Website
State of the Planet is a three-part environmental documentary series, made by the BBC Natural History Unit, transmitted in November 2000. It is written and presented by David Attenborough, and produced by Rupert Barrington. It includes interviews with many leading scientists, such as Edward O. Wilson and Jared Diamond. Each of the programmes attempts to find answers to the potential ecological crisis that threatens the Earth.
The series was specially commissioned by BBC One for the millennium, and had a budget of around GBP2 million. The BBC drew criticism for scheduling the first episode in competition with the final part of ITV's Inspector Morse; as a consequence, it drew just 4 million viewers, well below the channel's typical share.[1] However, ratings recovered to around 7 million for the second and third programmes.[2]
Attenborough fronted this series in between presenting his 1998 ornithological study, The Life of Birds, and providing narration to the award-winning 2001 series The Blue Planet.


Contents  [hide]
1 Programmes 1.1 1. "Is There a Crisis?"
1.2 2. "Why Is There a Crisis?"
1.3 3. "The Future of Life"
2 DVD
3 References
4 External links

Programmes[edit]
1. "Is There a Crisis?"[edit]
Together with leading experts, David Attenborough examines the latest scientific evidence in order to discover if the planet's ecosystems are really in crisis. If so, he asks how it could have come about, and what is so different now that prevents certain species from adapting to survive, as they did in the past?
2. "Why Is There a Crisis?"[edit]
Attenborough presents some stark facts. He states that humans are now triggering a mass extinction on a similar scale to that which wiped out the dinosaurs — but at an unprecedented rate. He investigates the five main activities of mankind that are the most likely contributory factors:
Habitat loss
Introduced species
Pollution
Over-harvesting
Islandisation
3. "The Future of Life"[edit]
As Homo sapiens relentlessly encroaches on the natural world and its inhabitants, the viewer is presented with a choice: leave behind a flourishing planet or a dying one.

"The future of life on earth depends on our ability to take action. Many individuals are doing what they can, but real success can only come if there's a change in our societies and our economics and in our politics. I've been lucky in my lifetime to see some of the greatest spectacles that the natural world has to offer. Surely we have a responsibility to leave for future generations a planet that is healthy, inhabitable by all species."
— David Attenborough, in closing
DVD[edit]
The complete series was released on DVD (BBCDVD1498) on 27 September 2004.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ O'Carroll, Lisa (16 November 2000). "ITV's Morse kills off BBC1 Attenborough epic". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
2.Jump up ^ Clarke, Steve (27 February 2001). "Life in the old iguana yet". London: The Independent. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
External links[edit]
State of the Planet at BBC Online
State of the Planet at BBC Programmes
State of the Planet at the Internet Movie Database





[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
David Attenborough's television and radio series


The Life series
Life on Earth (1979) ·
 The Living Planet (1984) ·
 The Trials of Life (1990) ·
 Life in the Freezer (1993) ·
 The Private Life of Plants (1995) ·
 The Life of Birds (1998) ·
 The Life of Mammals (2002) ·
 Life in the Undergrowth (2005) ·
 Life in Cold Blood (2008)
 

Other TV series
Zoo Quest (1954–63) ·
 The People of Paradise (1960) ·
 The Miracle of Bali (1969) ·
 The Tribal Eye (1975) ·
 Wildlife on One (1977) ·
 The First Eden (1987) ·
 Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives (1989) ·
 BBC Wildlife Specials (1995–2008) ·
 State of the Planet (2000) ·
 The Blue Planet (2001) ·
 Planet Earth (2006) ·
 Are We Changing Planet Earth? (2006) ·
 Nature's Great Events (2009) ·
 Life (2009) ·
 First Life (2010, 2013) ·
 Madagascar (2011) ·
 Frozen Planet (2011) ·
 Attenborough: 60 Years in the Wild (2012) ·
 Africa (2013) ·
 David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities (2013–) ·
 David Attenborough's Rise of Animals: Triumph of the Vertebrates (2013)
 

Other TV
 programmes
Christmas Lecture: The Language of Animals (1973) ·
 Horizon special: How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth? (2009) ·
 Horizon: The Death of the Oceans? (2010) ·
 other programmes as listed in filmography
 

3D programmes
 and films
Flying Monsters 3D (2010) ·
 The Bachelor King 3D (2011) ·
 Kingdom of Plants 3D (2012) ·
 Galapagos 3D (2013) ·
 Micro Monsters 3D (2013) ·
 David Attenborough's Natural History Museum Alive (2014)
 

DVD collections
Great Wildlife Moments (2003) ·
 Attenborough in Paradise (2005) ·
 The Life Collection (2005) ·
 Life on Land (2008)
 

Radio
Scars of Evolution (2005) ·
 David Attenborough's Life Stories (2009–11) ·
 Tweet of the Day (2013–14)
 

 


Categories: 2000s British television series
2000 British television programme debuts
2000 British television programme endings
BBC television documentaries




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The 11th Hour (film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

For other uses, see The Eleventh Hour (disambiguation).

The 11th Hour
The 11th Hour Poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
Nadia Conners
 Leila Conners Petersen
Produced by
Leonardo DiCaprio
 Leila Conners Petersen
 Chuck Castleberry
 Brian Gerber
Written by
Nadia Conners
Leonardo DiCaprio
 Leila Conners Petersen
Narrated by
Leonardo DiCaprio
Music by
Jean-Pascal Beintus
Eric Avery
Edited by
Luis Alvarez y Alvarez
Pietro Scalia
Distributed by
Warner Independent Pictures
Release date(s)
August 17, 2007
Running time
92 minutes[1]
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
N/A[2]
Box office
$985,207[2]
The 11th Hour is a 2007 documentary film, created, produced and narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, on the state of the natural environment. It was directed by Leila Conners Petersen and Nadia Conners and financed by Adam Lewis and Pierre André Senizergues, and distributed by Warner Independent Pictures.
Its world premiere was at the 2007 60th Annual Cannes Film Festival (May 16–27, 2007) and it was released on August 17, 2007, in the year in which the Fourth Assessment Report of the United Nations global warming panel IPCC was published and about a year after Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, another film documentary about global warming.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Quotes
3 Environmental views
4 Reaction
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

Plot[edit]
With contributions from over 50 politicians, scientists, and environmental activists, including former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, physicist Stephen Hawking, Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai, and journalist Armand Betscher, Paul Hawken, the film documents the grave problems facing the planet's life systems. Global warming, deforestation, mass species extinction, and depletion of the oceans' habitats are all addressed. The film's premise is that the future of humanity is in jeopardy.
The film proposes potential solutions to these problems by calling for restorative action by the reshaping and rethinking of global human activity through technology, social responsibility and conservation.
Quotes[edit]

Global warming is not only the number 1 environmental challenge we face today, but one of the most important issues facing all of humanity ... We all have to do our part to raise awareness about global warming and the problems we as a people face in promoting a sustainable environmental future for our planet.
—Leonardo DiCaprio, [3]
Environmental views[edit]
Experts interviewed underlined that everyone must become involved to reverse the destruction and climate change. The role of humans in the destruction of the environment is explained from the viewpoint of several different professional fields including environmental scientists, oceanographers, economic historians, and medical specialists. The many experts called upon in this documentary effectively demonstrated a consensus concerning human-caused climate change, and the many other impacts of industrialization such as the dramatic loss of species (biodiversity).
Reaction[edit]
In March 2008, The 11th Hour, was awarded the Earthwatch Environmental Film Award at National Geographic in Washington, DC.[4]
The film received generally favorable reviews from critics, with a 68% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 87 reviews,[5] and an average score of 63% on Metacritic based on 30 reviews.[6]
Kevin Crust, a critic from the Los Angeles Times, rated the film highly:

The [film] asks why these things are happening and apportions blame in varying degrees to governmental indifference tied to its allegiance to a corporate economy that is addicted to growth at any cost and perhaps, most insinuating of all, to the culture of consumerism. Disposable has trumped sustainable in our society, and we're now paying the price. Thankfully for audiences, "11th Hour" is not without hope. The filmmakers save the most exhilarating portion for last when they ask what's being done about the problems. Experts extol existing technologies and projects as attainable solutions. Progressive designs such as a carbon-neutral city and self-sustaining buildings already offer ideas for a new direction. By mimicking nature's own blueprints, it is possible to create a system of living that heals rather than depletes the Earth.
—Kevin Crust, [7]
See also[edit]
Ecological footprint
Risks to civilization, humans, and planet Earth
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "The 11th Hour". British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
2.^ Jump up to: a b "The 11th Hour". Box Office Mojo. 
3.Jump up ^ We all have to... DiCaprio quote. Retrieved on April 12, 2007.
4.Jump up ^ "The 11th Hour panel @ National Geographic & Earthwatch Film Awards". Earthwatch Institute. YouTube. Retrieved March 21, 2008.
5.Jump up ^ "The 11th Hour Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
6.Jump up ^ "The 11th Hour Reviews, Ratings, Credits". Metacritic. CNET Networks. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
7.Jump up ^ "The 11th Hour." Aug. 17, 2007, L.A. Times. calendarlive.com, Retrieved on September 5, 2010.
External links[edit]
Official website (Moved to Warner Bros. : MOVIES 11th Hour)
Official Eleventh Hour Action site
The 11th Hour at the Internet Movie Database
Leo Warms to Global-Warming Film (E! Online Article)
Vanity Fair Article
EarthLab.com
 


Categories: English-language films
2007 in the environment
2007 films
American documentary films
Documentary films about environmental issues
2000s documentary films





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List of Horizon episodes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Horizon is a current and long-running BBC popular science and philosophy documentary programme. Series one was broadcast in 1964 and as of February 2014 is in its 50th series. Over 1200 episodes have been broadcast (including specials) with an average of 24 episodes per series during the 50 year run.
1964–1970 – 207 episodes
1970–1980 – 284 episodes
1980–1990 – 233 episodes
1990–2000 – 186 episodes
2000–2010 – 174 episodes


Contents  [hide]
1 Special editions
2 Revisited
3 Series 01: 1964–1965
4 Series 02: 1965–1966
5 Series 03: 1966–1967
6 Series 04: 1967–1968
7 Series 05: 1968–1969
8 Series 06: 1969–1970
9 Series 07: 1970–1971
10 Series 08: 1971–1972
11 Series 09: 1972–1973
12 Series 10: 1973–1974
13 Series 11: 1974–1975
14 Series 12: 1975–1976
15 Series 13: 1976–1977
16 Series 14: 1977–1978
17 Series 15: 1978–1979
18 Series 16: 1979–1980
19 Series 17: 1980–1981
20 Series 18: 1981–1982
21 Series 19: 1982–1983
22 Series 20: 1983–1984
23 Series 21: 1984–1985
24 Series 22: 1985–1986
25 Series 23: 1986–1987
26 Series 24: 1987–1988
27 Series 25: 1988–1989
28 Series 26: 1989–1990
29 Series 27: 1990–1991
30 Series 28: 1991–1992
31 Series 29: 1992–1993
32 Series 30: 1993–1994
33 Series 31: 1994–1995
34 Series 32: 1995–1996
35 Series 33: 1996–1997
36 Series 34: 1997–1998
37 Series 35: 1998–1999
38 Series 36: 1999–2000
39 Series 37: 2000–2001
40 Series 38: 2001–2002
41 Series 39: 2002–2003
42 Series 40: 2003–2004
43 Series 41: 2004–2005
44 Series 42: 2005–2006
45 Series 43: 2006–2007
46 Series 44: 2007–2008
47 Series 45: 2008–2009
48 Series 46: 2009–2010
49 Series 47: 2010–2011
50 Series 48: 2011–2012
51 Series 49: 2012–2013
52 Series 50: 2013–2014
53 Series 51: 2014–2015
54 References

Special editions[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"The Great British Drought" 26 May 1976 00x01
Documentary on the likely effects of the drought in Britain.
"Darwin's Dream" 23 September 1977 00x02
"The Case of the Ancient Astronauts" 25 November 1977 00x03
Horizon investigates whether first contact with aliens has already occurred. The publication of 'Chariots of the Gods?' by Erich von Daniken is central to this documentary and some of von Daniken's claims of evidence of extra-terrestrial visitations, such as the Palenque slab, the Nazca lines, Easter Island Moai and the Great Pyramid of Giza are investigated and debunked by archeologists including Thor Heyerdahl. It concludes that von Daniken's thesis relies on unrelated facts, false similarities and phoney evidence.
"The Mind's Eye" 28 January 1980 00x04
"25 Years in Space" 25 December 1982 00x05
A history of space exploration starting from the dawn of the space age in 1957 with the launch of Sputnik to the Space Shuttle Colombia. Mainly using excerpts from newsreels and television programmes the story covers Laika, Jupiter-C, Yuri Gagarin, Alan Shepard, John Glenn, Alexey Leonov, Edward White, Apollo 1, Vladimir Komarov, Apollo 8, Apollo 10, Apollo 11, Apollo 13, Apollo 17, Skylab, Salyut and Voyager 1. It includes interviews and broadcasts from Sir Bernard Lovell, James Burke, Frank Borman, Brian Aldiss, Hugh Trevor-Roper, Barbara Ward, Carl Sagan and Patrick Moore.
"Biology at War: The Mystery of Yellow Rain" 15 May 1984 00x06
Report from Laos, Thailand and Kampuchea on the alleged use of biological warfare in these countries by the USSR.
"Beyond the Moon" 21 July 1984 00x07
Report, using material of the time, of the 1969 moon landing, and discussion on the USA's space programme.
"Biology at War: A Plague in the Wind" 29 October 1984 00x08
Investigates the history of germ warfare and the threat of a new biological arms race.
"Halley's Comet: The Apparition" 25 November 1985 00x09
Report on the passage of the European Giotto spacecraft as it passes through the tail of Halley's Comet.
"Life Story" 27 April 1987 00x10
"Doctors to Be, 1: Trial by Interview" 23 April 1988 00x11
Part of the Doctors to Be series following the careers of medical students. Two sixth formers face the interview panel for places at St Mary's Hospital Medical School.
"Doctors to Be, 2: The Knowledge" 24 April 1988 00x12
Part of the Doctors to Be series. October 1985. The medical students face their first exams.
"Doctors to Be, 3: Welcome to the Real World" 25 April 1988 00x13
Part of the Doctors to Be series. After two years of medical training, the medical students are put into the 'real world' of a surgical ward at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington.
"The Quest for Tannu Tuva" 4 July 1988 00x14
Shortly before his death in Feb. 1988, the scientist Richard Feynman talked about his ten year fascination with Tannu Tuva, a Shangri-La on the edge of Mongolia, which very few westerners have ever seen.
"Making an Honest Fiver" 6 June 1990 00x15
Looks at the manufacturing processes involved in the production of a new five pound note due to be launched in June 1990. Considers the design and production of currency, and the intricate techniques developed to prevent forgeries.
"Red Star in Orbit, 1: The Invisible Spaceman" 7 December 1990 00x16
First in a three-part Horizon Special series on the Soviet manned space programme, looking at the story of the projects, cosmonauts and engineers involved.
"Red Star in Orbit, 2: The Dark Side of the Moon" 14 December 1990 00x17
Second in a three-part Horizon Special series on the Soviet manned space programme, looking at the story of the projects, cosmonauts and engineers involved.
"Red Star in Orbit, 3: The Mission" 21 December 1990 00x18
Third in a three-part Horizon Special series on the Soviet manned space programme, this one concentrating on the story of the two Soviet cosmonauts who risked their lives earlier this year in a space walk to try and repair their stricken craft, as well as anecdotes from veteran cosmonauts.
"A Close Encounter of the Second Kind" 10 July 1992 00x19
"Hide and Seek in Iraq" 23 August 1992 00x20
"Assault on the Male" 31 October 1993 00x21
"Twice Born" 14 February 1995 00x22
"The Science of Star Trek" 26 August 1996 00x23
"The Invisible Enemy (BSE Special episode)" 17 November 1996 00x24
"The Human Experiment (BSE Special episode)" 18 November 1996 00x25
"Ice Mummies 1: The Ice Maiden" 30 January 1997 00x26
"Ice Mummies 2: A Life in Ice" 6 February 1997 00x27
"Ice Mummies 3: Frozen in Heaven" 13 February 1997 00x28
"Computers Don't Bite, Inside the Internet" 17 May 1997 00x29
"Destination Mars" 4 July 1997 00x30
The second of two programmes about the Red Planet. Traces the course of the planned manned mission to Mars, which could take place within the next twenty years. Focuses on the numerous complications involved in such a mission, from the potential physical damage caused to cosmonauts by their zero-gravity surroundings to the psychological pressures involved in the 30 month-long trip.
"Mars, Death or Glory?" 5 July 1997 00x31
"The Ice Forms (Antarctica Special Edition Part 1)" 30 October 1997 00x32
The first of Kate O'Sullivan's trilogy of films about Antarctica. Antarctica's polar ice sheet is the highest, coldest, windiest, driest and most unforgiving place on Earth. The average temperature near the South Pole is minus 49 degrees C, winds reach over 2000km an hour and water in liquid form is scarce. Yet this hostile environment has now become the last frontier on Earth and, each year, a population of 3,000 human colonists tries to settle here. This film focuses on the risks and rigours of living in this inhospitable continent.
"The Ice Lives (Antarctica Special Edition Part 2)" 6 November 1997 00x33
The second of Kate O'Sullivan's Antarctic trilogy. The mystery of what formed the vast continent of Antarctica has obsessed explorers since Shackleton and Scott. Piecing together evidence from the tiny amount of rock exposed above the ice, geologists have come up with a radical theory that may also predict how Antarctica will change in the future.
"The Ice Melts (Antarctica Special Edition Part 3)" 13 November 1997 00x34
Third of Kate O'Sullivan's Antarctica trilogy. This final film is a detective story unravelled by scientists scattered on the ice sheet, trying to understand the mechanisms that control it.
"Darwin, The Legacy" 29 March 1998 00x36
"Longitude" 4 January 1999 00x37
"Born to Be Fat (Fat Files Special Edition Part 1)" 7 January 1999 00x38
First of three documentaries taking a look at the issue of obesity. 1 of 3: This programme attempts to establish why some people are destined to be big.
"Fixing Fat (Fat Files Special Edition Part 2)" 14 January 1999 00x39
The second in a trilogy of programmes studying obesity. As the search for drugs to reduce appetite by resetting control mechanisms in the brain continues, new research uncovers the powerful food ingredients that could win the slimming war. The programme examines the lengths to which some overweight people are prepared to go in attempting to reduce their size, from stomach stapling to the ingestion of dangerous drugs.
"Living on Air (Fat Files Special Edition Part 3)" 21 January 1999 00x40
Last of a trilogy of programmes studying obesity. Examines some ground-breaking research into eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, trying to establish if they are inherited. The discovery of a group of anorexics in a most unlikely place seems to put paid to the theory that the disease is the product of western's society's increased levels of stress.
"Atlantis Uncovered (Atlantis Special Edition Part 1)" 28 October 1999 00x41
"Atlantis Reborn (Atlantis Special Edition Part 2)" 4 November 1999 00x42
"Living Forever (Life and Death in the 21st Century Special Edition Part 1)" 4 January 2000 00x43
"Future Plagues (Life and Death in the 21st Century Special Edition Part 2)" 5 January 2000 00x44
"Designer Babies (Life and Death in the 21st Century Special Edition Part 3)" 6 January 2000 00x45
This episode originally aired on 7th April 1999 under the title Designer Babies.[1]
"Inside the Internet" 10 June 2000 00x46
"Science Zone, Aliens from Mars" 27 June 2000 00x47
"Life on Mars (Mars Special Episode Part 1)" 11 January 2001 00x48
"Destination Mars (Mars Special Episode Part 2)" 18 January 2001 00x49
"What Sank the Kursk?" 8 August 2001 00x50
"First Olympian" 23 July 2004 00x51
"Winning Gold in 2012" 18 March 2006 00x52
"Everest: Doctors in the Death Zone Part 1" 23 September 2007 00x53
"Everest: Doctors in the Death Zone Part 2" 30 September 2007 00x54
"Lost Horizons: The Big Bang" 4 September 2008 00x55
The theory that the universe began from nothing has not always been accepted with the same conviction it is today. Professor Jim Al-Khalili looks through 50 years of the BBC science archive to explain how scientists have pieced together the popular theory by using curious horn-shaped antennae, U-2 spy planes and particle accelerators.
"The Big Bang Machine" 4 September 2008 00x56
"40 Years on the Moon" 9 July 2009 00x57
"Pandemic: A Horizon Guide" 9 August 2009 00x58
In the wake of the swine flu outbreak, virologist Dr Mike Leahy uses over 50 years of the BBC archive to explore the history of pandemics – infectious diseases caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites.
Inspired by the Horizon back catalogue, he tells the extraordinary story of smallpox, one of the most violent killers in history, as well as the success of mass vaccination and the global politics of malaria. Through the lens of television the programme charts our scientific progress from the early steps in understanding AIDS to the code-cracking of SARS and deadly predictions of bird flu.
Each pandemic episode tells us something about the world and our place within it. In his journey through the ages Dr Leahy charts science's ongoing battle with nature and questions which one is winning.
"Mars: A Horizon Guide" 15 November 2009 00x59
"Diet: A Horizon Guide" 7 January 2010 00x60
"The End of God?: A Horizon Guide to Science and Religion" 21 September 2010 00x61
Historian Dr Thomas Dixon explores BBC archive footage detailing the age-old conflict between religion and science. He highlights interviews with a diverse range of theorists, including American creationists and physicists in Geneva working with the Large Hadron Collider, and asks whether the expansion of knowledge has left no room for the concept of God in the modern world.
"What Makes Us Clever? A Horizon Guide to Intelligence" 6 January 2011 00x62
Delving into the Horizon archives, Dallas Campbell discovers how our understanding of intelligence has transformed over the last century.
"The End of the World? A Horizon Guide to Armageddon" 17 March 2011 00x63
Our understanding of the world around us is better now than ever before. But are we any closer to knowing how its all going to end? Dallas Campbell delves into the Horizon archive to discover how scientists have tried to predict an impending apocalypse – from natural disaster to killer disease to asteroid impact – and to ask: when Armageddon arrives, will science be able to save us?
"Japan Earthquake: A Horizon Special with Iain Stewart" 27 March 2011 00x64
A look at the powerful forces that created the devastating Japanese earthquake.
"The Space Shuttle: A Horizon Guide" 10 April 2011 00x65
Coverage from three decades of programmes to present a biography of the space shuttle programme, due to be decommissioned in 2011.
"Carrot or Stick: A Horizon Guide to Raising Kids" 11 August 2011 00x66
Child psychologist Laverne Antrobus uses excerpts from the Horizon archive to demonstrate how science has shaped parenting and education methods over the past 50 years. She considers which approach is best for raising children, explores how extreme behaviour can be explained by neurological problems, and finds out the effects of a child-centred environment on learning.
"Extinct: A Horizon Guide to Dinosaurs" 21 September 2011 00x67
Dallas Campbell explores how mankind's understanding of dinosaurs has developed since the 1970s. He reveals how technological advances led to scientists revising their theories about how the creatures might once have lived, as well as gaining new insights into the reasons for their extinction. The presenter also explores the genetic links between modern birds and the ancient lizards.
"The Hunt for the Higgs" 9 January 2012 00x68
Jim Al-Khalili follows the efforts of particle physicists at the CERN research laboratory near Geneva, Switzerland, to find the Higgs particle, which is believed to give mass to everything in the universe. He explains why scientists believe discovering it could help answer fundamental questions about the nature of existence, and reveals why their theories are based on the idea of symmetry.
"Woof! A Horizon Guide to Dogs" 1 March 2012 00x69
Dallas Campbell examines films from the Horizon archive to discover what science can teach people about dogs. He investigates the origins of domestic breeds and learns about the role humans played in shaping canine evolution, before asking why the bond between mankind and dogs is particularly strong – and whether it can be improved in the future.
"Stuff: A Horizon Guide to Materials" 19 April 2012 00x70
Engineer and broadcaster Jem Stansfield explores the Horizon archives to discover how the programme has covered developments in material science during the past five decades. He learns how scientists have created new materials and found fresh uses for old ones, and explores how advances including superconductors and silicon chips have changed mankind's understanding of the world.
"The Transit of Venus: A Horizon Special" 5 June 2012 00x71
Liz Bonnin explores the transit of Venus, an event which takes place just after 11pm tonight and offers a rare opportunity to see the planet passing across the face of the sun. She explains why the orbits of Venus and Earth mean they are only aligned twice every century, and investigates what studies of Venus have revealed about life on Earth. Solar physicist Lucie Green investigates James Cook's 1769 voyage to Tahiti to observe the transit, and oceanographer Helen Czerski explores how Earth and Venus came to be so different.
"Blink: A Horizon Guide to the Senses" 11 July 2012 00x72
Kevin Fong looks back through 40 years of Horizon archives to explore what science has revealed about methods of perception. He discovers why babies use touch more than any other sense, how vision can easily be tricked, and the ways technological advancements are getting closer to being able to replace human faculties if they fail.
"Immortal? A Horizon Guide to Ageing" 17 July 2012 00x73
Veteran presenter Johnny Ball looks back over the 45 years that both he and TV series Horizon have been appearing on air to find out what scientists have learnt about how and why people grow old. He charts developments from macabre early claims of rejuvenation to the latest breakthroughs, and asks if the dream of immortality is any closer to coming true.
"The Final Frontier? A Horizon Guide to the Universe" 17 October 2012 00x74
Dallas Campbell charts scientific breakthroughs that have transformed how the universe is understood, using footage from the Horizon archives which stretch back almost 50 years. He explores subjects including Einstein's concept of spacetime, alien planets and extra dimensions, and discovers each advance reveals new mysteries to be investigated.
"Mend Me: A Horizon Guide to Transplants" 27 March 2013 00x75
The extraordinary odds doctors and patients have had to overcome to achieve amazing breakthroughs in transplant surgery, including full face transplants and growing organs in the laboratory. Michael Mosley identifies some of the key turning points and explores how far science can go in a bid to prolong life.
"Tomorrow's World: A Horizon Special" 11 April 2013 00x76
Liz Bonnin delves into the world of inventors and innovations, revealing the people and technologies set to transform life in the 21st century. She meets some of the world's foremost visionaries, mavericks and dreamers, from the entrepreneurs who are the driving force behind a new space race to Andre Geim, a Nobel Prize-wining physicist leading a nanotech revolution.
"What's Killing Our Bees? A Horizon Special" 2 August 2013 00x77
Bees are worth £430 million to Britain's agriculture sector and a third of UK food is reliant on pollination, but their numbers have been falling dramatically. In this film, journalist and beekeeper Bill Turnbull examines the array of conflicting evidence in a bid to determine what is responsible for the decline and meets scientists who are fitting radar transponders to the insects to establish why numbers are falling.
"Sex: A Horizon Guide" 11 September 2013 00x78
Professor Alice Roberts investigates how science came to understand sex - a simple word for a very complex set of desires, including individual passions, wants and emotions. She looks at how the world of science has striven to solve people's sexual problems, and searched for ways of improving performance.
"Impact! A Horizon Guide to Plane Crashes" 14 October 2013 00x79
It's a macabre paradox, but almost every advance in aviation safety has been driven by a crash. After every crash, investigators determine its cause and scientists make every effort to ensure the same mistakes never happen again. Dallas Campbell delves into the Horizon archives to chart the deadly disasters that have helped make air travel today the safest it has ever been.
"Impact! A Horizon Guide to Car Crashes" 21 October 2013 00x80
In the 1950s up to 8,000 people died every year on the roads in this country - a truly horrific figure. Thankfully it has now fallen to around 2,000 a year - still a terrible toll, but a vast improvement, particularly given the increase in cars on the road.
"Comet of the Century: A Horizon Special" 23 November 2013 00x81
Comet Ison is due to make its closest approach to the sun on November 28 and will be visible in both the evening and morning skies during December if it survives its brush with the star. The programme examines how Ison's tail of vaporised gas and water could give insights into some of the greatest mysteries of science, including the origin of the solar system and whether Earth's water came from similar celestial objects.
Revisited[edit]
Horizon Revisited was broadcast on BBC Four and shown between 2002 and 2003. Each of the seven episodes takes information and clips from previous edition of Horizon and updates them with current thinking on each of the topics at hand. These are similar in format to the current 'Horizon Guide' special episodes.

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Horizon Revisited, A Tale of Two Feathers" 18 October 2002 00x01
"Horizon Revisited, Mega Tsunami: Coming to a Beach near You" 25 October 2002 00x02
"Horizon Revisited, Back to the Dark Ages" 29 November 2002 00x03
"Horizon Revisited, Dawn of the Dinosaurs" 6 December 2002 00x04
"Horizon Revisited, You Do as You Are Told: Jonathan Miller and the Milgram Experiment" 27 February 2003 00x05
"Horizon Revisited, The Human Genome Project" 6 March 2003 00x06
"Horizon Revisited, Michael Adler on AIDS" 13 March 2003 00x07
Series 01: 1964–1965[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"The World of Buckminster Fuller" 2 May 1964 01x01
"Pesticides and Posterity" 30 May 1964 01x02
"A Candle to Nature" 27 June 1964 01x03
"Strangeness Minus Three" 25 July 1964 01x04
Horizon interviews physicists on their theories of the structure of matter. Richard Feynman, Murray Gell-Mann, Yuval Ne'eman and Nicholas Samios explain their current understanding of the Omega-minus particle (Omega baryon).
"The Air of Science" 22 August 1964 01x05
"The Knowledge Explosion" 21 September 1964 01x06
"The Amateur Scientist" 19 October 1964 01x07
"Tots and Quots and Woodgerie" 16 November 1964 01x08
"Professor J.B.S. Haldane, Obituary" 1 December 1964 01x09
"Science, Toys and Magic" 14 December 1964 01x10
"Learning from Machines" 6 January 1965 01x11
"The Technique of Change" 20 January 1965 01x12
"Star Gazers" 3 February 1965 01x13
"Science and Art" 17 February 1965 01x14
"The Great Computer Scandal / H-Bomb Detectors" 3 March 1965 01x15
"Forbidden Events / I am a Madman" 17 March 1965 01x16
"Restless Genius / Faster, Farther, Higher" 31 March 1965 01x17
"Other Side of the Pill" 14 April 1965 01x18
"The Big Smoke / The Model Makers" 12 May 1965 01x19
"The Long Slide / Men with Gills" 26 May 1965 01x20
"Men and Sharks / Sir Henry Dale, OM, FRS" 9 June 1965 01x21
"The Brain Gain / The Sudden Night / Learning to Speak" 23 June 1965 01x22
"Dr. Joseph Needham / Mariner 4" 14 July 1965 01x23
"Science Fiction : Science Fact / Alone and Unarmed" 28 July 1965 01x24
"Certain of Uncertainty / State of Nature" 11 August 1965 01x25
"Time Stood Still / Weighty Matters" 25 August 1965 01x26
"Fuel for the Future / Collector's Piece" 8 September 1965 01x27
"Let Newton Be" 22 September 1965 01x28
Series 02: 1965–1966[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Special Senses" 10 October 1965 02x01
"An Affair of the Heart" 24 October 1965 02x02
"Ten Thousand Tombs" 7 November 1965 02x03
"Toil, Sweat & Tears" 21 November 1965 02x04
"The Big Dishes and the Living Stream" 5 December 1965 02x05
 19 December 1965 02x06
 2 January 1966 02x07
 16 January 1966 02x08
"A Man of Two Visions" 30 January 1966 02x09
 13 February 1966 02x10
 27 February 1966 02x11
 13 March 1966 02x12
 27 March 1966 02x13
 10 April 1966 02x14
 24 April 1966 02x15
"Man in Space" 8 May 1966 02x16
 22 May 1966 02x17
 5 June 1966 02x18
 19 June 1966 02x19
 3 July 1966 02x20
"The Lonely Children" 17 July 1966 02x21
 31 July 1966 02x22
 11 September 1966 02x23
 25 September 1966 02x24
Series 03: 1966–1967[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Ten Years in the Antarctic" 10 October 1966 03x01
"The Athlete" 24 October 1966 03x02
"From Peenemunde to the Moon" 7 November 1966 03x03
 21 November 1966 03x04
"The Structure of Life" 5 December 1966 03x05
"Hand Me My Sword, Humphrey" 25 December 1966 03x06
"Sons of Cain" 17 January 1967 03x07
"How Best to Make a Man, How Best to Make a Scientist" 14 February 1967 03x08
"Dynamo, The Life of Michael Faraday" 28 February 1967 03x09
"Migraine" 14 March 1967 03x10
"How Safe Is Surgery?" 28 March 1967 03x11
"The Shape of War to Come" 25 April 1967 03x12
"Memory" 9 May 1967 03x13
"Masters of the Desert" 23 May 1967 03x14
"Cancer, The Smoker's Gamble" 20 June 1967 03x15
"Science and the Supernatural" 4 July 1967 03x16
"Hypnosis" 18 July 1967 03x17
Series 04: 1967–1968[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"The War of the Boffins" 12 September 1967 04x01
"Aspects of Alcohol" 26 September 1967 04x02
"Lords of the Sea" 10 October 1967 04x03
"Will Art Last?" 24 October 1967 04x04
"Air Safety, The Unknown Factor" 7 November 1967 04x05
"The Life and Death of the Pine Processionary" 21 November 1967 04x06
"Koestler on Creativity" 5 December 1967 04x07
"The World of Ted Serios" 12 December 1967 04x08
"Professor in Toyland" 24 December 1967 04x09
"An Ingenious Man, Sir H. John Baker" 2 January 1968 04x10
"Man's Best Friend" 30 January 1968 04x11
"Once a Junkie" 13 February 1968 04x12
"Town Traffic and Tomorrow" 27 February 1968 04x13
"The Man Makers" 12 March 1968 04x14
"Man in Search of Himself" 26 March 1968 04x15
"Investigating Murder" 9 April 1968 04x16
"The Equation of Murder" 7 May 1968 04x17
Series 05: 1968–1969[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Lindemann Enigma" 12 September 1968 05x01
Narrated by Christopher Chataway, the episode covered the achievements and failures of Churchill's war-time science advisor Professor Frederick Lindemann.[2]
"From Field to Factory" 19 September 1968 05x02
"Comfort on Ageing" 26 September 1968 05x03
"Experiments in War" 3 October 1968 05x04
"African Medicine" 17 October 1968 05x05
"The Broken Bridge" 24 October 1968 05x06
Narrated by Christopher Chataway, the episode covered the methods of psychiatric therapist, Irene Kassorla [3]
"Children Without Words" 31 October 1968 05x07
"Computer Revolution" 7 November 1968 05x08
"Doctor's Dilemma" 14 November 1968 05x09
"In the Matter of Dr Alfred Nobel" 21 November 1968 05x10
"Wheels Within Wheels" 28 November 1968 05x11
"Black Man – White Science" 5 December 1968 05x12
"Hidden World" 12 December 1968 05x13
"The Talgai Skull" 19 December 1968 05x14
"Phantasmagoria, The Magic Lantern" 24 December 1968 05x15
"Inside Every Fat Man..." 2 January 1969 05x16
"If Only They Could Speak" 9 January 1969 05x17
"The Miraculous Wonder, The Human Eye" 16 January 1969 05x18
"The Year of the Locusts" 23 January 1969 05x19
"The Gifted Child" 30 January 1969 05x20
"The Last of the Polymaths" 6 February 1969 05x21
"Music and the Mind" 13 February 1969 05x22
"Report on V.D." 20 February 1969 05x23
"The Drift from Science" 6 March 1969 05x24
"Powers of Persuasion" 13 March 1969 05x25
"The View from Space" 20 March 1969 05x26
"The Unborn Patient" 27 March 1969 05x27
"King Solomon's Garden" 10 April 1969 05x28
"Muck Today – Poison Tomorrow" 24 April 1969 05x29
"Shark" 1 May 1969 05x30
"Technology and Self Determination" 15 May 1969 05x31
"After Apollo" 22 May 1969 05x32
"Discovery" 29 May 1969 05x33
"Machines and People, Rt. Hon. A. Wedgwood-Benn" 5 June 1969 05x34
Series 06: 1969–1970[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Science on Safari" 15 September 1969 06x01
"A True Madness" 22 September 1969 06x02
"The Problem of Pain" 29 September 1969 06x03
"Four Fast Legs and a Nose" 6 October 1969 06x04
"Father of the Man" 13 October 1969 06x05
"Master of the Microscope" 20 October 1969 06x06
"CERN" 27 October 1969 06x07
"Cancer" 10 November 1969 06x08
"There's a Rhino in My Sugar" 17 November 1969 06x09
"Fit to Live" 24 November 1969 06x10
"Don't Cackle, Lay Eggs" 1 December 1969 06x11
"How Much Do You Drink?" 8 December 1969 06x12
"A Game of War" 15 December 1969 06x13
"Bread" 22 December 1969 06x14
"For the Safety of Mankind" 29 December 1969 06x15
"Just Another World" 5 January 1970 06x16
"Henry Royce, Mechanic" 12 January 1970 06x17
"A Disease of Our Time, Stress" 19 January 1970 06x18
"A Disease of Our Time, Heart Attacks" 26 January 1970 06x19
"Sex and Sexuality" 2 February 1970 06x20
"Whose Coast?" 16 February 1970 06x21
"A Much Wanted Child" 23 February 1970 06x22
"The Expert Witness" 2 March 1970 06x23
"After the Iron Age" 9 March 1970 06x24
"Let the Therapy Fit the Crime" 16 March 1970 06x25
"The World Outside" 23 March 1970 06x26
"In the Beginning Was the Word" 30 March 1970 06x27
"Drifting of the Continents" 13 April 1970 06x28
"A Case of Priority" 20 April 1970 06x29
"The Fretful Elements" 27 April 1970 06x30
Covering the physics behind weather patterns and cloud-doctoring experiments.[4]
"One Man's Meat" 11 May 1970 06x31
"Only Skin Deep" 6 July 1970 06x32
"Wolves and Wolfmen" 13 July 1970 06x33
"A Measure of Uncertainty" 10 August 1970 06x34
"The Manhunters" 17 August 1970 06x35
"Don't Get Sick in America" 24 August 1970 06x36
"Crown of Thorns" 31 August 1970 06x37
Series 07: 1970–1971[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Noah's Ark in Kensington" 7 September 1970 07x01
"Virus" 14 September 1970 07x02
"Water, Water..." 21 September 1970 07x03
"All Creatures Great and Small" 28 September 1970 07x04
"Child for a Lifetime" 5 October 1970 07x05
"Something for Our Children" 12 October 1970 07x06
"Million Ton Tanker" 2 November 1970 07x07
"The Insect War" 9 November 1970 07x08
"The Savage Mind" 16 November 1970 07x09
"Tanks" 23 November 1970 07x10
"Mind the Machine" 30 November 1970 07x11
"Square Pegs" 7 December 1970 07x12
"Earthquakes, The City That Waits to Die" 14 December 1970 07x13
"The Man Who Talks to Frogs" 21 December 1970 07x14
"The Gargantuan Triumph of Science" 28 December 1970 07x15
"Wildlife, The Last Great Battle" 4 January 1971 07x16
"Great Ormond Street" 18 January 1971 07x17
"A Bulldozer Through Heaven" 25 January 1971 07x18
"Rumours of Wars" 1 February 1971 07x19
"I'm Dependent, You're Addicted" 15 February 1971 07x20
"Kuru, To Tremble with Fear" 22 February 1971 07x21
"Due to Lack of Interest Tomorrow Has Been Cancelled" 8 March 1971 07x22
"What Kind of Doctor?" 15 March 1971 07x23
"A Nice Sort of Accident to Have" 22 March 1971 07x24
"The Wood" 5 April 1971 07x25
"The Measure of Man" 12 April 1971 07x26
"Three Score Years and Then?" 26 April 1971 07x27
"Darwin's Bulldog" 3 May 1971 07x28
"The Secret" 10 May 1971 07x29
"What Every Girl Should Know" 17 May 1971 07x30
"Taste of Foods to Come" 24 May 1971 07x31
"Looking for a Happy Landing" 31 May 1971 07x32
"A Case of Depression" 7 June 1971 07x33
"The Total War Machine" 14 June 1971 07x34
"The Dinosaur Hunters" 21 June 1971 07x35
Series 08: 1971–1972[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Your Country Needs You" 27 September 1971 08x01
"Rheumatism" 4 October 1971 08x02
"If at First You Don't Succeed... You Don't Succeed" 11 October 1971 08x03
"One Liverpool or Two?" 18 October 1971 08x04
"Rutherford, Cavendish Today" 25 October 1971 08x05
"The Fierce People" 1 November 1971 08x06
"The Men Who Painted Caves" 15 November 1971 08x07
"Crab Nebula" 22 November 1971 08x08
"Can Venice Survive?" 29 November 1971 08x09
"Willingly to School?" 6 December 1971 08x10
"The Periscope War" 20 December 1971 08x11
"Patently Absurd" 27 December 1971 08x12
"The Missing Link" 3 January 1972 08x13
"Navajo, The Last Red Indians" 10 January 1972 08x14
"How Much Do You Smell?" 17 January 1972 08x15
"Parasite of Paradise" 31 January 1972 08x16
"The Day It Rained Periwinkles" 7 February 1972 08x17
"Are You Doing This for Me Doctor?" 14 February 1972 08x18
"How They Sold Doomsday" 21 February 1972 08x19
"For Love or Money" 28 February 1972 08x20
"Whales, Dolphins and Men" 6 March 1972 08x21
"What Is Race?" 13 March 1972 08x22
"Man Made Lakes of Africa" 20 March 1972 08x23
"Survival in the Sahara" 27 March 1972 08x24
"Mind over Body" 10 April 1972 08x25
"Out of Volcanoes" 17 April 1972 08x26
"The Wizard Who Spat on the Floor" 1 May 1972 08x27
"Rail Crash" 8 May 1972 08x28
"Do You Dig National Parks?" 22 May 1972 08x29
"The Rat Man, Sigmund Freud" 5 June 1972 08x30
"Sorry I Opened My Mouth" 12 June 1972 08x31
"The Ways We Move" 3 July 1972 08x32
"The Life That Lives on Man" 10 July 1972 08x33
"Sex Can Be a Problem" 24 July 1972 08x34
"The Surgery of Violence" 31 July 1972 08x35
Series 09: 1972–1973[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Hospital, Episode 1922" 12 October 1972 09x01
"When Polar Bears Swam in the Thames" 19 October 1972 09x02
"Making of an English Landscape" 26 October 1972 09x03
"Shadows of Bliss" 2 November 1972 09x04
"Billion Marsh" 9 November 1972 09x05
"Do You Sincerely Want a Long Life?" 16 November 1972 09x06
"The Making of a Natural History Film" 23 November 1972 09x07
"Fire" 30 November 1972 09x08
"Alaskan Pipe Dream" 7 December 1972 09x09
"Their Life in Your Hands" 21 December 1972 09x10
"Navigating Europe" 28 December 1972 09x11
"Epidemic" 4 January 1973 09x12
"Worlds in Collision" 11 January 1973 09x13
"The Military Necessity" 18 January 1973 09x14
"The Curtain of Silence" 25 January 1973 09x15
"When the Breeding Has to Stop" 8 February 1973 09x16
"Science Is Dead, Long Live Science" 15 February 1973 09x17
"And Where Will the Children Play?" 1 March 1973 09x18
"Acupuncture" 8 March 1973 09x19
"What Time Is Your Body?" 22 March 1973 09x20
"Survival of the Weakest" 5 April 1973 09x21
"Red Sea Coral and the Crown of Thorns" 12 April 1973 09x22
"Lumbered... With Back-Ache!" 26 April 1973 09x23
"Airport" 3 May 1973 09x24
"Do You Remember the Memory Man?" 17 May 1973 09x25
"What a Waste!" 24 May 1973 09x26
"The Laws of the Land" 7 June 1973 09x27
"Do We Really Need the Railways?" 14 June 1973 09x28
"The Telly of Tomorrow" 21 June 1973 09x29
"How Does It Hurt?" 5 July 1973 09x30
"A Scientist Looks at Religion" 9 August 1973 09x31
Series 10: 1973–1974[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"In Search of Konrad Lorenz" 24 September 1973 10x01
"Stretch Up Tall" 1 October 1973 10x02
"Gilding the Lily" 8 October 1973 10x03
"Black Holes of Gravity" 15 October 1973 10x04
"What's so Big About Us?" 22 October 1973 10x05
"The Steadfast Tin Soldier" 29 October 1973 10x06
"Carry On Smoking" 5 November 1973 10x07
"Air Crash Detective" 26 November 1973 10x08
"An Element of Mystery" 3 December 1973 10x09
"Digging Up the Future" 17 December 1973 10x10
"Kula, A Reason for Giving" 24 December 1973 10x11
"Crime Lab" 31 December 1973 10x12
"A Matter of Self Defence" 7 January 1974 10x13
"Bird Brain, The Mystery of Bird Navigation" 14 January 1974 10x14
"Never Too Late to Learn" 21 January 1974 10x15
"The Great Fish Hunt" 28 January 1974 10x16
"Pedal Power" 4 February 1974 10x17
"The Writing on the Wall" 11 February 1974 10x18
"Where Did the Colorado Go?" 25 February 1974 10x19
"The Future Goes Boom" 4 March 1974 10x20
"Fusion, The Energy Promise" 11 March 1974 10x21
"The First Ten Years" 22 April 1974 10x22
"This Yankee Dodge Beats Mesmerism Hollow" 29 April 1974 10x23
"The Hunting of the Quark" 6 May 1974 10x24
"A Noah's Ark for Europe" 13 May 1974 10x25
"Bridges, When It Comes to the Crunch" 3 June 1974 10x26
"Search for Life" 10 June 1974 10x27
"The Secrets of Sleep" 17 June 1974 10x28
"Who Needs Skill?" 24 June 1974 10x29
"Hills of Promise" 1 July 1974 10x30
"The Race for the Double Helix" 8 July 1974 10x31
"The Immigrant Doctors" 15 July 1974 10x32
"Mines Minerals and Men" 22 July 1974 10x33
"What Price Steak?" 29 July 1974 10x34
"Listen and Be Loyal" 5 August 1974 10x35
"Adam or Eve?" 19 August 1974 10x36
Series 11: 1974–1975[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"An Unholy Scramble" 2 September 1974 11x01
"You Do as You Are Told" 28 October 1974 11x02
"The First Signs of Washoe" 4 November 1974 11x03
"The Other Way" 11 November 1974 11x04
"The Greatest Advance Since the Wheel" 25 November 1974 11x05
"Joey" 9 December 1974 11x06
"The Neglected Harvest" 16 December 1974 11x07
"How on Earth Did They Do That?" 23 December 1974 11x08
"The Lysenko Affair" 30 December 1974 11x09
"The Cleanest Place in the World" 6 January 1975 11x10
"The Killer Dust" 20 January 1975 11x11
"A Time to Be Born" 27 January 1975 11x12
"The Unsafe Sea" 10 February 1975 11x13
"The Change of Life" 17 February 1975 11x14
"Project Fido" 24 February 1975 11x15
"The Planets" 10 March 1975 11x16
"The Long Long Walkabout" 7 April 1975 11x17
"The Overworked Miracle" 14 April 1975 11x18
"Not the Cheapest but the Best" 21 April 1975 11x19
"A Spoonful of Roughage" 28 April 1975 11x20
"Brain Poison" 5 May 1975 11x21
"The Bulldog's Last Bark?" 12 May 1975 11x22
"Benjamin" 19 May 1975 11x23
"The Mcmaster Experiment" 2 June 1975 11x24
"The Glazed Outlook" 9 June 1975 11x25
"The Three Chord Trick" 16 June 1975 11x26
"Strange Sleep" 30 June 1975 11x27
"How Do You Read?" 14 July 1975 11x28
"The Sickly Sea" 21 July 1975 11x29
"Happy Catastrophe" 28 July 1975 11x30
"To Die – To Live, The Survivors of Hiroshima" 6 August 1975 11x31
"Cannabis" 11 August 1975 11x32
"Meditation and the Mind" 18 August 1975 11x33
Series 12: 1975–1976[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"The Trobriand Experiment" 29 December 1975 12x01
"The Transplant Experience" 5 January 1976 12x02
"Intimate Strangers" 12 January 1976 12x03
"A Fair Share of What Little We Have" 19 January 1976 12x04
"The Incredible Machine" 26 January 1976 12x05
"King Coal Revived" 2 February 1976 12x06
"A Question of Trust" 9 February 1976 12x07
"The Case of the Bermuda Triangle" 16 February 1976 12x08
"The Lords of the Labyrinth" 23 February 1976 12x09
"Inside the Shark" 1 March 1976 12x10
"The Chemical Dream" 8 March 1976 12x11
"The Edelin Affair" 15 March 1976 12x12
"The World of Margaret Mead" 22 March 1976 12x13
"The Pathway from Madness" 29 March 1976 12x14
"Geronimo's Children" 5 April 1976 12x15
"The Vision of the Blind" 12 April 1976 12x16
"A Lesson for Teacher" 26 April 1976 12x17
"Why Did Stuart Die?" 3 May 1976 12x18
"The Children of Peru" 17 May 1976 12x19
"Dying" 24 May 1976 12x20
"A Home Like Ours..., A Story of Four Children" 7 June 1976 12x21
"What's Wrong with the Sun?" 14 June 1976 12x22
Series 13: 1976–1977[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"The Bull's-Eye War" 25 October 1976 13x01
"The Hot-Blooded Dinosaurs" 1 November 1976 13x02
"Billion Dollar Bubble" 8 November 1976 13x03
"The Selfish Gene" 15 November 1976 13x04
"A Child of Our Own" 22 November 1976 13x05
"Secrets of a Coral Island" 29 November 1976 13x06
"The Long Valley" 6 December 1976 13x07
"Half-Way to 1984" 13 December 1976 13x08
"The Mystery of King Arthur and His Round Table" 20 December 1976 13x09
"A Smile for the Crocodile" 7 January 1977 13x10
"The Pill for the People" 14 January 1977 13x11
"The Ape That Stood Up" 21 January 1977 13x12
"The Human Animal" 4 February 1977 13x13
"The Guinea Pig and the Law" 18 February 1977 13x14
"Hunters of the Seal" 25 February 1977 13x15
"The Red Planet" 4 March 1977 13x16
"One of Nature's Hotels" 11 March 1977 13x17
"Dawn of the Solar Age" 18 March 1977 13x18
"Genetic Roulette" 1 April 1977 13x19
"The Amazing Doctor Newton" 15 July 1977 13x20
"The Trouble with Medicine" 22 July 1977 13x21
"Silent Speech" 29 July 1977 13x22
"The Green Machine" 5 August 1977 13x23
"Horizon 2002" 26 August 1977 13x24
Series 14: 1977–1978[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"The River That Came Clean" 2 September 1977 14x01
"Blueprints in the Bloodstream" 9 September 1977 14x02
"40 Years of Murder" 16 September 1977 14x03
"The Cry for Help" 30 September 1977 14x04
"The Sunspot Mystery" 7 October 1977 14x05
"The Rhine's Revenge" 21 October 1977 14x06
"Icarus' Children" 2 December 1977 14x07
"The Healing Nightmare" 9 December 1977 14x08
"The Great Wine Revolution" 23 December 1977 14x09
"Living Machines" 6 January 1978 14x10
"A Land for All Reasons" 20 January 1978 14x11
"I Don't Want to Be a Burden" 27 January 1978 14x12
"Zero G" 3 February 1978 14x13
"The Message in the Rocks" 17 February 1978 14x14
"The Eddystone Lights" 24 February 1978 14x15
"Light of the 21st Century" 10 March 1978 14x16
"The New Breadline" 24 March 1978 14x17
"Now the Chips are Down" 31 March 1978 14x18
"Explosions in the Mind" 14 July 1978 14x19
"One Small Step" 21 July 1978 14x20
"The Tsetse Trap" 28 July 1978 14x21
"A Whisper from Space" 4 August 1978 14x22
"Prisoners of Hope" 11 August 1978 14x23
"On a Different Track" 18 August 1978 14x24
"Careering into Science" 25 August 1978 14x25
Series 15: 1978–1979[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Cashing In on the Ocean" 1 September 1978 15x01
"Bags of Life" 8 September 1978 15x02
"Innocent Slaughter?" 15 September 1978 15x03
"Beersheva Experiment" 3 November 1978 15x04
"Divers Do It Deeper" 10 November 1978 15x05
"The Big Sleep" 17 November 1978 15x06
"The Vital Spark" 24 November 1978 15x07
"The Red Deer of Rhum" 29 December 1978 15x08
"The Forever Fuel" 26 February 1979 15x09
"In Search of Pegasus" 5 March 1979 15x10
"The Keys of Paradise" 12 March 1979 15x11
"Sweet Solutions" 19 March 1979 15x12
"Bronze Age Blast-Off" 26 March 1979 15x13
"The Real Bionic Man" 2 April 1979 15x14
"A Mediterranean Prospect" 9 April 1979 15x15
"Elements of Risk" 23 April 1979 15x16
"Mr Ludwig's Tropical Dreamland" 30 April 1979 15x17
"Where Nothing Happens Twice" 7 May 1979 15x18
"Journey Through the Human Body" 14 May 1979 15x19
"The Fight to Be Male" 21 May 1979 15x20
"The Robots Are Coming" 28 May 1979 15x21
Series 16: 1979–1980[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"The Mexican Oil Dance" 24 September 1979 16x01
"Tracks on the Oregon Trail" 1 October 1979 16x02
"The Race to Re-Shape Cars" 8 October 1979 16x03
"Dragnet for Diabetes" 15 October 1979 16x04
"Lost Waters of the Nile" 22 October 1979 16x05
"Survival of the Fastest" 29 October 1979 16x06
"A Touch of Sensitivity" 5 November 1979 16x07
"A Treasury of Trees" 12 November 1979 16x08
"Darkness Visible" 19 November 1979 16x09
"Uranium Goes Critical" 3 December 1979 16x10
"The Fat in the Fire" 10 December 1979 16x11
"Decade" 17 December 1979 16x12
"Ghost of the Amoco Cadiz" 14 January 1980 16x13
"You Are Old, Father William" 21 January 1980 16x14
"Cleared for Take Off" 4 February 1980 16x15
"A Sporting Chance" 11 February 1980 16x16
"The Cancer Detectives of Lin Xian" 18 February 1980 16x17
"The Big If" 25 February 1980 16x18
"Cash from Trash" 3 March 1980 16x19
"Encounter with Jupiter" 10 March 1980 16x20
"Portrait of a Poison" 17 March 1980 16x21
"Magnet Earth" 24 March 1980 16x22
Series 17: 1980–1981[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Goodbye Gutenberg" 1 September 1980 17x01
"Invasion of the Virions" 8 September 1980 17x02
"Beyond the Milky Way" 15 September 1980 17x03
"Little Boxes" 22 September 1980 17x04
"The Other Kenya" 29 September 1980 17x05
"Moving Still" 6 October 1980 17x06
"The Way Out" 13 October 1980 17x07
"The Dead Sea Lives" 20 October 1980 17x08
"Once in a Million Years" 27 October 1980 17x09
"Smokers' Luck" 3 November 1980 17x10
"Behind the Horoscope" 10 November 1980 17x11
"The Mondragon Experiment" 17 November 1980 17x12
"The Spike" 24 November 1980 17x13
"The Slatemakers" 1 December 1980 17x14
"Anatomy of a Volcano" 15 December 1980 17x15
"Spend and Prosper" 5 January 1981 17x16
Horizon presents a portrait of renowned economist John Maynard Keynes. It follows his life story, his ideas on economics and his contributions to the arts.
"A Whole New Medicine" 12 January 1981 17x17
"The Qualyub Project" 19 January 1981 17x18
"No One Will Take Me Seriously" 26 January 1981 17x19
"Living with Dying" 2 February 1981 17x20
"A Is for Atom, B Is for Bomb" 9 February 1981 17x21
"Who Will Deliver Your Baby?" 16 February 1981 17x22
"West of Bangalore" 2 March 1981 17x23
"Gentlemen, Lift Your Skirts" 9 March 1981 17x24
"Hello Universe!" 16 March 1981 17x25
"Voices from Silent Hands" 23 March 1981 17x26
"Did Darwin Get It Wrong?" 30 March 1981 17x27
"East of Bombay" 6 April 1981 17x28
"Resolution on Saturn, 1: The Rings" 11 April 1981 17x29
"Resolution on Saturn, 2: The Moons" 13 April 1981 17x30
Series 18: 1981–1982[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Heads I Win, Tails You Lose" 28 September 1981 18x01
"The Hunt for the Legion Killer" 5 October 1981 18x02
"Breaking in Children" 12 October 1981 18x03
"The Grid" 19 October 1981 18x04
"Butterflies or Barley?" 26 October 1981 18x05
"Science for the People" 2 November 1981 18x06
"The Race to Ruin" 9 November 1981 18x07
"Death of the Dinosaurs" 16 November 1981 18x08
"Feynman, The Pleasure of Finding Things Out" 23 November 1981 18x09
Richard Feynman talks about his life.
"The Cornucopia" 30 November 1981 18x10
"A Race Against Time" 7 December 1981 18x11
"Painting by Numbers" 21 December 1981 18x12
Horizon investigates the current state of computer and analogue graphics by interviewing assists and scientists involved with scientific and technical modelling, 3D movie animation, and computer gaming.
"The Secret of the Snake" 11 January 1982 18x13
"Finding a Voice" 18 January 1982 18x14
"The Sea Behind the Dunes" 25 January 1982 18x15
"Whatever Happened to the Energy Crisis?" 1 February 1982 18x16
"Notes of a Biology Watcher" 8 February 1982 18x17
"The Cline Affair" 15 February 1982 18x18
"The Million Murdering Death" 22 February 1982 18x19
"Shots in the Dark" 1 March 1982 18x20
"The Victims" 8 March 1982 18x21
"The Future-Made in Japan?" 15 March 1982 18x22
"The Private Face of Medicine" 22 March 1982 18x23
"The Fatal Bargain" 5 April 1982 18x24
Series 19: 1982–1983[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"The Miracle of Life" 11 October 1982 19x01
"The Case of the UFOs" 18 October 1982 19x02
"A Killing Rain" 25 October 1982 19x03
"Intimate Relations" 1 November 1982 19x04
"The Scientist and the Baby" 8 November 1982 19x05
"Brave New Babies?" 15 November 1982 19x06
"The Professor of Surgery" 29 November 1982 19x07
"The Chopper" 6 December 1982 19x08
"The State of the Planet" 13 December 1982 19x09
"The Mysterious Mr Tesla" 20 December 1982 19x10
"Sizewell Under Pressure" 10 January 1983 19x11
"Tropical Time Machine" 17 January 1983 19x12
"The Geneva Event" 24 January 1983 19x13
"How Much Can You Drink?" 7 February 1983 19x14
"Talking Turtle" 14 February 1983 19x15
"What Little Girls Are Made Of" 21 February 1983 19x16
"British Science – On the Wrong Track?" 28 February 1983 19x17
"The Great Plains Massacre" 7 March 1983 19x18
"Hard Rock" 14 March 1983 19x19
"Better Mind the Computer" 21 March 1983 19x20
"Madness on Trial" 11 April 1983 19x21
"Sixty Minutes to Meltdown" 18 April 1983 19x22
"Killer in the Village" 25 April 1983 19x23
Series 20: 1983–1984[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"The Case of E.S.P." 26 September 1983 20x01
"The Artificial Heart" 3 October 1983 20x02
"Dr Priestley and the Breath of Life" 10 October 1983 20x03
"Professor Hawking's Universe" 17 October 1983 20x04
"The Cruel Choice" 24 October 1983 20x05
"A Child's Guide to Languages" 31 October 1983 20x06
"China's Child" 7 November 1983 20x07
"The Earthquake Connection" 14 November 1983 20x08
"Prisoner or Patient?" 28 November 1983 20x09
"Cancer, The Pattern in the Genes" 5 December 1983 20x10
"The Academy" 12 December 1983 20x11
"The Intelligence Man" 9 January 1984 20x12
"Microworld" 16 January 1984 20x13
"A New Green Revolution?" 23 January 1984 20x14
"Spies in the Wires" 30 January 1984 20x15
"Valley of the Inca" 13 February 1984 20x16
"Conquest of the Parasites" 27 February 1984 20x17
"Reflections on a River" 5 March 1984 20x18
"A Normal Face" 12 March 1984 20x19
"Prisoners of Incest" 19 March 1984 20x20
"Signs of the Apes, Songs of the Whales" 26 March 1984 20x21
"Professor Bonner and the Slime Moulds" 9 April 1984 20x22
"The Mind of a Murderer, 1: The Case of the Hillside Strangler" 16 April 1984 20x23
"The Mind of a Murderer, 2: The Mask of Madness" 17 April 1984 20x24
"A Cruel Inheritance" 30 April 1984 20x25
"The Malvern Link" 7 May 1984 20x26
Series 21: 1984–1985[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Contented Cows and Other Animals" 5 November 1984 21x01
"Picking Winners" 12 November 1984 21x02
"The Brain Puzzle" 19 November 1984 21x03
"Global Village" 26 November 1984 21x04
"Ivan" 3 December 1984 21x05
"A Mathematical Mystery Tour" 10 December 1984 21x06
"Supercharged, The Grand Prix Car (1924–1939)" 17 December 1984 21x07
"Colourful Notions" 7 January 1985 21x08
"A World of Their Own" 14 January 1985 21x09
"Decoding Danebury" 21 January 1985 21x10
"A Mission to Heal" 28 January 1985 21x11
"Mystery of the Left Hand" 4 February 1985 21x12
"The Theatre of War" 11 February 1985 21x13
"The Careful Predator" 25 February 1985 21x14
"What Einstein Never Knew" 4 March 1985 21x15
"Eurekaaargh!" 11 March 1985 21x16
"Careering On" 18 March 1985 21x17
"How to Film the Impossible" 25 March 1985 21x18
"The Food Allergy War" 1 April 1985 21x19
"The Goddess of the Earth" 15 April 1985 21x20
"Iras, The Supercooled Eye" 22 April 1985 21x21
"A Prize Discovery" 29 April 1985 21x22
"Twenty-First Birthday" 20 May 1985 21x23
Series 22: 1985–1986[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Are You a Racist?" 6 January 1986 22x01
"Genesis" 13 January 1986 22x02
"Bitter Cold" 20 January 1986 22x03
"The Mould, the Myth and the Microbe" 27 January 1986 22x04
"Outbreak, The Microbe Masters the Mould" 3 February 1986 22x05
"The Wrong Stuff" 10 February 1986 22x06
"Science... Fiction?" 17 February 1986 22x07
"The Children of Eve" 24 February 1986 22x08
"The New Face of Leprosy" 3 March 1986 22x09
"Hi-Tech a la Française" 10 March 1986 22x10
"In the Wake of HMS Sheffield" 17 March 1986 22x11
"AIDS, A Strange and Deadly Virus" 24 March 1986 22x12
"The Case of the Frozen Addict" 7 April 1986 22x13
"Nice Guys Finish First" 14 April 1986 22x14
"The Men Who Bottled a Cow" 21 April 1986 22x15
"Twice Five plus the Wings of a Bird" 28 April 1986 22x16
"What Makes an Animal Smart?" 12 May 1986 22x17
"A Handful of Sugar with a Pinch of Salt" 19 May 1986 22x18
"Uranus Encounter" 26 May 1986 22x19
"Who Built Stonehenge?" 9 June 1986 22x20
"Battered Baby, 1: From Generation to Generation" 16 June 1986 22x21
"Battered Baby, 2: Breaking the Chain" 23 June 1986 22x22
"Doctors to Be" 30 June 1986 22x23
Series 23: 1986–1987[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"The Twenty-Five Hour Clock" 5 January 1987 23x01
"The Search for the Disappeared" 12 January 1987 23x02
"The Blind Watchmaker" 19 January 1987 23x03
"Riding the Stack" 26 January 1987 23x04
"Bruno Bettelheim, 1: The Man Who Cared for Children" 2 February 1987 23x05
"Bruno Bettelheim, 2: A Sense of Surviving" 9 February 1987 23x06
"Energy from Outer Space" 16 February 1987 23x07
"The Return of the Osprey" 23 February 1987 23x08
"Can AIDS Be Stopped?" 2 March 1987 23x09
"Police Stress, John Wayne Syndrome" 9 March 1987 23x10
"To Engineer Is Human" 16 March 1987 23x11
"The Magma Chamber" 23 March 1987 23x12
"Broken Images" 30 March 1987 23x13
"Trial Babies" 6 April 1987 23x14
"After Chernobyl, Closer to Home" 13 April 1987 23x15
"Making Sex Pay" 11 May 1987 23x16
"The Anthropic Principle" 18 May 1987 23x17
"Aircrash, The Burning Issue" 1 June 1987 23x18
"Riddle of the Joints" 8 June 1987 23x19
"To Catch a Falling Star" 15 June 1987 23x20
"In the Light of New Information" 22 June 1987 23x21
"Janice's Choice" 29 June 1987 23x22
Series 24: 1987–1988[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"The Transplanted Brain" 4 January 1988 24x01
"Death of a Star" 11 January 1988 24x02
"Playing with Madness" 18 January 1988 24x03
"The Canal in the Jungle" 25 January 1988 24x04
"Death of the Working Classes" 1 February 1988 24x05
"The Greenhouse Effect" 8 February 1988 24x06
"Struggling for Control" 15 February 1988 24x07
"Thinking" 22 February 1988 24x08
"Patients on Trial" 29 February 1988 24x09
"Purple Warrior, Rules of Engagement" 7 March 1988 24x10
"Purple Warrior, Limited War" 14 March 1988 24x11
"The Heart of Another" 28 March 1988 24x12
"Easter Island, The Secrets" 11 April 1988 24x13
"Easter Island, The Story" 18 April 1988 24x14
"Cancer at Bay" 4 May 1988 24x15
"Traces of Murder" 9 May 1988 24x16
"The Hope of Progress" 16 May 1988 24x17
"A Newsday Revolution" 23 May 1988 24x18
"A Good Test?" 6 June 1988 24x19
"Superconductor, The Race for the Prize" 13 June 1988 24x20
"Believe Me" 27 June 1988 24x21
Series 25: 1988–1989[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"The Diary of Discovery" 28 September 1988 25x01
"The Book of Man" 9 January 1989 25x02
"The Poison That Waits" 16 January 1989 25x03
"Perils of the Deep" 23 January 1989 25x04
"Smart Weapons" 30 January 1989 25x05
"Wasting the Alps" 6 February 1989 25x06
"In the Last Resort" 13 February 1989 25x07
"Gaze in Wonder" 20 February 1989 25x08
"In My Lifetime?" 27 February 1989 25x09
"Concerto" 6 March 1989 25x10
"Black Schizophrenia" 13 March 1989 25x11
"Trial in the Jungle" 20 March 1989 25x12
"Who Will Make Me Better?" 3 April 1989 25x13
"A Wonderful Life" 17 April 1989 25x14
"Why Buildings Make You Sick" 24 April 1989 25x15
"Jubilee" 8 May 1989 25x16
"Crash" 15 May 1989 25x17
"The New Sixth Sense" 22 May 1989 25x18
"Clive Sinclair, The Anatomy of an Inventor" 12 June 1989 25x19
"Newpin, A Lifeline" 19 June 1989 25x20
"Time of Darkness" 26 June 1989 25x21
Series 26: 1989–1990[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Oil Spill" 8 January 1990 26x01
"Medicine 2000" 15 January 1990 26x02
"Food Irradiation, Would You Buy It?" 22 January 1990 26x03
"From Earth to Miranda" 29 January 1990 26x04
"Encounter with Neptune" 5 February 1990 26x05
"Guess What's Coming to Dinner" 12 February 1990 26x06
"The First 14 Days" 19 February 1990 26x07
"The 10,000 Year Test" 5 March 1990 26x08
"Hurricane!" 12 March 1990 26x09
"The Britannic Greenhouse" 19 March 1990 26x10
"Cold Fusion" 26 March 1990 26x11
"The Quake of 89, The Final Warning?" 2 April 1990 26x12
"The Sharpest Show of the Universe" 9 April 1990 26x13
"The Company of Ants and Bees" 23 April 1990 26x14
"The Intelligent Island" 30 April 1990 26x15
"Legacy of a Volcano" 14 May 1990 26x16
"Do Cows Make You Mad?" 21 May 1990 26x17
"The Child Mothers" 4 June 1990 26x18
"Signs of Life" 11 June 1990 26x19
"AIDS, A Quest for a Cure" 25 June 1990 26x20
Series 27: 1990–1991[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Sudden Death" 7 January 1991 27x01
"Keen as Mustard" 14 January 1991 27x02
"Smokers Can Harm Your Health" 21 January 1991 27x03
"Coming in from the Cold" 28 January 1991 27x04
"Small Problem with the Mirror" 4 February 1991 27x05
"California Dreaming" 11 February 1991 27x06
"The Day the Earth Melted" 18 February 1991 27x07
"The Curse of Karash" 25 February 1991 27x08
"Playing at Noah" 4 March 1991 27x09
"Cashing in on Paradise" 11 March 1991 27x10
"The Terracotta Time Machine" 18 March 1991 27x11
"Measuring the Roof of the World" 25 March 1991 27x12
"The First Americans" 15 April 1991 27x13
"Inside Chernobyl Sarcophagus" 22 April 1991 27x14
"Colonising Cyberspace" 29 April 1991 27x15
"Emerging Viruses" 13 May 1991 27x16
"Camelford, A Bitter Aftertaste" 20 May 1991 27x17
"Of Big Bangs, Stick Men, and Galactic Holes" 3 June 1991 27x18
"Food for Thought" 10 June 1991 27x19
This story by Horizon looks at the expanding and controversial area of "smart drugs".
"The Long Road to the West" 17 June 1991 27x20
"Half Hearted About Semi-Skimmed" 24 June 1991 27x21
"T-Rex Exposed" 1 July 1991 27x22
Series 28: 1991–1992[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"The Shadow of Breast Cancer" 6 January 1992 28x01
"Pest Wars" 13 January 1992 28x02
"Molecules with Sunglasses" 20 January 1992 28x03
"In Search of the Noble Savage" 27 January 1992 28x04
"Malaria, Battle of the Merozoites" 3 February 1992 28x05
"The Black Sun" 17 February 1992 28x06
"Hitler's Bomb" 24 February 1992 28x07
"An Expensive Theology" 2 March 1992 28x08
"The Strange Life and Death of Dr. Turing" 9 March 1992 28x09
"Hot Jam in the Doughnut" 16 March 1992 28x10
"Diet for a Lifetime" 30 March 1992 28x11
"Before Babel" 6 April 1992 28x12
"The Man Who Moved the Mountains" 13 April 1992 28x13
"Iceman" 27 April 1992 28x14
"Taking the Credit" 11 May 1992 28x15
"Fast Life in the Food Chain" 18 May 1992 28x16
"Dodging Doomsday" 1 June 1992 28x17
"A Question of Sport..." 8 June 1992 28x18
"Genes R Us" 15 June 1992 28x19
Series 29: 1992–1993[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"The Truth About Sex" 3 December 1992 29x01
"Awakening the Frozen Addicts" 4 January 1993 29x02
"Cheating Time" 11 January 1993 29x03
"TB, The Forgotten Plague" 18 January 1993 29x04
"No Ordinary Genius, Episode 1" 25 January 1993 29x05
"No Ordinary Genius, Episode 2" 1 February 1993 29x06
"Mars Alive" 8 February 1993 29x07
"Suggers, Fruggers and Data-Muggers" 15 February 1993 29x08
"The Pyramid Builders" 22 February 1993 29x09
"Here Be Monsters" 1 March 1993 29x10
"Iceman" 8 March 1993 29x11
"Whatever Happened to Star Wars?" 15 March 1993 29x12
"Resurrecting the Dead Sea Scrolls" 22 March 1993 29x13
"Dante Goes to Hell" 29 March 1993 29x14
"Ghosts in the Dinosaur Graveyard" 5 April 1993 29x15
"The New Alchemists" 19 April 1993 29x16
"Allergic to the Twentieth Century" 10 May 1993 29x17
"Wot U Lookin At?" 24 May 1993 29x18
"The Electronic Frontier" 7 June 1993 29x19
"A Vital Poison" 14 June 1993 29x20
"Chimp Talk" 21 June 1993 29x21
"Life Is Impossible" 28 June 1993 29x22
Series 30: 1993–1994[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Small Arms, Soft Targets" 10 January 1994 30x01
"The Last Mammoth" 17 January 1994 30x02
"Gerald Edelman, The Man Who Made Up His Mind" 24 January 1994 30x03
"Genie, Secret of the Wild Child" 31 January 1994 30x04
"Death Wish, The Untold Story" 7 February 1994 30x05
"Air Crash, The Deadly Puzzle" 14 February 1994 30x06
"Hunt for the Doomsday Asteroid" 28 February 1994 30x07
"Hubble Vision" 7 March 1994 30x08
"Some Liked It Hot" 14 March 1994 30x09
"Too Close to the Sun" 21 March 1994 30x10
"Sir Walter's Journey, A Genetic Map of Britain" 28 March 1994 30x11
"After the Flood" 18 April 1994 30x12
"Against the Clock" 25 April 1994 30x13
"Auschwitz, The Blueprints of Genocide" 9 May 1994 30x14
"Ulcer Wars" 16 May 1994 30x15
"30th Anniversary, The Far Side" 23 May 1994 30x16
Series 31: 1994–1995[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Deaf Whale, Dead Whale" 7 November 1994 31x01
"Whispers of Creation" 14 November 1994 31x02
"The Predator" 21 November 1994 31x03
"Close Encounters" 28 November 1994 31x04
"Orange Sherbert Kisses" 12 December 1994 31x05
"Designer Wines" 19 December 1994 31x06
"Tibet, The Ice Mother" 9 January 1995 31x07
"Russia's Deep Secrets" 16 January 1995 31x08
"Bones of Contention" 23 January 1995 31x09
"Siamese Twins" 30 January 1995 31x10
"Too Big Too Soon?" 20 February 1995 31x11
"Farewell Fantastic Venus" 27 February 1995 31x12
"Exodus" 6 March 1995 31x13
"The Betrayers" 13 March 1995 31x14
"Icon Earth" 20 March 1995 31x15
"The I-Bomb" 27 March 1995 31x16
"Foetal Attraction" 3 April 1995 31x17
"Cracks in the Crust" 10 April 1995 31x18
"Hearing Voices" 24 April 1995 31x19
Series 32: 1995–1996[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Liar" 30 October 1995 32x01
"The Human Laboratory" 6 November 1995 32x02
"Nanotopia" 13 November 1995 32x03
"Hunt for the Doomsday Asteroid" 20 November 1995 32x04
"A Code in the Nose" 27 November 1995 32x05
"AIDS, Behind Closed Doors" 4 December 1995 32x06
"The Runaway Mountain" 11 December 1995 32x07
"The Butchers of Boxgrove" 8 January 1996 32x08
An investigation into the discovery of Boxgrove Man.
"Fermat's Last Theorem" 15 January 1996 32x09
The story of Andrew Wiles' proof of Fermat's Last Theorem
"A Miracle for Cancer?" 22 January 1996 32x10
"Nature's Numbers" 29 January 1996 32x11
"The Gene Race" 5 February 1996 32x12
"Masters of the Ionosphere" 12 February 1996 32x13
"Assault on the Male" 26 February 1996 32x14
"Death by Design" 4 March 1996 32x15
"The Planet Hunters" 11 March 1996 32x16
"Einstein, The Miracle Year" 17 March 1996 32x17
"Einstein, Fame" 18 March 1996 32x18
"Inside Chernobyl Sarcophagus" 25 March 1996 32x19
"Fall-Out from Chernobyl" 1 April 1996 32x20
Series 33: 1996–1997[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"TV Is Dead, Long Live TV" 2 November 1996 33x01
"Aliens from Mars" 11 November 1996 33x02
"Living Death" 25 November 1996 33x03
"The Time Lords" 2 December 1996 33x04
"Molecules with Sunglasses" 9 December 1996 33x05
"Noah's Flood" 16 December 1996 33x06
"Siamese Twins" 20 February 1997 33x07
"Psychedelic Science" 27 February 1997 33x08
"Fat Cats, Thin Mice" 6 March 1997 33x09
"The Shipwreck" 13 March 1997 33x10
"Genius of the Jet" 20 March 1997 33x11
"Smallpox on Death Row" 27 March 1997 33x12
"Silent Children, New Language" 3 April 1997 33x13
"Turned on by Danger" 17 April 1997 33x14
"A Perfect Oil Spill" 24 April 1997 33x15
"The Great Balloon Race" 1 May 1997 33x16
Series 34: 1997–1998[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Crater of Death" 11 September 1997 34x01
"Mind over Body" 18 September 1997 34x02
"Out of Asia" 25 September 1997 34x03
"The Virus That Cures" 9 October 1997 34x04
"The Man Who Lost His Body" 16 October 1997 34x05
"Dawn of the Clone Age" 23 October 1997 34x06
"Crash" 12 January 1998 34x07
"Saddam's Secrets" 19 February 1998 34x08
"Dr Miller and the Islanders" 26 February 1998 34x09
"The Rainmaker" 5 March 1998 34x10
"Hopeful Monsters" 19 March 1998 34x11
"Premature Babies, The Limits to Birth" 26 March 1998 34x12
"Overkill" 2 April 1998 34x13
"The Curse of Vesuvius" 16 April 1998 34x14
"Mir Mortals" 23 April 1998 34x15
"The Computer That Ate Hollywood" 30 April 1998 34x16
"Magic Bullet" 7 May 1998 34x17
"The Gulf War Jigsaw" 14 May 1998 34x18
Series 35: 1998–1999[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Sexual Chemistry" 10 September 1998 35x01
"Chimps on Death Row" 1 October 1998 35x02
"Dinosaurs in Your Garden Animals: Velociraptor archaeopteryx Caudipteryx" 8 October 1998 35x03
"Mosquito!" 15 October 1998 35x04
"The Life and Times of Life and Time" 22 October 1998 35x05
"Thalidomide, A Necessary Evil" 29 October 1998 35x06
"Beyond a Joke" 5 November 1998 35x07
"From Here to Infinity" 28 January 1999 35x08
"Pandemic" 4 February 1999 35x09
"Elephants or Ivory" 11 February 1999 35x10
"Electric Heart" 18 February 1999 35x11
"Sudden Death" 25 February 1999 35x12
"New Star in Orbit" 11 March 1999 35x13
"New Asteroid Danger" 18 March 1999 35x14
"Skeleton Key" 25 March 1999 35x15
"Designer Babies" 7 April 1999 35x16
"Wings of Angels" 1 August 1999 35x17
Series 36: 1999–2000[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Mistaken Identity" 11 November 1999 36x01
"Volcanoes of the Deep" 18 November 1999 36x02
"Anatomy of an Avalanche" 25 November 1999 36x03
"The Midas Formula" 2 December 1999 36x04
"Breath of Life" 13 January 2000 36x05
"Lost City of Nasca" 20 January 2000 36x06
"The Diamond Makers" 27 January 2000 36x07
"Supervolcanos" 3 February 2000 36x08
"Miracle in Orbit" 10 February 2000 36x09
"Complete Obsession: Body Dysmorphia" 17 February 2000 36x10
"Is GM Safe?" 9 March 2000 36x11
"Planet Hunters" 16 March 2000 36x12
"Constant Craving: The Science of Addiction" 30 March 2000 36x13
"Moon Children" 4 April 2000 36x14
Series 37: 2000–2001[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Mega-Tsunami, Wave of Destruction" 12 October 2000 37x01
"Conjoined Twins" 19 October 2000 37x02
"The Lost World of Lake Vostok" 26 October 2000 37x03
"Vanished, The Plane That Disappeared" 2 November 2000 37x04
"The Secret Treasures of Zeugma" 9 November 2000 37x05
"The Valley of Life or Death" 16 November 2000 37x06
"Extreme Dinosaurs" Animals: Argentinasaurus Giganotosaurus Tyranosaurus Albertasaurus" 23 November 2000 37x07
"Supermassive Black Holes" 30 November 2000 37x08
"The Boy Who Was Turned into a Girl" 7 December 2000 37x09
"Atlantis Reborn Again" 14 December 2000 37x10
This episode is a re-edited version of Atlantis Reborn after Broadcasting Standards Commission ruled that the original special episode broadcast on the 4th November 1999 was unfair to the author Graham Hancock.
[5]
"The Mystery of the Miami Circle" 25 January 2001 37x11
"The Missing Link Animals: eusthenopteron ichthyostega Coelacanth" 1 February 2001 37x12
"Killer Algae" 8 February 2001 37x13
"Ecstasy and Agony" 15 February 2001 37x14
"Snowball Earth" 22 February 2001 37x15
"Taming the Problem Child" 8 March 2001 37x16
Series 38: 2001–2002[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"The Mystery of the Persian Mummy" 20 September 2001 38x01
"The Ape That Took Over the World" Animals: sivapithecus limnopithecus Australopithecus Kenyanthropus platyops" 4 October 2001 38x02
"Life Blood" 11 October 2001 38x03
"The Death Star" 18 October 2001 38x04
"Cloning the First Human" 25 October 2001 38x05
"Helike, The Real Atlantis" 10 January 2002 38x06
"Volcano Hell" 17 January 2002 38x07
"Fatbusters" 24 January 2002 38x08
"The Lost Pyramids of Caral" 31 January 2002 38x09
"Death of the Iceman" 7 February 2002 38x10
"Parallel Universes" 14 February 2002 38x11
"The Dinosaur That Fooled the World Animals: Archaeopteryx Archaeoraptor" 21 February 2002 38x12
"The Fall of the World Trade Center" 7 March 2002 38x13
"Archimedes' Secret" 14 March 2002 38x14
"The Mystery of the Jurassic" Animals: ammonite stramatolite mid-jurassic mammal argentinan dinosaur-like-allosaur" 28 March 2002 38x15
"Killer Lakes" 4 April 2002 38x16
"The A6 Murder" 16 May 2002 38x17
"The England Patient" 23 May 2002 38x18
Series 39: 2002–2003[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Freak Wave" 14 November 2002 39x01
"Stone Age Columbus" Animals: Clovis people giant armadillo giant sloth great black bear Eskimos Solutrean people" 21 November 2002 39x02
"Homeopathy, The Test" 26 November 2002 39x03
"The Day The Earth Nearly Died" 5 December 2002 39x04
"The Secret of El Dorado" 19 December 2002 39x05
"The Mystery of Easter Island" 9 January 2003 39x06
"Living Nightmare" 16 January 2003 39x07
"Averting Armageddon" 23 January 2003 39x08
"Dirty Bomb" 30 January 2003 39x09
"Sexual Chemistry" 13 February 2003 39x10
"The Day We Learned to Think" Animals (homos): Neandethal Eskimos" 20 February 2003 39x11
"Trial and Error, The Rise and Fall of Gene Therapy" 27 February 2003 39x12
"Earthquake Storms" 6 March 2003 39x13
"Life on Mars" 27 March 2003 39x14
"The Secret Life of Caves" 3 April 2003 39x15
"God on the Brain" 17 April 2003 39x16
"Flight 587" 8 May 2003 39x17
"SARS, The True Story" 29 May 2003 39x18
Series 40: 2003–2004[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"The Big Chill" 13 November 2003 40x01
"The Bible Code" 20 November 2003 40x02
"Last Flight of the Columbia" 27 November 2003 40x03
"The Hunt for the AIDS Vaccine" 4 December 2003 40x04
"Percy Pilcher's Flying Machine" 11 December 2003 40x05
To mark the hundredth anniversary of the Wright brothers inaugural flight, Horizon tells the story of Percy Pilcher, an Englishman who could have been the first person to fly a powered aircraft. In 1899, four years before the Wright brothers, he had constructed his own aeroplane. But on the day it was due to take off, technical problems led him to fly another aircraft - a decision that ended in a fatal crash. Now, with a team of historians, aviation experts, and its own test pilot, Horizon painstakingly rebuilds Pilcher's flying machine to it to the test.[6]
"Time Trip" 18 December 2003 40x06
"The Demonic Ape" 8 January 2004 40x07
"The Moscow Theatre Siege" 15 January 2004 40x08
"The Atkins Diet" 22 January 2004 40x09
"Secrets of the Star Disc" 29 January 2004 40x10
This is the extraordinary story of how a small metal disc is rewriting the epic saga of how civilisation first came to Europe, 3600 years ago.
"The Dark Secret of Hendrik Schön" 5 February 2004 40x11
"Thalidomide, A Second Chance?" 12 February 2004 40x12
"Diamond Labs" 4 March 2004 40x13
"T. Rex, Warrior or Wimp?" 11 March 2004 40x14
"Project Poltergeist" 18 March 2004 40x15
"The Truth of Troy" 25 March 2004 40x16
Since 1988 Professor Manfred Korfmann has been excavating the site of Troy. He has made various discoveries - how large the city was, how well it was defended and that there was once a great battle there at the time that experts believe the Trojan war occurred. But who had attacked the city and why? Horizon then follows the clues - the ancient tablets written by a lost civilisation, a sunken ship rich in treasure, and the golden masks and bronze swords of a warrior people. The film reaches its conclusion in a tunnel deep beneath Troy, where Korfmann has made a discovery that may reveal the truth behind the myth.[7]
Series 41: 2004–2005[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"The Truth About Vitamins" 16 September 2004 41x01
"King Solomon's Tablet of Stone" 22 September 2004 41x02
"Derek Tastes of Earwax" 30 September 2004 41x03
"What Really Killed the Dinosaurs?" 7 October 2004 41x04
"Making Millions the Easy Way" 14 October 2004 41x05
"Saturn, Lord of the Rings" 21 October 2004 41x06
"The Hunt for the Supertwister" 28 October 2004 41x07
"Dr. Money and the Boy with No Penis" 4 November 2004 41x08
"Global Dimming" 13 January 2005 41x09
"Einstein's Unfinished Symphony" 20 January 2005 41x10
"Einstein's Equation of Life and Death" 27 January 2005 41x11
"Living with ADHD" 3 February 2005 41x12
"Neanderthal" 10 February 2005 41x13
"An Experiment to Save the World" 17 February 2005 41x14
"Who's Afraid of Designer Babies?" 24 February 2005 41x15
"The Lost Civilisation of Peru" 3 March 2005 41x16
"The Next Megaquake" 22 May 2005 41x17
"Does the MMR Jab Cause Autism?" 29 May 2005 41x18
"Malaria, Defeating the Curse" 5 June 2005 41x19
Series 42: 2005–2006[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Tsunami, Naming the Dead" 8 September 2005 42x01
"The Hawking Paradox" 15 September 2005 42x02
"The Mystery of the Human Hobbit" 22 September 2005 42x03
"The Doctor Who Makes People Walk Again?" 29 September 2005 42x04
"Could Fish Make My Child Smart?" 6 October 2005 42x05
"Madagascar, A Treetop Odyssey" 13 October 2005 42x06
"Titan, A Place Like Home?" 20 October 2005 42x07
"The 7/7 Bombers, A Psychological Investigation" 27 October 2005 42x08
"The Ghost in Your Genes" 3 November 2005 42x09
"The Life and Times of El Niño" 3 January 2006 42x10
"Space Tourists" 12 January 2006 42x11
"Waiting for a Heartbeat" 19 January 2006 42x12
"A War on Science" 26 January 2006 42x13
"The Lost City of New Orleans" 2 February 2006 42x14
"Most of Our Universe Is Missing" 9 February 2006 42x15
"The Woman Who Thinks Like a Cow" 8 June 2006 42x16
The amazing story of Dr Temple Grandin's ability to read the animal mind, which has made her the most famous autistic woman on the planet.
"The Genius Sperm Bank" 15 June 2006 42x17
"Bye Bye, Planet Pluto" 22 June 2006 42x18
"We Love Cigarettes" 29 June 2006 42x19
"Nuclear Nightmares" 13 July 2006 42x20
"Tutankhamun's Fireball" 20 July 2006 42x21
Series 43: 2006–2007[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Survivors Guide to Plane Crashes" 3 October 2006 43x01
"Chimps Are People Too" 10 October 2006 43x02
"The World's First Face Transplant" 17 October 2006 43x03
"Human Version 2.0" 24 October 2006 43x04
"The Great Robot Race" 31 October 2006 43x05
"Pandemic" 7 November 2006 43x06
H5N1 Bird Flu jumps the species barrier and becomes a global pandemic. This drama documentary narrated by Sean Pertwee, based in Cambodia, USA and the UK, explores what is known so far about avian flu and looks at what might happen if a human pandemic occurs.
"We Are the Aliens" 14 November 2006 43x07
"My Pet Dinosaur" 13 March 2007 43x08
"The Elephant's Guide to Sex" 20 March 2007 43x09
"Prof Regan's Beauty Parlour" 27 March 2007 43x10
"Mad but Glad" 3 April 2007 43x11
"Moon for Sale" 10 April 2007 43x12
"Battle of the Brains" 17 April 2007 43x13
"Skyscraper Fire Fighters" 24 April 2007 43x14
"The Six Billion Dollar Experiment" 1 May 2007 43x15
"How to Commit the Perfect Murder" 8 May 2007 43x16
With the help of forensic science most crimes can be solved. But most criminals have not approached their crimes scientifically.
"Professor Regan's Supermarket Secrets" 31 May 2007 43x17
Probiotic, superfood, organic: what do all these labels on food mean, apart from making a product more expensive? Professor Lesley Regan, who tested beauty products in a previous episode, tests a variety of supermarket products for their supposed health benefits.
Series 44: 2007–2008[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"How to Kill a Human Being" 15 January 2008 44x01
Former Conservative MP Michael Portillo pushes his body to the brink of death in an investigation into the science of execution. As the American Supreme Court examines whether the lethal injection is causing prisoners to die in unnecessary pain, Michael sets out to find a solution which is fundamentally humane. Armed with startling new evidence, Michael considers a completely new approach. Will it be the answer? There is only one way to find out – to experience it himself.
"Total Isolation" 22 January 2008 44x02
"What on Earth Is Wrong with Gravity?" 29 January 2008 44x03
"Is Alcohol Worse than Ecstasy?" 5 February 2008 44x04
"How to Make Better Decisions" 12 February 2008 44x05
"How to Live to Be 101" 19 February 2008 44x06
"Are We Alone in the Universe?" 4 March 2008 44x07
"How Much Is Your Dead Body Worth?" 18 March 2008 44x08
"How Does Your Memory Work?" 25 March 2008 44x09
Series 45: 2008–2009[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"The President's Guide to Science" 16 September 2008 45x01
"How Mad Are You? Part 1" 11 November 2008 45x02
"How Mad Are You? Part 2" 18 November 2008 45x03
"Jimmy's GM Food Fight" 25 November 2008 45x04
Jimmy Doherty, pig farmer, one-time scientist and poster-boy for sustainable food production is on a mission to find out if GM crops really can feed the world.
We need to double the amount of food we produce in the next fifty years to feed the world's growing population. Are GM crops the answer? Or are they a dangerous Frankenstein technology that could start an environmental catastrophe?
To find the answers Jimmy is on a journey that will take him from the vast soya plantations of Argentina to the traditional Amish farms of Pennsylvania; and from the cutting-edge technology of the GM laboratories to the banana plantations of Uganda.
"Do You Know What Time It Is?" 2 December 2008 45x05
Particle physicist Professor Brian Cox asks, 'What time is it?' It's a simple question and it sounds like it has a simple answer. But do we really know what it is that we're asking?
Brian visits the ancient Mayan pyramids in Mexico where the Maya built temples to time. He finds out that a day is never 24 hours and meets Earth's very own Director of Time. He journeys to the beginning of time, and goes beyond within the realms of string theory, and explores the very limit of time. He discovers that we not only travel through time at the speed of light, but the experience we feel as the passing of time could be an illusion.
"Allergy Planet" 9 December 2008 45x06
We are in the grip of an allergy epidemic. 50 years ago one in 30 were affected, but in Britain today it is closer to one in three. Why this should be is one of modern medicine's greatest puzzles.
In search of answers, Horizon travels round the globe, from the remotest inhabited island to the polluted centres of California and the UK. We meet sufferers and the scientists who have dedicated their lives trying to answer the mystery of why we are becoming allergic to our world.
"Where's My Robot?" 16 December 2008 45x07
"Why Are Thin People Not Fat?" 26 January 2009 45x08
The world is affected by an obesity epidemic, but why is it that not everyone is succumbing?
Medical science has been obsessed with this subject and is coming up with some unexpected answers. As it turns out, it is not all about exercise and diet.
At the center of this programme is a controversial overeating experiment that aims to identify exactly what it is about some people that makes it hard for them to bulk up.
"Cannabis: The Evil Weed?" 3 February 2009 45x09
Cannabis is the world's favourite drug, but also one of the least understood. Can cannabis cause schizophrenia? Is it addictive? Can it lead you on to harder drugs? Or is it simply a herb, an undervalued medicine?
Addiction specialist Dr John Marsden (host of Body Hits) discovers that modern science is finally beginning to find answers to these questions. John traces the cannabis plants' birthplace in Kazakhstan; finds the origins of our sensitivity to cannabis in the simple sea squirt; and shows just what it does to our brains.
He meets people who have been changed by this drug in drastically different ways – from those whose lives have been shattered to those who lives have been revived.
"Why Do We Dream?" 10 February 2009 45x10
Horizon uncovers the secret world of our dreams. In a series of cutting-edge experiments and personal stories, we go in search of the science behind this most enduring mystery and ask: where do dreams come from? Do they have meaning? And ultimately, why do we dream?
What the film reveals is that much of what we thought we knew no longer stands true. Dreams are not simply wild imaginings but play a significant part in all our lives as they have an impact on our memories, the ability to learn, and our mental health. Most surprisingly, we find nightmares, too, are beneficial and may even explain the survival of our species.
"Can We Make a Star on Earth?" 17 February 2009 45x11
Professor Brian Cox takes a global journey in search of the energy source of the future. Called nuclear fusion, it is the process that fuels the sun and every other star in the universe. Yet despite over five decades of effort, scientists have been unable to get even a single watt of fusion electricity onto the grid.
Brian returns to Horizon to find out why. Granted extraordinary access to the biggest and most ambitious fusion experiments on the planet, Brian travels to the USA to see a high security fusion bomb testing facility in action and is given a tour of the world's most powerful laser. In South Korea, he clambers inside the reaction chamber of K-Star, the world's first super-cooled, super-conducting fusion reactor where the fate of future fusion research will be decided.
"The Secret Life of Your Bodyclock" 24 February 2009 45x12
Why are you more likely to have a heart attack at eight o'clock in the morning or crash your car on the motorway at two o'clock in the afternoon? Can taking your medication at the right time of day really save your life? And have you ever wondered why teenagers will not get out of bed in the morning?
The answers to these questions lie in the secret world of the biological clock.
"What's the Problem with Nudity?" 3 March 2009 45x13
What is wrong with nudity? Why are people embarrassed about their bodies? How and why did they get the way they are?
Horizon takes a group of volunteers and subjects them to a series of psychological and physical tests to challenge attitudes to the naked human form. The questions raised strike at the heart of human physical and social evolution.
Human beings are the only creatures that can be 'naked' - but why, how and when did people lose their fur? That question takes Horizon around the world to meet scientists from Africa to Florida, and they are finding answers in unexpected places: the chest hair of Finnish students, the genetic history of lice, and the sweat of an unusual monkey.
It turns out that something everyone takes for granted may hold the key to the success of the entire human species.
"How to Survive a Disaster" 10 March 2009 45x14
When disaster strikes who lives and who dies is not purely a matter of luck. In every disaster, from those people face once in a lifetime, to those they face every day, there are things that can be done to increase the chances of getting out alive.
Horizon has gathered a team of leading experts to produce the ultimate guide to disaster survival. Through controversial experiments, computer simulations and analysis of hundreds of survivor testimonies from plane crashes to ferry disasters and even 9/11, they will reveal what happens in the mind in the moment of crisis and how the human brain can be programmed for survival.
"Who Do You Want Your Child to Be?" 17 March 2009 45x15
David Baddiel, father of two, sets out to answer one of the greatest questions a parent can ask: how best to educate your child.
Taking in the latest scientific research, David uncovers some unconventional approaches: from the parent hot-housing his child to record-breaking feats of maths, to a school that pays hard cash for good grades.
David witnesses a ground-breaking experiment that suggests a child's destiny can be predicted at four, and hears the three little words that can ruin a child's chance of success for good. He also uncovers the neurological basis for why teenagers can be stroppy and explosive and has his own brain tinkered with to experience what it is like to struggle at school.
Through it all, David's quest remains true: to maximise his child's potential for success and happiness.
"Why Can't We Predict Earthquakes?" 24 March 2009 45x16
Last century, earthquakes killed over one million, and it is predicted that this century might see ten times as many deaths. Yet when an earthquake strikes, it always takes people by surprise.
So why hasn't science worked out how to predict when and where the next big quake is going to happen? This is the story of the men and women who chase earthquakes and try to understand this mysterious force of nature.
Journeying to China's Sichuan Province, which still lies devastated by the earthquake that struck in May 2008, as well as the notorious San Andreas Fault in California, Horizon asks why science has so far fallen short of answering this fundamental question.
"Alan and Marcus Go Forth and Multiply" 31 March 2009 45x17
Ever since he was at school, actor and comedian Alan Davies has hated maths. And like many people, he is not much good at it either. But Alan has always had a sneaking suspicion that he was missing out.
So, with the help of top mathematician Professor Marcus du Sautoy, Alan is going to embark on a maths odyssey. Together they visit the fourth dimension, cross the universe and explore the concept of infinity. Along the way, Alan does battle with some of the toughest maths questions of our age.
But did his abilities peak 25 years ago when he got his grade C O-Level? Or will Alan be able to master the most complex maths concept there is?
"How Violent Are You?" 12 May 2009 45x18
What makes ordinary people commit extreme acts of violence?
In a thought-provoking and disturbing journey, Michael Portillo investigates one of the darker sides of human nature. He discovers what it is like to inflict pain and is driven to the edge of violence himself in an extreme sleep deprivation study.
He meets men for whom violence has become an addiction and ultimately discovers that each of us could be inherently more violent than we think, and watches a replication of one of the most controversial studies in history, the Milgram study. Will study participants be willing to administer a seemingly lethal electric shock to someone they think is an innocent bystander?
Series 46: 2009–2010[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Do I Drink Too Much?" 13 October 2009 46x01
Alcohol is by far the most widely used drug – and a dangerous one at that. So why are so many of us drinking over the recommended limits? Why does alcohol have such a powerful grip on us? How much of our relationship with this drug is written in our genes? What are the real dangers of our children drinking too young? Addiction expert John Marsden, who likes a drink, makes a professional and personal exploration of our relationship with alcohol. He undergoes physical and neurological examinations to determine its impact, and finds out why some people will find it much harder than others to resist alcohol. Even at the age of 14 there may be a way of determining which healthy children will turn into addicts. John experiments with a designer drug being developed that hopes to replicate all the benefits of alcohol without the dangers. Could this drug replace alcohol in the future?
"The Secret You" 20 October 2009 46x02
With the help of a hammer-wielding scientist, Jennifer Aniston and a general anaesthetic, Professor Marcus du Sautoy goes in search of answers to one of science's greatest mysteries: how do we know who we are? While the thoughts that make us feel as though we know ourselves are easy to experience, they are notoriously difficult to explain. So, in order to find out where they come from, Marcus subjects himself to a series of probing experiments. He learns at what age our self-awareness emerges and whether other species share this trait. Next, he has his mind scrambled by a cutting-edge experiment in anaesthesia. Having survived that ordeal, Marcus is given an out-of-body experience in a bid to locate his true self. And in Hollywood, he learns how celebrities are helping scientists understand the microscopic activities of our brain. Finally, he takes part in a mind-reading experiment that both helps explain and radically alters his understanding of who he is.
"Fix Me" 27 October 2009 46x03
Horizon follows the emotional journey of three young people with currently untreatable conditions to see if within their lifetime, they can be cured. Sophie is desperate to discover if there's a medical breakthrough which will get her walking again – a car crash after celebrating her A level results left her paralysed from the waist down. Anthony's leg was amputated after a rugby accident on the eve of his eighteenth birthday. Will he ever be able to regrow his leg? Father of four Dean is desperate for a cure for his damaged heart to avoid an early death. They've all read the headlines about the astonishing potential of stem cells to heal the body. Now they've been given access to the pioneering scientists who could transform their lives. With so much at stake, each meeting is highly emotional as our three young people find out if science can fix them.
"Who's Afraid of a Big Black Hole?" 3 November 2009 46x04
Black holes are one of the most destructive forces in the universe, capable of tearing a planet apart and swallowing an entire star. Yet scientists now believe they could hold the key to answering the ultimate question – what was there before the Big Bang? The trouble is that researching them is next to impossible. Black holes are by definition invisible and there's no scientific theory able to explain them. Despite these obvious obstacles, Horizon meets the astronomers attempting to image a black hole for the very first time and the theoretical physicists getting ever closer to unlocking their mysteries. It's a story that takes us into the heart of a black hole and to the very edge of what we think we know about the universe.
"Why Do We Talk?" 10 November 2009 46x05
Talking is something that is unique to humans, yet it still remains a mystery. Horizon meets the scientists beginning to unlock the secrets of speech – including a father who is filming every second of his son's first three years in order to discover how we learn to talk, the autistic savant who can speak more than 20 languages, and the first scientist to identify a gene that makes speech possible. Horizon also hears from the godfather of linguistics, Noam Chomsky, the first to suggest that our ability to talk is innate. A unique experiment shows how a new alien language can emerge in just one afternoon, in a bid to understand where language comes from and why it is the way it is.
"How Long Is a Piece of String?" 17 November 2009 46x06
Alan Davies attempts to answer the proverbial question: how long is a piece of string? But what appears to be a simple task soon turns into a mind-bending voyage of discovery where nothing is as it seems. An encounter with leading mathematician Marcus du Sautoy reveals that Alan's short length of string may in fact be infinitely long. When Alan attempts to measure his string at the atomic scale, events take an even stranger turn. Not only do objects appear in many places at once, but reality itself seems to be an illusion. Ultimately, Alan finds that measuring his piece of string could – in theory at least – create a black hole, bringing about the end of the world.
"How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth?" 9 December 2009 46x07
In a Horizon special, naturalist Sir David Attenborough investigates whether the world is heading for a population crisis. In his lengthy career, Sir David has watched the human population more than double from 2.5 billion in 1950 to nearly seven billion. He reflects on the profound effects of this rapid growth, both on humans and the environment. While much of the projected growth in human population is likely to come from the developing world, it is the lifestyle enjoyed by many in the West that has the most impact on the planet. Some experts claim that in the UK consumers use as much as two and a half times their fair share of Earth's resources. Sir David examines whether it is the duty of individuals to commit not only to smaller families, but to change the way they live for the sake of humanity and planet Earth.
"The Secret Life of the Dog" 6 January 2010 46x08
We have an extraordinary relationship with dogs – closer than with any other animal on the planet. But what makes the bond between us so special? Research into dogs is gaining momentum, and scientists are investigating them like never before. From the latest fossil evidence, to the sequencing of the canine genome, to cognitive experiments, dogs are fast turning into the new chimps as a window into understanding ourselves. Where does this relationship come from? In Siberia, a unique breeding experiment reveals the astonishing secret of how dogs evolved from wolves. Swedish scientists demonstrate how the human/dog bond is controlled by a powerful hormone also responsible for bonding mothers to their babies. Why are dogs so good at reading our emotions? Horizon meets Betsy, reputedly the world's most intelligent dog, and compares her incredible abilities to those of children. Man's best friend has recently gone one step further – helping us identify genes responsible for causing human diseases.
"Why Do Viruses Kill?" 13 January 2010 46x09
Just months ago, the world stood in fear of an emerging new disease that threatened to kill millions. A new flu variant H1N1 had arrived. In the UK alone, 65,000 deaths were predicted. Yet to date, these dire warnings have not materialised. If this latest pandemic has taught anything, it is just how little is understood about the invisible world of viruses. But that has not stopped scientists trying. Horizon follows the leading researchers from across the world, who are attempting to unravel the many secrets of viruses to understand when and why they kill.
"Pill Poppers" 20 January 2010 46x10
Over a person's lifetime they are likely to be prescribed more than 14,000 pills. Antibiotics, cholesterol lowering tablets, anti-depressants, painkillers, even tablets to extend youth and improve performance in bed. These drugs perform minor miracles day after day, but how much is really known about them? Drug discovery often owes as much to serendipity as to science, and that means much is learnt about how medicines work, or even what they do, when they're taken. By investigating some of the most popular pills people pop, Horizon asks, how much can they be trusted to do what they are supposed to?
"Don't Grow Old" 3 February 2010 46x11
For centuries scientists have been attempting to come up with an elixir of youth. Now remarkable discoveries are suggesting that ageing is something flexible that can ultimately be manipulated. Horizon meets the scientists who are attempting to piece together why we age and more vitally for all of us, what we can do to prevent it. But which theory will prevail? Does the 95-year-old woman who smokes two packets of cigarettes a day hold the clue? Do blueberries really delay signs of ageing or is it more a question of attitude? Does the real key to controlling how we age lie with a five-year-old boy with an extraordinary ageing disease or with a self-experimenting Harvard professor? Could one of these breakthroughs really see our lives extend past 120 years?
"To Infinity and Beyond..." 10 February 2010 46x12
By our third year, most of us will have learned to count. Once we know how, it seems as if there would be nothing to stop us counting forever. But, while infinity might seem like an perfectly innocent idea, keep counting and you enter a paradoxical world where nothing is as it seems. Mathematicians have discovered there are infinitely many infinities, each one infinitely bigger than the last. And if the universe goes on forever, the consequences are even more bizarre. In an infinite universe, there are infinitely many copies of the Earth and infinitely many copies of you. Older than time, bigger than the universe and stranger than fiction. This is the story of infinity.
"What Makes a Genius?" 17 February 2010 46x13
Could you have come up with Einstein's theory of relativity? If not – why not? This is what Marcus du Sautoy, professor of mathematics, wants to explore. Marcus readily admits that he is no genius, but wants to know if geniuses are just an extreme version of himself – or whether their brains are fundamentally different. Marcus meets some remarkable individuals – Tommy, an obsessive artist who uses his whole house as his canvas; Derek: blind, autistic, and a pianist with apparently prodigious gifts; Claire, who is also blind, but whose brain has learnt to see using sound. Marcus is shown how babies have remarkable abilities which most of us lose as teenagers. He meets a neuroscientist who claims he has evidence of innate ability, a scientist who's identified a gene for learning, and Dr. Paulus, who has discovered how to sharpen the brain... by electrically turbo-charging it.
"Did Cooking Make Us Human?" 2 March 2010 46x14
We are the only species on earth that cooks its food – and we are also the cleverest species on the planet. The question is: do we cook because we're clever and imaginative, or are we clever and imaginative because our ancestors discovered cooking? Horizon examines the evidence that our ancestors' changing diet and their mastery of fire prompted anatomical and neurological changes that resulted in taking us out of the trees and into the kitchen.
"Is Everything We Know About the Universe Wrong?" 9 March 2010 46x15
There's something very odd going on in space – something that shouldn't be possible. It is as though vast swathes of the universe are being hoovered up by a vast and unseen celestial vacuum cleaner. Sasha Kashlinsky, the scientist who discovered the phenomenon, is understandably nervous: 'It left us quite unsettled and jittery' he says, 'because this is not something we planned to find'. The accidental discovery of what is ominously being called 'dark flow' not only has implications for the destinies of large numbers of galaxies – it also means that large numbers of scientists might have to find a new way of understanding the universe. Dark flow is the latest in a long line of phenomena that have threatened to rewrite the textbooks. Does it herald a new era of understanding, or does it simply mean that everything we know about the universe is wrong?
Series 47: 2010–2011[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Back from the Dead" 27 September 2010 47x01
Dr Kevin Fong investigates a pioneering technique of extreme cooling that is being used to bring people back from the dead. In the operating theatre, a patient's heart is stopped and their brain shows no activity. They are indistinguishable from someone who is dead. Yet patients can then be warmed up and brought back to life. Kevin Fong meets the doctors who have developed this procedure, finds out how it could revolutionise intensive care and trauma medicine, and meets some of the remarkable people who have been brought back from the dead.
"The Death of the Oceans?" 4 October 2010 47x02
Sir David Attenborough reveals the findings of one of the most ambitious scientific studies of our time – an investigation into what is happening to our oceans. He looks at whether it is too late to save their remarkable biodiversity. Horizon travels from the cold waters of the North Atlantic to the tropical waters of the Great Barrier Reef to meet the scientists who are transforming our understanding of this unique habitat. Attenborough explores some of the ways in which we are affecting marine life – from over-fishing to the acidification of sea water. The film also uncovers the disturbing story of how shipping noise is deafening whales and dolphins, affecting their survival in the future.
"What Happened Before the Big Bang?" 11 October 2010 47x03
They are the biggest questions that science can possibly ask: where did everything in our universe come from? How did it all begin? For nearly a hundred years, we thought we had the answer: a big bang some 14 billion years ago. But now some scientists believe that was not really the beginning. Our universe may have had a life before this violent moment of creation. Horizon takes the ultimate trip into the unknown, to explore a dizzying world of cosmic bounces, rips and multiple universes, and finds out what happened before the big bang.
"Is Seeing Believing?" 18 October 2010 47x04
Horizon explores the strange and wonderful world of illusions – and reveals the tricks they play on our senses and why they fool us. We show how easy it is to trick your sense of taste by changing the colours of food and drink, explain how what you see can change what you hear, and see just how unreliable our sense of colour can be. But all this trickery has a serious purpose. It's helping scientists to create a new understanding of how our senses work – not as individual senses, but connected together. It holds the intriguing possibility that one sense could be mapped into another. This is what happened to Daniel Kish, who lost his sight as a child. He is now able to create a vision of the world by clicking his tongue which allows him to echolocate like a bat. And in a series of MRI scans, scientists are now looking to find out if Daniel's brain may have actually rewired itself enabling him to use sound to create a visual image of the world.
"Miracle Cure? A Decade of the Human Genome" 25 October 2010 47x05
A decade ago, scientists announced that they had produced the first draft of the human genome, the 3.6 billion letters of our genetic code. It was seen as one of the greatest scientific achievements of our age, a breakthrough that would usher in a new age of medicine. A decade later, Horizon finds out how close we are to developing the life-changing treatments that were hoped for. Horizon follows three people, each with a genetic disease, as they go behind the scenes at some of Britain's leading research labs to find out what the sequencing of the human genome has done for them – and the hope this remarkable project offers all of us.
"Asteroids – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" 3 November 2010 47x06
Famed for their ability to inflict Armageddon from outer space, asteroids are now revealing the secrets of how they are responsible for both life and death on our planet. Armed with an array of powerful telescopes, scientists are finding up to 3000 new asteroids every night. And some are heading our way. But astronomers have discovered that it's not the giant rocks that are the greatest danger – it's the small asteroids that pose a more immediate threat to Earth. Researchers have explained the photon propulsion that propels these rocks across space, and have discovered that some asteroids are carrying a mysterious cargo of frost and ice across the solar system that could have helped start life on earth.
"Deepwater Disaster – The Untold Story" 16 November 2010 47x07
Horizon reveals the untold story of the 87-day battle to kill the Deepwater Horizon oil blowout a mile beneath the waves – a crisis that became America's worst environmental disaster. Engineers and oil men at the heart of the operation talk for the first time about the colossal engineering challenges they faced and how they had to improvise under extreme pressure. They tell of how they used household junk, discarded steel boxes and giant underwater cutting shears to stop the oil. It's an operation that one insider likens to the rescue of Apollo 13.
"What Is One Degree?" 10 January 2011 47x08
Comedian Ben Miller returns to his roots as a physicist to try to answer a deceptively simple question: what is one degree of temperature? His quest takes him to the frontiers of current science as he meets researchers working on the hottest and coldest temperatures in the universe, and to a lab where he experiences some of the strangest effects of quantum physics – a place where super-cooled liquids simply pass through solid glass. Plus, Ben installs his very own Met office weather station at home.
"What Is Reality?" 17 January 2011 47x09
There is a strange and mysterious world that surrounds us, a world largely hidden from our senses. The quest to explain the true nature of reality is one of the great scientific detective stories. Clues have been pieced together from deep within the atom, from the event horizon of black holes, and from the far reaches of the cosmos. It may be that we are part of a cosmic hologram, projected from the edge of the universe. Or that we exist in an infinity of parallel worlds. Your reality may never look quite the same again.
"Science Under Attack" 24 January 2011 47x10
Nobel Prize winner Sir Paul Nurse examines why science appears to be under attack, and why public trust in key scientific theories has been eroded – from the theory that man-made climate change is warming our planet, to the safety of GM food, or that HIV causes AIDS. He interviews scientists and campaigners from both sides of the climate change debate, and travels to New York to meet Tony, who has HIV but doesn't believe that the virus is responsible for AIDS.
"The Secret World of Pain" 31 January 2011 47x11
Horizon reveals the latest research into one of the most mysterious and common human experiences: pain. Exploring the breakthroughs that have come from studying a remarkable woman in London who has felt no pain at all in her life, a man in the US who cut off his own arm to survive, and three generations of an Italian family who don't feel extremes of temperature. Featuring a new treatment that involves a pioneering computer game 'snow world' that contains the power to banish pain, and revealing how powerfully our moods and emotions shape how we feel pain.
"Surviving a Car Crash" 7 February 2011 47x12
Horizon meets the scientists working to make fatal car crashes a thing of the past. A remarkable fusion of mechanical engineering and biology promises to save countless lives across the world. The programme has exclusive access to the secretive world of the most advanced car crash tests. Horizon reveals how the latest advances in trauma medicine, psychology and even extreme sport are transforming your chances of surviving on the roads. And the programme shows how researchers are creating a new virtual crash test dummy that could change how our cars are designed forever.
"How to Mend a Broken Heart" 14 February 2011 47x13
Dr Kevin Fong finds out how close scientists are to being able to mend your heart if it stops working. He meets some of the people who have undergone pioneering heart operations and the scientists who are pushing the limits of cardiac treatment. We meet a man who has had his heart replaced with an artificial one powered by a mechanical pump he carries around in a rucksack, and witness a scientist bring a dead animal heart back to life on a workbench. Plus, the work of an American scientist who is using stem cells to turn what she calls a 'ghost heart' – the scaffold of a heart – into a replacement heart for humans.
"Are We Still Evolving?" 1 March 2011 47x14
Dr Alice Roberts asks one of the great questions about our species: are we still evolving? There's no doubt that we're a product of millions of years of evolution. But thanks to modern technology and medicine, did we escape Darwin's law of the survival of the fittest? Alice follows a trail of clues from ancient human bones, to studies of remarkable people living in the most inhospitable parts of the planet, to the frontiers of genetic research to discover if we are still evolving – and where we might be heading.
"Predators in Your Backyard" 8 March 2011 47x15
Looking at the radical scheme of reintroducing predator animals close to human dwellings around the world, and the benefits following the reintroduction of Wolves back to Yellowstone National Park.
Series 48: 2011–2012[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Do You See What I See" 8 August 2011 48x01
Documentary exploring the impact of colours on people's lives, and how perceptions of them can be influenced by age, gender and mood. The programme examines scientists' claims that different hues have hidden powers, from the winning properties of red to how blue seemingly makes time speed up.
"Seeing Stars" 15 August 2011 48x02
Across the world, a new generation of astronomers is out to make fresh discoveries about the universe, but the scientists need to look farther than ever before. For this, they have pushed the limits of science and engineering to create a new set of super-telescopes that they hope will help them rewrite the story of the stars.
"The Nine Months That Made You" 22 August 2011 48x03
An exploration of theories pioneered by British scientist Professor David Barker, who believes that the time people spend in the womb is so profoundly important that it could affect every area of their subsequent development, from health and personality to the lives of their children.
"The Core" 31 August 2011 48x04
For centuries we have dreamt of reaching the centre of the Earth. Now scientists are uncovering a bizarre and alien world that lies 4,000 miles beneath our feet, unlike anything we know on the surface. It is a planet buried within the planet we know, where storms rage within a sea of white-hot metal and a giant forest of crystals make up a metal core the size of the Moon. Horizon follows scientists who are conducting experiments to recreate this core within their own laboratories, with surprising results..
"Are You Good or Evil?" 7 September 2011 48x05
Horizon meets the researchers who have studied some of the most terrifying people behind bars – psychopathic killers. But there was a shock in store for one of these scientists, Professor Jim Fallon, when he discovered that he had the profile of a psychopath. And the reason he didn't turn out to be a killer holds important lessons for all of us. We meet the scientist who believes he has found the moral molecule and the man who is using this new understanding to rewrite our ideas of crime and punishment.
"Is Nuclear Power Safe?" 14 September 2011 48x06
Six months after the explosions at the Fukushima nuclear plant and the release of radiation there, Professor Jim Al-Khalili sets out to discover whether nuclear power is safe. He begins in Japan, where he meets some of the tens of thousands of people who have been evacuated from the exclusion zone. He travels to an abandoned village just outside the zone to witness a nuclear clean-up operation. Jim draws on the latest scientific findings from Japan and from the previous explosion at Chernobyl to understand how dangerous the release of radiation is likely to be and what that means for our trust in nuclear power.
"Playing God" 17 January 2012 48x07
Adam Rutherford explores synthetic biology, a branch of science that researchers hope will enable them to break nature down into constituent parts so they can rebuild it as they please. He learns about the spider-goat, a creature bred by American scientists, whose milk can be used to artificially create the material for spiderwebs, and investigates how the science behind it could be applied to other areas of the natural world – including the human brain.
"The Truth About Exercise" 28 February 2012 48x08
Michael Mosley investigates recent scientific research that could change the way people exercise, including a study that suggests many could benefit from just three minutes of high-intensity activity a week. He also discovers the health benefits of seemingly innocuous actions, such as walking and fidgeting, and learns why some people do not respond to exercise at all.
"Solar Storms: The Threat to Planet Earth" 6 March 2012 48x09
Scientists predict this year will see a fit of violent activity on the sun which will propel billions of tonnes of superheated gas and pulses of energy towards Earth. In 1989 one of these solar storms, which has the power to close down modern technology, cut off the power to the Canadian province of Quebec. Horizon meets the weathermen as they try to predict what's coming and organisations like the National Grid as they prepare for the cosmic tempest.
"Out of Control?" 13 March 2012 48x10
People assume they are in control of their lives, deciding what they want and when they want it – but scientists now claim this is simply an illusion. Experiments reveal that what a person does and what they think can be very different, with the unconscious mind often influencing the decisions they make, from what they eat to who they fall in love with. Horizon reveals to what extent people really do control their own destiny.
"The Truth About Fat" 20 March 2012 48x11
Surgeon Gabriel Weston explores why so many people are piling on the pounds – and learns about new ways to fight the flab. She discovers the hidden hormones that control appetite and sees the latest surgery that fundamentally changes what a patient wants to eat – by altering how their brains work.
"Global Weirding" 27 March 2012 48x12
Something weird seems to be happening to our weather – it appears to be getting more extreme. In the past few years we have shivered through two record-breaking cold winters and parts of the country have experienced intense droughts and torrential floods. It is a pattern that appears to be playing out across the globe. Hurricane chasers are recording bigger storms and in Texas, record-breaking rain has been followed by record-breaking drought. Horizon follows the scientists who are trying to understand what's been happening to our weather and investigates if these extremes are a taste of what's to come.
"The Hunt for AI" 3 April 2012 48x13
Marcus Du Sautoy wants to find out how close we are to creating machines that can think like us: robots or computers that have artificial intelligence. His journey takes him to a strange and bizarre world where AI is now taking shape. Marcus meets two robots who are developing their own private language, and attempts to communicate to them. He discovers how a super computer beat humans at one of the toughest quiz shows on the planet, Jeopardy. And finds out if machines can have creativity and intuition like us. Marcus is worried that if machines can think like us, then he will be out of business. But his conclusion is that AI machines may surprise us with their own distinct way of thinking.
"Defeating Cancer" 10 April 2012 48x14
Over the past year, Horizon has been behind the scenes at one of Britain's leading cancer hospitals, the Royal Marsden in London. The film follows Rosemary, Phil and Ray as they undergo remarkable new treatments – from a billion pound genetically targeted drug designed to fight a type of skin cancer, to advanced robotic surgery. We witness the breakthroughs in surgery and in scientific research that are offering new hope and helping to defeat a disease that more than one in three of us will develop at some stage of our lives.
Series 49: 2012–2013[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"The Truth About Looking Young" 23 July 2012 49x01
Plastic surgeon Dr Rozina Ali leaves the operating theatre behind for the frontiers of skin science and asks if it is possible to make your skin look younger without surgery. She examines why some people appear to age better than others, and explores scientific innovations including a pill that manufacturers claim has rejuvenating properties. She also discovers how the contents of a squid's eye could change people's experiences of summer.
"Mission to Mars" 30 July 2012 49x02
Behind the scenes of Curiosity, NASA's latest mission to investigate the possibility of life on Mars. The agency aims to land a nuclear-powered rover vehicle, which cost $2.5billion to develop, on the surface of the planet by winching it down from a rocket-powered crane, then use it to explore the terrain. The programme also discovers the lessons experts have learned from previous expeditions, many of which ended in failure, and the project's chief scientist John Grotzinger discusses what he hopes the mission will reveal.
"Eat, Fast and Live Longer" 6 August 2012 49x03
Michael J. Mosley has set himself a truly ambitious goal: he wants to live longer, stay younger and lose weight in the bargain. And he wants to make as few changes to his life as possible along the way. He discovers the powerful new science behind the ancient idea of fasting, and he thinks he's found a way of doing it with the 5:2 diet that still allows him to enjoy his food. Michael tests out the science of fasting on himself – with life-changing results.
"How Big Is the Universe?" 27 August 2012 49x04
Cosmologists discuss their project to create a map of everything in existence, and reveal that their research has yielded some highly unexpected results, creating a picture stranger than anything they had imagined. Scientists also explain why the map suggests the universe may not be an all-encompassing entity – but merely the starting point for something much bigger.
"How Small Is the Universe?" 3 September 2012 49x05
Horizon plunges down the biggest rabbit-hole in history in search of the smallest thing in the Universe. It is a journey where things do not just become smaller but also a whole lot weirder. Scientists hope to catch a glimpse of miniature black holes, multiple dimensions and even parallel Universes. As they start to explore this wonderland, where nothing is quite what it seems, they may have to rewrite the fundamental laws of time and space.
"Defeating the Superbugs" 10 September 2012 49x06
Scientists and researchers discuss their efforts to thwart potentially lethal strains of bacteria that have grown resistant to conventional antibiotics. The programme follows projects designed to track the global spread of the organisms, and reveals new techniques that are being developed to protect and treat patients.
"The Truth About Meteors: A Horizon Special" 3 March 2013 49x07
On 2013 February 15, a meteorite travelling at more than 30,000 miles an hour crashed into Russia's Ural mountains, injuring more than 1,000 people. Just a day later, an asteroid passed within 17,000 miles of Earth. These were reminders that the planet's journey through space is fraught with danger. Professor Iain Stewart explores what meteorites and asteroids are, where they come from, the risks they pose and the role they have played in Earth's history.
"The Creative Brain – How Insight Works" 14 March 2013 49x08
The work of scientists who are adopting unusual techniques to try to determine how flashes of inspiration come about, developing a series of puzzles and brainteasers to spark creative behaviour. The latest neuro-imaging technology means researchers can witness the birth of an idea as it happens and what they are learning has the power to make everyone more creative.
"How to Avoid Mistakes in Surgery" 21 March 2013 49x09
Dr Kevin Fong examines what can be done to reduce the number of mistakes being made by surgeons in the operating theatre. Speaking to professionals in high-pressure careers - including airline pilots, firemen and Formula One pit workers - he explores the coping mechanisms they each employ when faced with emergency situations, and looks at how these tactics could be transferred to the world of surgery.
"The Truth about Taste" 28 March 2013 49x10
In recent years, researchers have started to understand why people love the foods they do, and that there may be a way to make snacks taste sweeter without adding any extra sugar – and it's all down to a trick that happens in the brain. This film meets a scientist who has grown a tomato that is sweeter and juicier than anything likely to be found on a supermarket shelf, and follows those hoping to become elite, professional tasters.
"The Age of Big Data" 4 April 2013 49x11
An examination of the varying uses being made of the huge amount of information now available in databases ie predictive analytics. In Los Angeles, police officers are taking part in an experiment to predict crime before it even happens, one City of London trader believes he has found the secret of making billions with mathematics, and astronomers in South Africa are attempting to catalogue the entire universe.
"The Secret Life of the Cat" 13 June 2013 49x12
Horizon discovers what your cat really does get up to beyond the cat flap. In this groundbreaking experiment, fifty cats in a Surrey village are tagged with GPS collars and their every movement is recorded, day and night, as they hunt in our backyards and patrol the garden fences and hedgerows. Cats are also fitted with specially developed cat-cams, revealing their unique view of the world.
"Little Cat Diaries" 14 June 2013 49x13
In the previous episode "The Secret Life of the Cat", 50 domestic felines from a Surrey village were fitted with GPS collars and cameras to track their every movement and record their unique view of the world. The results reveal a tomcat that seems to have no owner, a hunter that prefers food it can catch and kill to anything it might be given by humans, and a cat that has abandoned its home in favour of another set of owners.
"Fracking: The New Energy Rush" 19 June 2013 49x14
Geologist Iain Stewart investigates a new and controversial method of extracting natural gas from deep underground that involves hydraulic fracturing - or Fracking, as it is known. He travels to America to find out what the process is and what can be learned from the US experience, meeting people who have become rich from it, as well as those bothered about any risks to their communities.
"Swallowed by a Black Hole" 26 June 2013 49x15
A gas cloud has strayed within the gravitational reach of a super-massive black hole in the centre of the Milky Way and is expected to be affected by it at some point this summer. Across the globe, telescopes are being trained on the heart of Earth's galaxy in the expectation of observing this cosmic spectacle for the first time in history.
"What Makes Us Human?" 3 July 2013 49x16
Humans share 99% of their DNA with chimpanzees and yet from the moment of birth, their lives are completely different. Anthropologist Alice Roberts investigates the factors that separate mankind from its closest living relatives, exploring differences in physiology, genetic make-up and in the brain.
"The Truth About Personality" 10 July 2013 49x17
Michael Mosley explores the latest research in genetics and neuroscience to find out what factors shape people's personalities and whether they can be changed. Michael tries two techniques in an attempt to make him worry less and become more of an optimist - with surprising results.
Series 50: 2013–2014[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Monitor Me" 12 August 2013 50x01
Dr Kevin Fong explores the boom in "apps" and gadgets designed to help people monitor their health around the clock. He meets some of the pioneers of this revolution and visits a man who self-diagnosed a life-threatening disease from his own data, without going to the doctor.
"Defeating the Hackers" 19 August 2013 50x02
The programme explores the murky and fast-paced world of people using computers to steal money and identities, as well as wreaking havoc with users online lives. The film reveals the methods scientists are using to help defeat the hackers, meets the two men who uncovered the world's first cyber weapon, and the computer expert who worked out how to hack into cash machines.
"Dinosaurs - The Hunt for Life" 26 August 2013 50x03
The research of Dr Mary Schweitzer, who found soft tissue and red blood cells in the fossilised bones of a 68-million-year-old T rex, a breakthrough that wouldn't have looked out of place in Jurassic Park. Her work is revolutionising scientific understanding of dinosaurs and the palaeontologist believes she may also have found traces of the creatures' DNA.
"Sugar v Fat" 29 January 2014 50x04
Doctors Chris and Xand van Tulleken, who are identical twins, go on month-long diets comprising high volumes of fat or sugar to find out which is worse for the human body. The effects on their health are both shocking and surprising, but they also discover their biggest enemy may have been hiding in plain sight.
"Swallowed by a Sink Hole" 3 February 2014 50x05
In February last year, Jeff Bush was asleep at his home in Florida when a sinkhole opened up beneath his bedroom. Despite the efforts of his brother to rescue him, Jeff was never seen alive again and his body could not be recovered. Professor Iain Stewart travels to the American state to discover what took Jeff's life and investigate why the geology of the area makes it the sinkhole capital of the world.
"Man on Mars: Mission to the Red Planet" 10 February 2014 50x06
Horizon goes behind the scenes at NASA to discover how it is preparing for its most ambitious and daring mission: to land humans on the surface of Mars. Horizon meets the scientists and engineers who are designing new rockets, new space suits and finding ways to help astronauts survive the perils of this long voyage.
"The Power of the Placebo" 17 February 2014 50x07
They are the miracle pills that shouldn't really work at all. Placebos come in all shapes and sizes, but they contain no active ingredient. Now they are being shown to help treat pain, depression and even alleviate some of the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Horizon explores why they work, and how we could all benefit from the hidden power of the placebo.
"How You Really Make Decisions" 26 February 2014 50x08
Every day you make thousands of decisions, big and small, and behind all them is a powerful battle in your mind, pitting Intuition against logic. This conflict affects every aspect of your life - from what you eat to what you believe, and especially to how you spend your money. And it turns out that the intuitive part of your mind is a lot more powerful than you may realise.
"Living with Autism" 1 April 2014 50x09
On the eve of National / World Autism Day, this programme reveals how a lifetime of study by developmental psychologist Uta Frith has transformed understanding of the condition. The professor discusses the ways people with autism perceive and interact with the world, reveals how another kind of reality exists for them and explains why they often fail to understand jokes.
"The £10 Million Challenge" 22 May 2014 50x10
To celebrate its 50th birthday, Horizon invites the public to play a role in tackling the greatest challenges facing science today.
"Where is Flight MH370?" 17 June 2014 50x11
Horizon tells the inside story of the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. With access to the key players on the frontline in the southern Indian Ocean and the British satellite engineers who tracked the plane's final hours, Horizon breaks open the biggest mystery in aviation history.
"What's Wrong with Our Weather?" 17 July 2014 50x12
Physicist Helen Czerski and meteorologist John Hammond investigate why the British weather appears to have become more extreme and if it has anything to do with climate change. They examine the impact of the jet stream's strange behaviour, revealing what is causing it, and attempt to find out if severe winters are going to become more common.
Series 51: 2014–2015[edit]

Title
Original broadcast date
Episode
"Should I Eat Meat? - The Big Health Dilemma" 18 August 2014 51x01
In the first of two programmes this week investigating the truth about meat, Michael Mosley asks if those summer barbecue favourites - burgers and sausages - are as bad as some people think. He puts the latest scientific findings to the test on a high-meat diet to discover whether eating beef and bacon every day will do him any harm.
"Should I Eat Meat? - How to Feed the Planet" 20 August 2014 51x02
Part two of two. Every year roughly 65 billion animals are slaughtered globally for food - nine for every living person. In this documentary, Michael Mosley examines the impact this is having on the planet and finds out what meat we should be buying if we want to be eco-friendly carnivores. Is it better to purchase free-range organic or factory-farmed options? The answers are far from obvious.
"Allergies: Modern Life and Me" 27 August 2014 51x03
Changes to the bacteria that live inside all of us are responsible for increasing the number of people with allergies, suggests new research. In this episode of Horizon, the show investigates this claim by conducting a unique experiment with two allergic families in order to find out just what it is in the modern world that is to blame. With a raft of mini cameras, GPS units and the very latest gene sequencing technology, the show discovers how the western lifestyle is impacting their bacteria. Why are these changes making people allergic? And what can be done to put a stop to the allergy epidemic?
References[edit]
General"Horizon archives". BBC Retrieved on 2009-12-08
"Horizon episodes coming up". BBC Retrieved on 2009-12-08
"Recent Horizons". BBC Retrieved on 2009-12-08
"Episode Guide"*. BBC Retrieved 2013-02-01
Specific
1.Jump up ^ https://bioethicsbytes.wordpress.com/category/horizon/
2.Jump up ^ Reynolds, Stanley, TELEVISION, The Guardian, 13 September 1968
3.Jump up ^ Reynolds, Stanley, TELEVISION, The Guardian; 26 October 1968
4.Jump up ^ Dawson, Helen, THE WEEK'S TV, The Observer, 26 April 1970
5.Jump up ^ Highfield, Roger (11 Dec 2000). "BBC re-edits Horizon after watchdog's attack". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
6.Jump up ^ Percy Pilcher's Flying Machine
7.Jump up ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/horizon/2004/troy.shtml The Truth of Troy - programme summary



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Horizon (BBC TV series)
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Horizon
Horizon titles.png
Horizon titlecard

Genre
Science, technology
Format
Documentary
Starring
Various
Narrated by
Paul Vaughan (1968–1995), Veronika Hyks, Phillip Tibenham, Martin Jarvis, Ian Holm, Sean Barrett, Richard Baker, Ray Brooks, Ronald Pickup, Peter Wilson, (c. 1980 – late 1990s), William Woollard, Dilly Barlow (2001)
Country of origin
United Kingdom
No. of series
49
No. of episodes
>1,100
Production

Producer(s)
Liz Tucker
 Andrew Thompson
 Jacqui Smith
 Andrew Cohen
 Malcolm Clark
Matthew Barrett
 Edward Briffa
 Grenville Williams
Running time
59 min
Broadcast

Original channel
BBC2
Picture format
PAL
Original airing
2 May 1964
External links
Website
Horizon is an ongoing and long-running British documentary television series on BBC that covers science and philosophy.


Contents  [hide]
1 History
2 Episodes
3 Broad coverage of science topics
4 Format 4.1 1960s-1980s
4.2 1990s
4.3 2000s
5 Popularity
6 Criticism
7 Awards
8 See also
9 References
10 External links 10.1 Video clips


History[edit]
The programme was first broadcast on 2 May 1964 with The World of Buckminster Fuller which explored the theories and structures of inventor Richard Buckminster Fuller and included the Horizon mission statement, The aim of Horizon is to provide a platform from which some of the world's greatest scientists and philosophers can communicate their curiosity, observations and reflections, and infuse into our common knowledge their changing views of the universe.[1] "Horizon" continues to be broadcast on BBC Two, and in 2009 added a series of films based on the rich Horizon archive called 'Horizon Guides' on BBC Four.
Episodes[edit]
Main article: List of Horizon episodes
There have been 49 series and over 1,100 episodes produced.
Broad coverage of science topics[edit]
Horizon has investigated an eclectic mix of subjects and controversial topics such as 'Does the MMR jab cause autism?'; it opened the awareness of consumers to the use of whale meat in pet food in 1972; and produced award-winning documentary-dramas such as 'Life Story' in 1987 which dramatised the discovery of the structure of DNA. A 1978 programme about the silicon chip predicted the decline of the Swiss watch industry. In 1993, an Emmy winning episode called "Assault on the Male" about decreasing male fertility, was given a special screening at the White House.[2]
Format[edit]
The format of the series has varied over the years.
1960s-1980s[edit]
The first ever Horizon was The World of Buckminster Fuller, produced and directed by Ramsay Short, 5 February 1964. It set the style; running time 50 minutes, no in-vision presenter, interviewees speaking off camera (in practice, almost always to the producer/director whose questions were usually edited out.) Until the 1980s Horizon, in common with all BBC documentaries, was shot on 16mm film.[1] Only rare programmes had a specialist writer – in most cases the producer/director was also the writer.
The first Horizon in colour was Koestler on Creativity, produced by Robert Vas, 5 December 1967.
The Public Broadcasting Service's (PBS) Nova series was created in 1974, after Michael Ambrosino, who had served a year-long fellowship with the BBC, was inspired to create an American program based on the same model.[3][4]
1990s[edit]
Since the early 1990s, Horizon has developed a distinctive narrative form, typically employing an underlying "detective" metaphor, to relate scientific issues and discoveries to the lives of its viewers. Many episodes of Horizon are structured in a format that starts with a tease or menu laying out what the show has in store, followed by two 'acts' with a 'plot twist' around 25–35 minutes into the show. The twist frequently propels the story line from a focus on an individual scientist's human and intellectual journey of discovery through to explore the impact of that insight while, at the same time, providing a change of 'texture' and filmic pace. Often, episodes of Horizon end up with a montage of "talking heads" as experts and people affected by the implications of the science covered are intercut to create a sense of summary.
2000s[edit]
Until early 2008, the length was standardised at 50 minutes, which was extended in the latter half of 2008 to 60 minutes. Some episodes are adapted from documentaries by other broadcasters such as PBS's Nova,[citation needed] and episodes of Horizon are in turn adapted by PBS and other broadcasters around the world.
Popularity[edit]
Horizon has also enjoyed high viewing figures, even though it covered subjects as complex as molecular biology and particle physics. It has shown a change of direction since June 2006, offering a more light-hearted approach, though the subjects it covers remain serious.
Criticism[edit]
The down-side to Horizon's recent focus on 'Pure Science, Sheer Drama' and the occasionally forced narrative this engenders has led to some accusations of dumbing down in recent years,[5][6][7] with one former editor writing a newspaper article about how the programme concentrates too much on human stories, and not enough on the science.[8]
One programme Chimps are people too was entirely presented by a non-scientist, Danny Wallace. Editor Andrew Cohen addressed the reasons why the programme went down this route on the Horizon web page.[9]
Awards[edit]
In the period of "Pure Science, Sheer Drama", Horizon won an unprecedented series of the world's top awards, including a BAFTA, an Emmy for Best Documentary, a Royal Television Society Award and a Grierson Trust Award. Other Emmy winning programmes are: "Chernobyl's Sarcophagus" (1991), "Assault on the Male" (1993) and "The Fall of the World Trade Centre" (2003). In 1998, Horizon won a BAFTA for Best Drama, "Life Story" (about the elucidation of the structure of DNA), another in 1996 for Best Documentary, "Fermat's Last Theorem" (which also won a Prix Italia) and another in 2001 for Best Factual Series or Strand.
See also[edit]
Q.E.D. – 1980s and 1990s documentary series on BBC1, focusing on more populist science topics than Horizon
Equinox – Channel 4 science programme, similar to Q.E.D. and last produced in 2001
List of Horizon episodes
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b BBC Press Office, "40 facts for Horizon's 40th birthday". Retrieved 13 July 2008
2.Jump up ^ BBC Press Office, "BBC TWO's Horizon celebrates 40th birthday with new series this autumn". Retrieved 13 July 2008
3.Jump up ^ See Ambrosino and Nova: making stories that go ‘bang’, Current, 4 May 1998
4.Jump up ^ "For Curious Grownups" Time magazine, 29 April 1974
5.Jump up ^ Orlowski, Andrew, "BBC abandons science", The Register. Article dated 27 October 2006. Retrieved 4 November 2006.
6.Jump up ^ Various, "BBC Horizon letters", The Register. Published 4 November 2006. Retrieved 4 November 2006.
7.Jump up ^ Close, Frank, "Fears over factoids", Physics World. Published 3 August 2007.
8.Jump up ^ Goodchild, Peter, "Clouds on the Horizon", guardian.co.uk. Article written 7 October 2004.
9.Jump up ^ BBC - Horizon - From the editor
External links[edit]
Horizon at BBC Programmes Horizon (2008 series) at BBC Online
Horizon (1996–2008) at BBC Online
Horizon at the Internet Movie Database
TV.COM Horizon Guide
Incomplete episode list since 1964 at the BFI
Subtitles for recent Horizon episodes, from BBC
Video clips[edit]
Death of the Working Classes - BBC Archive - first broadcast February 1988
 


Categories: 1964 British television programme debuts
1960s British television series
1970s British television series
1980s British television series
1990s British television series
2000s British television series
2010s British television series
British documentary television series
BBC television documentaries about science
Science education television series
Documentary films about philosophy






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Deep Blue (2003 film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search


Deep Blue

Directed by
Alastair Fothergill
Andy Byatt
Produced by
Alix Tidmarsh
 Sophokles Tasioulis
Music by
George Fenton
Edited by
Martin Elsbury
Distributed by
Miramax Films
Release date(s)
September 20, 2003 (San Sebastian Film Festival)

Running time
90 minutes
Language
English
Budget
£2.8 million
Box office
US$30 million
Deep Blue is a 2003 nature documentary film that is a theatrical version of the 2001 BBC nature documentary series The Blue Planet. Alastair Fothergill and Andy Byatt are credited as directors, and six cinematographers are also credited. The film premiered at the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain on September 20, 2003. It screened in over 20 territories from 2003 to 2005 and grossed over $30 million at the box office.


Contents  [hide]
1 Production
2 Release
3 Critical reception
4 References
5 External links

Production[edit]
Deep Blue is a theatrical version of the 2001 BBC nature documentary series The Blue Planet. BBC Worldwide and Germany's Greenlight Media co-produced the film. Alastair Fothergill and Andy Byatt are credited as directors, and six cinematographers were also credited: Doug Allan, Mike deGruy, Peter Scoones, Simon King, Rick Rosenthal, and Bob Cranston.[1] The idea for Deep Blue developed from when a shorter version of The Blue Planet was cut for The Proms in 2002 and for which George Fenton composed a score. When BBC Worldwide partnered with Greenlight Media and the latter helped raise money for the film, the filmmakers reviewed over 70,000 hours of raw footage from The Blue Planet. Ultimately, a quarter of Deep Blue consisted of footage not shown in The Blue Planet.[2] Producer Sophokles Tasioulis said, "There's not a single cut in the movie that's the same as the TV series." The film contains only 15 lines of narrative. Filmmakers enlisted Fenton to compose the film's score, which was performed by the Berlin Philharmonic in their cinematic debut.[3] Voiceovers were also recorded for different countries. Production of the theatrical version cost £2.8 million, while marketing and distribution cost an additional £1 million.[2]
Release[edit]
Footage of Deep Blue was first screened at the Cannes Film Market on May 18, 2003.[4] It premiered at the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain on September 20, 2003. Variety reported, "'Deep Blue' world preemed at San Sebastian to applause Saturday."[5]
Deep Blue was the first theatrical release from BBC Worldwide.[2] Not including the United States, Deep Blue was theatrically distributed in over 20 territories and grossed $30 million at the box office.[6] The film "performed well" in theaters in Europe.[7] In Germany, it became the highest-grossing documentary film to date. In Japan, it broke records at the box office. The documentary was released on DVD before Christmas 2004. Over 480,000 units were sold in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Switzerland. In Japan, it sold over 110,000 copies on the first day and became the first documentary to rank first on Japan's DVD charts.[6]
Miramax Films acquired rights in December 2003 to distribute Deep Blue in North America. Variety called the acquisition "a rare foray for the distrib into nonfiction films".[8] It gave the film a limited release in June 2005.[6] Deep Blue screened in five theaters for 12 weeks and grossed $132,261.[9]
Critical reception[edit]
The film review website Metacritic reported that among a sample of 17 critics from the United States, 11 gave Deep Blue a positive review and 6 gave it a mixed review. The website gave the film an overall score of 71 out of 100.[10] Laura Kern of The New York Times called Deep Blue, a re-cut of The Blue Planet, "a more visual and less informative re-assemblage of the mounds of footage shot for the show, is alternately mind-blowing and mind-numbing". Kern commended footage of deep-sea creatures as "so exotic they would be the envy of any science-fiction film". The critic concluded, "The experience of 'Deep Blue' is hardly enlightening. In the end, a sliver of knowledge may be gained, or environmental concerns only briefly alluded to might be pondered, but mostly what remains are pretty pictures that quickly fade into oblivion."[1]
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b Kern, Laura (June 3, 2005). "A Visit With the Creatures of the Sea". The New York Times.
2.^ Jump up to: a b c Deans, Jason (October 25, 2004). "BBC's Deep Blue rides on a wave of success". The Guardian.
3.Jump up ^ Dawtrey, Adam (May 19, 2003). "BBC, Greenlight in natural mood". Variety.
4.Jump up ^ Gallo, Phil; Dore, Shalini (August 20, 2003). "'Blue Planet' takes victory lap after last year's Emmy glory". Variety.
5.Jump up ^ Hopewell, John (September 21, 2003). "Beeb, Greenlight reteam for doc". Variety.
6.^ Jump up to: a b c Barraclough, Leo (June 8, 2005). "Gaga over 'Planet'". Variety.
7.Jump up ^ Staff (October 6, 2004). "Heat is on for docs". Variety.
8.Jump up ^ Rooney, David (December 11, 2003). "Miramax takes plunge into 'Deep'". Variety.
9.Jump up ^ "Deep Blue (2005)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
10.Jump up ^ "Deep Blue". Metacritic. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
External links[edit]
Official website
Deep Blue at the Internet Movie Database
 


Categories: 2003 films
English-language films
2000s documentary films
Documentary films about nature
Film scores by George Fenton
Films directed by Andy Byatt
Films directed by Alastair Fothergill




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Natural World (TV series)
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  (Redirected from Natural World (BBC TV series))
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This article is about the BBC television series. For other uses, see Nature (disambiguation).

Natural World
Natural World title card
2013 series title card

Also known as
The Natural World
Genre
Nature documentary
Narrated by
Various
Country of origin
United Kingdom
Original language(s)
English
No. of episodes
493
Production

Producer(s)
Various
Editor(s)
Roger Webb (Series Editor)
Running time
50/60 minutes
Production company(s)
BBC Natural History Unit
Broadcast

Original channel
BBC Two, BBC Two HD
Picture format
Film
SD: 576i
HD: 1080i
Audio format
Monaural, Stereo
Original run
30 October 1983 – present
Chronology

Preceded by
The World About Us
External links
Website
Natural World is a strand of British wildlife documentary programmes broadcast on BBC Two and BBC Two HD and regarded by the BBC as its flagship natural history series.[1] It is the longest-running documentary in its genre on British television,[2] with nearly 500 episodes broadcast since its inception in 1983.[3] Natural World programmes are typically one-off films that take an in-depth look at particular natural history events, stories or subjects from around the globe.
Natural World is produced by the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol under the stewardship of the Series Editor, who is responsible for commissioning or acquiring content. Programmes are a mixture of in-house productions, collaborative productions with other broadcasters or acquisitions from independent producers. There are 10 programmes broadcast each year, of which approximately half are produced in-house.[4] The series has close ties with the US series Nature, broadcast by PBS.[2]
The 2014-15 series of Natural World is the thirty-third, and begins on 11 April 2014 with “Africa’s Giant Killers”, a film about conflict between lions and elephants in Botswana.[5]


Contents  [hide]
1 History
2 Format, content and notable episodes
3 Awards
4 Series Editors
5 References
6 External links

History[edit]
Natural World was initiated in 1983 as a wildlife-specific spin-off to The World About Us, itself a long-running documentary strand on BBC Two. The World About Us was commissioned in 1967 by David Attenborough, at that time the Controller of BBC Two, to promote the new colour television service to British audiences. As the former head of the BBC's Travel and Exploration Unit in London, Attenborough realised that many of its telecine films had been shot in colour and would make ideal subjects for a documentary series, along with natural history content from the Bristol Unit and overseas broadcasters. The World About Us launched on 3 December 1967 to coincide with the first full evening of colour television in Britain, with Attenborough himself acting as Series Editor. The first programme was "Volcano", a film by the French vulcanologist Haroun Tazieff; the Natural History Unit's first contribution was "Forest and Firebird" featuring the brilliantly-coloured scarlet ibis.[6] Programmes such as these were no accident: The World About Us was described by Barry Paine, a frequent producer and narrator during its first two decades, as "a series designed to sell colour television sets".[7]
Due to the difficulty of sourcing colour films at the time, The World About Us started out with a broad remit of geography, anthropology and natural history as subject matter. Gradually, the contributions from the Travel and Exploration Unit diminished and the Natural History Unit's programmes grew in prominence.[8] This was acknowledged by the BBC when the series was re-launched as The Natural World in 1983; the title subsequently shortened to its current form in 2003. The first episode under the new title was "Save the Panda", broadcast on 30 October 1983 in what would become a regular time slot on Sunday evenings (where Series Editor Peter Jones claimed audiences were "hungry for natural history").[2] The World About Us continued until 1986.
The early Series Editors benefited from a generous budget, courtesy of a co-production partnership with the US broadcaster WNET.[2] The American channel was keen to commission material for its recently launched Nature strand on PBS. The first programme to benefit from the partnership was the 1982 mini-series The Flight of the Condor.[9] At the same time, researchers and field biologists were publishing many new discoveries about wildlife in scientific journals, providing the BBC with plentiful material for new programme ideas. As a result, the strand quickly expanded from 10 to 20 slots by 1985 and a number of special programmes were commissioned, helped by additional funding from BBC Enterprises (now BBC Worldwide).[2] Among them were the award-winning mini-series Kingdom of the Ice Bear (1985) and Vanishing Earth (1986).
David Attenborough has maintained a close association with Natural World throughout its long history, narrating or presenting around 50 episodes to date. In 2008, on the strand's 25th anniversary, he commented "I have no doubt that Natural World is not only the doyen and founding member of the 50-minute natural history genre but is still the one with the best and most distinguished record."[3]
In recent years, the number of Natural World programmes has reduced to 10 per series, and the strand no longer occupies a regular place in BBC Two's schedule. High-definition broadcasts of Natural World programmes started in 2008 on the BBC HD channel and following its closure are now simulcast on BBC Two HD.
Format, content and notable episodes[edit]
Main article: List of Natural World episodes
The World About Us helped to popularize the long-form documentary on British television thanks to its generous 50-minute length, a step up from the half-hour programmes which were more common at the time. Filmmakers were able to take advantage of this format to delve into a particular story in more detail, or cover broader themes.[10] More recently, the running time has been extended to 60 minutes.
The tone of the strand was set by its first Series Editor, Peter Jones, who gave his film-makers the time and budget to explore their subjects in more detail. He also decided to avoid a house style in favour of a flexible approach where the style was chosen to match the subject of the documentary. This freedom from stylistic constraints gave film-makers autonomy to make the programmes they wanted. As Natural World quickly established itself in the schedules, the Series Editors were able to take risks with unusual subjects which may otherwise have been avoided by broadcasters. According to Jones, "the idea was to give the audience a surprise each week. It was as far from the contemporary concept of formatted television as you could get."[2] Some of the more unusual subjects have included plankton, wasps, cephalopods and manure ("The Wonderful World of Dung", 1991).
Jones's successors have maintained the same ethos, mixing traditional "blue-chip" natural history[11] with different approaches to storytelling. Mike Gunton, Series Editor from 2001-2004, introduced more human elements into the programmes, granted filmmakers additional time in the field to get the shots they needed and continued to experiment with style. "Cats Under Serengeti Stars" was filmed entirely in black and white and "Dune" was told from the point of view of a grain of sand.[2]
In its current guise, Natural World programmes typically fall into three categories: strong, emotional stories; popular or unusual but interesting animal subjects; and films offering a different, personal perspective.[4] Filmmakers are granted up to 100 days in the field, depending on how much archive material can be used.
David Attenborough's notable episodes include the Echo of the Elephants films, which followed scientist Cynthia Moss and cameraman Martyn Colbeck on their lengthy study of an elephant herd in Kenya. In "Attenborough in Paradise" (1996), he fulfilled a lifelong ambition to observe and film the courtship displays of birds of paradise, whilst "The Amber Time Machine" (2004) saw him trace the origins of a piece of amber from the time of the dinosaurs. For "Attenborough's Ark", a 2012 special, he selected his 10 personal favourite species to save on an imaginary ark. The programme drew 3.2 million viewers, the strand's highest audience for eight years. Natural World's most-watched episode also featured Attenborough, this time as the narrator of "Highgrove, A Prince's Legacy" (2003). 4.8 million viewers watched Prince Charles explain the organic farming methods used on his Highgrove House estate.[2]
For many years, the series regularly included documentaries on British wildlife, but the commissioning editors no longer consider such programmes.[4] The last programme with a British theme was "An Unnatural History of London" in 2012, which featured the capital's urban wildlife. Another programme set in Britain, 2003's "My Halcyon River", became the most requested repeat by readers of Radio Times in the days following its transmission.[12]
Awards[edit]
Natural World programmes are regularly nominated at television industry awards and wildlife film festivals. Notable award-winners from the early years of the series include the 1986 Prix Italia for Vanishing Earth and an Emmy for cinematography for Kingdom of the Ice Bear. The Royal Television Society awarded Natural World the Best Documentary Strand in 1999[13] and photography prizes to the episodes "Mississippi, Tales of the Last River Rat" in 2005 and "Wye, Voices from the Valley" in 2007. "Mississippi, Tales of the Last River Rat" was also recognised at the Grierson Trust's British Documentary Awards in 2005.
Recent award-winning episodes include "A Tiger Called Broken Tail", overall winner at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival in 2011 and Missoula's International Wildlife Film Festival (IWFF) in 2012, "Madagascar, Lemurs and Spies", a three-time winner at IWFF in 2012, "My Life As A Turkey", recipient of the Golden Panda at the Wildscreen Festival in 2012 and "Kangaroo Dundee", a prize-winner at Jackson Hole and IWFF in 2013.
Series Editors[edit]
Peter Jones (1983–1987) (also Series Editor of The World About Us 1979-1983)
Andrew Neal (1987–1989)
Mike Salisbury (1989–1993)
John Sparks (1993–1997)
Neil Nightingale (1997–2001)
Mike Gunton (2001–2004)
Tim Martin (2004–2011)
Steve Greenwood (2011–2013)
Roger Webb (2013–present)
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "Neil Nightingale joins BBC Worldwide". BBC Press Office. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
2.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h Anderson, Kelly. "Nature focus: What a wonderful 'World'". Realscreen. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
3.^ Jump up to: a b "Natural World celebrates 25 years". BBC Press Office. 2008-10-23.
4.^ Jump up to: a b c Anderson, Kelly. "Wildscreen '12: The one-offs commissioners want". Retrieved 5 April 2014.
5.Jump up ^ "BBC Natural World 2014-2015 Episode Guide". BBC. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
6.Jump up ^ Parsons, Christopher (1982). True to Nature. Patrick Stephens Limited. p. 254. ISBN 0-85059-530-4.
7.Jump up ^ "Oral History Chapter 8: The Arrival of Colour Television". WildFilmHistory. 2001-01-31.
8.Jump up ^ Attenborough, David (2002). Life on Air: Memoirs of a Broadcaster. BBC Books. p. 212. ISBN 0-563-48780-1.
9.Jump up ^ Anderson, Kelly. "Call of 'Nature'". Realscreen. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
10.Jump up ^ Bright, Michael (2007). 100 Years of Wildlife. BBC Books. p. 46. ISBN 1-84607-321-9.
11.Jump up ^ Bouse, Derek (2000). Wildlife Films. University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 14–15. ISBN 0-8122-1728-4.
12.Jump up ^ "Charlie Hamilton James: Television". Retrieved 5 April 2014.
13.Jump up ^ "Programme Award Winners 1999". Royal Television Society. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
External links[edit]
Natural World at BBC Programmes
Natural World at the Internet Movie Database
 


Categories: 1983 British television programme debuts
1960s British television series
1970s British television series
1980s British television series
1990s British television series
2000s British television series
2010s British television series
BBC high definition programmes
BBC television documentaries
Documentary films about nature





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List of Natural World episodes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search




[hide]This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page.




##This article needs additional citations for verification.  (February 2012)




##This article possibly contains original research.  (February 2012)


The following is a list of episodes of the BBC television series Natural World.



Contents
Series: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13 · 14 · 15 · 16 · 17 · 18 · 19 · 20
21 · 22 · 23 · 24 · 25 · 26 · 27 · 28 · 29 · 30 · 31 · 32 · 33
Footnotes · References · External links

Series 1[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 Save the Panda 30 October 1983 Barry Paine Giant panda
2 From Aardvark to Zebra 6 November 1983  
3 Programmed for Flight 13 November 1983 Barry Paine 
4 Jungle 20 November 1983  
5 Secret Weapons 27 November 1983 Tom Elsner 
6 Birds of Paradox 4 December 1983  
7 Jet Set Wildlife 11 December 1983 Barry Paine 
8 Pelican Delta 18 December 1983 Barry Paine Pelican
9 Winter Days 25 December 1983  
10 God's Acre 2 January 1984 Barry Paine 
Series 2[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 Plight of the Bumble-Bee 6 May 1984 Barry Paine Bumblebee
2 Salim Ali's India 13 May 1984 Barry Paine 
3 The Kiwai 20 May 1984  
4 Commandos of Conservation 3 June 1984  
5 Long Point 10 June 1984 Barry Paine 
6 Beneath the Keel 17 June 1984 Barry Paine, Jeff Goodman, Laurie Emberson 
7 Treasures of the Gulf 1 July 1984  
8 Fragments of Eden 22 July 1984 Barry Paine 
9 On the Eighth Day 24 September 1984  
Series 3[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 Among the Wild Chimpanzees 4 November 1984 Barry Paine, Jane Goodall Eastern chimpanzee
2 One Man's Island 11 November 1984  
3 Invaders of the Truk Lagoon 18 November 1984  
4 The Desire of the Moth 25 November 1984 Barry Paine 
5 A Question of Space 2 December 1984  
6 Peacocks, Parasites and the Puzzle of Sex 9 December 1984  
7 Land of Ice and Fire 16 December 1984  
8 The Lost World of Medusa 23 December 1984 Barry Paine 
9 Kinabalu, Summit of Borneo 6 January 1985 Barry Paine 
10 Wild Ireland 13 January 1985 Barry Paine 
11 Water - A Fresh Look 20 January 1985 Barry Paine, Walter Sigl 
12 Battle of the Leaves 27 January 1985  
13 The Year of the Rat 3 February 1985 Barry Paine 
14 Through Animal Eyes 10 February 1985  
15 Within a Garden Wall 17 February 1985  
Series 4[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 Land of the Tiger 15 September 1985  Tiger
2 Namaqualand, Diary of a Desert Garden 22 September 1985 Barry Paine 
3 Horns of Dilemma 29 September 1985  
4 On the Verge of Life 6 October 1985  
5 The Man Who Loves Frogs 13 October 1985  
6 Emas, The High Plains of Brazil 20 October 1985 Barry Paine 
7 The Flight of the Whooping Crane 27 October 1985  
8 White Rock, Black Water 3 November 1985  
9 Never Stay in One Place 10 November 1985  
10 City of Coral 17 November 1985  Coral
11 Kingdom of the Ice Bear: The Frozen Ocean[fn 1][1] 24 November 1985  Polar bear
12 Kingdom of the Ice Bear: The Land of Beyond 1 December 1985  Polar bear
13 Kingdom of the Ice Bear: The Final Challenge 8 December 1985  Polar bear
14 Aspen, A Dance of Leaves 22 December 1985  
15 The Plant Hunters 29 December 1985 Barry Paine 
16 Short Grass Country 5 January 1986  
17 The Forgotten Garden 12 January 1986 Barry Paine 
18 Inside Stories 19 January 1986  
19 Masked Monkeys 26 January 1986  
20 Sky Hunters 2 February 1986  
21 Vanishing Earth: Soil 4 August 1986  
22 Vanishing Earth: Water 5 August 1986  
Series 5[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 Leopard, a Darkness in the Grass 5 October 1986  Leopard
2 Where the Parrots Speak Mandarin 12 October 1986  Parrot
3 The Mystery of Laguna Baja 19 October 1986  
4 Have Fish Had Their Chips? 16 November 1986  
5 Why Dogs Don't Like Chilli But Some Like It Hot 23 November 1986  
6 The Elephant Challenge 30 November 1986  Elephant
7 Ichkeul, Between the Desert and the Deep Blue Sea 7 December 1986 Barry Paine 
8 Man-Eaters of Kumaon 14 December 1986  
9 A Cactus Called Saguaro 21 December 1986  
10 A Wilderness Like Eden 11 January 1987  
11 Sweet Water, Bitter Sea 18 January 1987  
12 Bats Need Friends 25 January 1987  Bat
13 Cockatoos at Three Springs 1 February 1987  Cockatoo
14 The Volcano Watchers 8 February 1987 Barry Paine 
15 The Deciding Factor 15 February 1987  
16 Reflections of a River Keeper 22 February 1987 Barry Paine, Tom Williams 
17 Towers of Wax and Paper Palaces 1 March 1987 Barry Paine 
Series 6[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 Spirits of the Forest 20 September 1987 Andrew Sachs Lemur
2 Land of the Kiwi 27 September 1987 Barry Paine Kiwi
3 Lions of the African Night 4 October 1987  Lion
4 Forest of Fear 11 October 1987  
5 Icebird 18 October 1987  
6 Ticket to the Wild 25 October 1987  
7 Grizzly! 1 November 1987  Grizzly bear
8 Islands of the Fire Goddess 15 November 1987  
9 Paradise Reclaimed 22 November 1987  
10 Battle for the Eagles 29 November 1987  
11 Okavango, Jewel of the Kalihari: Search for the Jewel 6 December 1987 Barry Paine 
12 Okavango, Jewel of the Kalihari: The Living Jewel 13 December 1987 Barry Paine 
13 Okavango, Jewel of the Kalihari: A New Challenge 20 December 1987 Barry Paine 
Series 7[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 Ice Pack 18 September 1988 Barry Paine 
2 Beyond Timbuktu 25 September 1988  
3 Nighthunters 2 October 1988  
4 Twilight of the Dreamtime 9 October 1988 Richard Kiley 
5 Search for the Yeti 16 October 1988  
6 A Passion for Grouse 23 October 1988  
7 Nuts in Brazil 30 October 1988  
8 Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon 6 November 1988  
9 The Journey of Gerald Through Wales 13 November 1988  
10 Coral Triangle 27 November 1988 Barry Paine 
11 Wild Waterfalls: The Natural History of Cascades 1 January 1989 Jenni Murray 
Series 8[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 Gorillas in the Midst of Man 1 October 1989  Gorilla
2 Ivory Wars 8 October 1989  Elephant
3 Gran Paradiso 15 October 1989  
4 Fear of the Wild 22 October 1989  
5 Splashdown: A Diver's Natural History 29 October 1989 Martha Holmes 
6 Island in the Air 5 November 1989  
7 Amazon, the Flooded Forest: Part 1 19 November 1989  
8 Amazon, the Flooded Forest: Part 2 26 November 1989  
9 A Tramp in the Darien 3 December 1989  
10 The Taming of the Ewe 10 December 1989  
11 Under the Ice 17 December 1989  
12 The Sisterhood 7 January 1990  
13 Erin Through the Mists of Time 14 January 1990  
14 The Serpent's Embrace 21 January 1990  
15 Haida Gwai, Islands of the People 28 January 1990  
16 La Loire Sauvage 4 February 1990  
Series 9[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 Running for their Lives 6 January 1991  
2 Scandinavia: Lands of the Midnight Sun 13 January 1991 Martin Jarvis 
3 Scandinavia: Fresh Waters, Salt Seas 20 January 1991 Martin Jarvis 
4 The Cat That Came in from the Cold 27 January 1991  
5 Portrait of the Planet 3 February 1991  
6 Two Weeks to Save the Planet 10 February 1991  
7 Cranes of the Grey Wind 17 February 1991  
8 Even The Animals Must Be Free 3 March 1991  
9 Marathon Birds 10 March 1991  
10 The Great Karoo, a Secret Africa 17 March 1991  
11 Big Oil: in the Wake Of Exxon Valdez 24 March 1991  
12 Wings Over the Holy Land 31 March 1991  
13 Hawaii, Beyond the Feathered Gods 14 April 1991  
14 Treasures of the Gulf 6 May 1991  
Series 10[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 Vietnam: the Country not the War 24 November 1991  
2 Arctic Wanderers 1 December 1991 Barry Paine 
3 The Wonderful World of Dung 8 December 1991 Tony Robinson 
4 Monkeys on the Edge 15 December 1991  Monkey
5 Sounds of the Islands 22 December 1991  
6 Sharks on their Best Behaviour 9 February 1992 Mike DeGruy Shark
7 Land of Wild Freedom 16 February 1992  
8 The Monk, the Princess and the Forest 1 March 1992  
9 New Guinea, an Island Apart: Beyond The Unknown Shore 8 March 1992  
10 New Guinea, an Island Apart: Other Worlds 15 March 1992  
11 Birds Nuts: The Magnificent Obsession 22 March 1992  
12 For Queen and Colony 29 March 1992  
13 Mpingo, the Tree that Makes Music 3 May 1992  
Series 11[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 Echo of the Elephants 3 January 1993 David Attenborough, Cynthia Moss African elephant
2 Shadows in a Desert Sea 10 January 1993  
3 Cougar, Ghost of the Rockies 17 January 1993  Mountain lion
4 Kimberley, Land of the Wandjina 24 January 1993  
5 Journey to the Dark Heart 31 January 1993  
6 Ice Fox 7 February 1993  Arctic fox
7 The Great Bears of Alaska 21 February 1993  Kodiak bear
8 The Little Creatures who Run the World 28 February 1993  
9 Strandwolf, Survivor of the Skeleton Coast 7 March 1993  
10 Ibera, the Land of Shining Water 14 March 1993  
11 The Ghosts of Ruby 21 March 1993  
12 Sanctuaries of Defence 28 March 1993 Christian Rodska 
13 Treasure of the Andes 4 April 1993  
14 Cheetahs and Cubs in a Land of Lions 11 April 1993  Cheetah, lion
15 The Burning Question 18 April 1993  
16 Secrets of the Golden River 25 April 1993  
Series 12[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 Sex, Hot Eruptions and Chilli Peppers 20 February 1994 Barry Paine 
2 Firebird 27 February 1994 Josette Simon 
3 Killer Whales: Wolves of the Sea 6 March 1994 David Attenborough Killer whale
4 Toadskin Spell 13 March 1994  Amphibians
5 Island of the Ghost Bear 20 March 1994 John Sparks American black bear
6 Webs of Intrigue 27 March 1994  Gladiator spider, Australian funnel-web spider
7 Vampires, Devilbirds and Spirits: Tales of the Calypso Isles 3 April 1994 Paul Keens-Douglas 
8 Pandas of the Sleeping Dragon 4 April 1994 John Shrapnel Giant panda, red panda, giant salamander, golden snub-nosed monkey, takin, bamboo rat, tufted deer, golden pheasant
9 The Witness Was a Fly 17 April 1994  
10 Untangling the Knot 24 April 1994 Ian McShane Red knot
11 Snowdonia: Realm of Ravens 8 May 1994  Common raven
12 Race for Life: Africa's Great Migration 15 May 1994 John Shrapnel Wildebeest
13 Islands in the African Sky 22 May 1994 John Hurt 
14 Comrades of the Kalahari 29 May 1994  Yellow mongoose, cape ground squirrel
Series 13[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 Mysteries of the Ocean Wanderers 27 November 1994 David Attenborough Albatross
2 Badlands 4 December 1994  Prairie dog
3 Hunters of the Sea Wind 11 December 1994 Christian Rodska Marlin, sailfish, sea snake, dolphin, tuna, turtle
4 Parrots: Look Who's Talking! 15 January 1995 Tony Robinson Parrot
5 Avenue of the Volcanoes 22 January 1995  
6 Ytene, England's Ancient Forest 29 January 1995 John Nettles Fallow deer, badger, red fox, common firecrest, hawfinch, woodlark, tadpole shrimp
7 Gentle Jaws of the Serengeti 12 February 1995 Barry Paine Spotted hyena
8 Monkey in the Mirror 19 February 1995 Geraldine James Bonobo
9 Ocean Drifters 26 February 1995 Tony Soper Plankton, loggerhead sea turtle
10 The Call of Kakadu 5 March 1995  Kookaburra
11 The Riddle of the Sands 19 March 1995  
12 Jewels of the Caribbean 2 April 1995 Joss Ackland 
13 Survival of the Fittest: a Natural History of Sport 16 April 1995 Des Lynam 
14 Sulawesi: an Island Bewitched 23 April 1995 Ian Holm Babirusa, Celebes crested macaque, maleo, reticulated python
15 The Little Creatures of Africa's Hidden World 30 April 1995 Andrew Sachs Dung beetle, tick, termite
Series 14[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 Echo of the Elephants: The Next Generation 14 January 1996 David Attenborough, Cynthia Moss African elephant
2 Incredible Suckers 21 January 1996 David Attenborough, Mike deGruy Cephalopod, nautilus, vampire squid
3 Arctic Kingdom: Life at the Edge 28 January 1996 Tony Soper Polar bear, narwhal, guillemots
4 Fifi's Boys: a Story of Wild Chimpanzees 4 February 1996 Bernard Cribbins, Jane Goodall Common chimpanzee
5 Last Feast of the Crocodiles 7 February 1996 John Shrapnel Crocodile, baboon, hippopotamus
6 Rhythms of Life 11 February 1996  
7 Lions: Pride in Peril 18 February 1996 David Attenborough, John Sparks Masai lion
8 Monsoon 25 February 1996  
9 Crossroads of Nancite 3 March 1996 Andrew Sachs Crocodile, monkey, coyote, turtle
10 Bowerbird: Playboy of the Australian Forest 17 March 1996 Barry Paine Satin bowerbird, Australian brushturkey, echidna
11 Hightops of Scotland 24 March 1996  Deer, hare, rock ptarmigan
12 Attenborough in Paradise 8 April 1996 David Attenborough Bird-of-paradise
Series 15[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 Sperm Whales: Back from the Abyss 6 October 1996 David Attenborough Sperm whale
2 Mara Nights 13 October 1996 Andrew Sachs 
3 Penguins In and Out of Water 20 October 1996 Tony Soper Penguin
4 Mandrills: Painted Faces of the Forest 27 October 1996 John Shrapnel Mandrill
5 Beetlemania 3 November 1996 Thomas Eisner Beetle
6 The World in a Wood 10 November 1996  
7 Himalaya 17 November 1996 John Shrapnel Red panda, snow leopard, Himalayan monal
8 Wolves and Buffalo: an Ancient Alliance 19 January 1997 Jeff Turner American bison, gray wolf
9 Benguela and the Burning Shore 26 January 1997 Tim Pigott-Smith 
10 A Lemur's Tale 2 February 1997 Zoë Wanamaker Ring-tailed lemur
11 Grand Canyon: From Dinosaurs to Dam 16 February 1997 Tim Pigott-Smith 
12 Wings over the Serengeti 23 February 1997 Ian Holm Vulture
13 New Guinea: an Island Apart 2 March 1997 Tim Pigott-Smith 
14 The Wild Dog's Last Stand 9 March 1997 Barry Paine African wild dog
15 Postcards from the Past 16 March 1997 Anna Grayson scorpion Neandertal
16 People of the Sea 30 March 1997 Shane Mahoney 
Series 16[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 The Temple Troop 26 October 1997 Roshan Seth Toque macaque
2 Denali: the Great American Wilderness 2 November 1997  
3 Jungle Nights 9 November 1997 Tim Pigott-Smith Jaguar, margay, kinkajou, ocelot, bat, frog
4 Paracas and the Billion Dollar Birds 16 November 1997 Ian Holm Pelican, booby, Guanay cormorant, penguin, sea lion
5 Komodo Dragon 23 November 1997 John Shrapnel Komodo dragon
6 At the Edge of the Sea 30 November 1997 Gareth Armstrong Acorn barnacle, mussel
7 Beyond the Naked Eye 7 December 1997  
8 On the Path of the Reindeer 21 December 1997 Geoffrey Palmer Reindeer
9 The Secret Garden 27 December 1997 Patricia Routledge 
10 The Dragons of Galapagos 18 January 1998  Iguana
11 Three Monkeys 25 January 1998 Emily Richard Howler monkey, red-faced spider monkey, white-headed capuchin
12 Borneo: Island in the Clouds 1 February 1998 John Shrapnel Proboscis monkey, Borneo elephant, Sumatran rhinoceros, orangutan
13 Oman: Jewel of Arabia 15 February 1998 Ian McShane 
14 The Lost Lands of Scilly 22 February 1998 Tim Pigott-Smith Grey seal, great black-backed gull, lesser white-toothed shrew
15 Fire and Ice: an Icelandic Saga 1 March 1998 Magnus Magnusson Arctic fox, puffin, skua
16 Metropolis 8 March 1998 Nigel Hawthorne Falcon, raccoon, horseshoe crab
17 The Otters of Yellowstone 15 March 1998 Tom Baker North American river otter, coyote
18 The Forbidden Fruit 22 March 1998 James Grout 
Series 17[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 South Georgia: an Island All Alone 11 October 1998 David Attenborough 
2 Capybara: Swamp Hogs 18 October 1998 Stephen Fry Capybara
3 Secret Sharks 25 October 1998 Christian Rodska, Mike Rutzen Whale shark, horn shark
4 Mountain of the Sea 1 November 1998 Paul Herzberg Black eagle, penguin
5 Orangutans: the High Society 8 November 1998 Andrew Sachs Orangutan
6 The Fatal Flower 15 November 1998 Honor Blackman Orchid
7 Vanishing Pools of the Zambezi 22 November 1998 Martin Jarvis African elephant, African buffalo, impala
8 Manu: Amazon Paradise 29 November 1998 Ian Holm Jaguar, giant otter, sloth, monkey
9 Impossible Journeys 6 December 1998 Peter Jones 
10 Cheetahs in a Hot Spot 13 December 1998 Veronika Hyks Cheetah
11 Dolphins: the Wild Side 17 January 1999 Ian Holm Dolphin
12 Year of the Jackal 24 January 1999 Eleanor Bron Jackal
13 Everglades: to Hell and Back 31 January 1999 Tim Pigott-Smith 
14 The Man-Eaters of Tsavo 28 February 1999 Art Malik Masai lion
15 Tough Ducks 21 February 1999 Bill Oddie Duck
16 Islands of the Vampire Birds 14 March 1999 David Attenborough Vampire finch
17 The Farm that Time Forgot 21 March 1999  
18 Iran: Secrets of the North 28 March 1999 John Shrapnel 
Series 18[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 Riddle of the Right Whale 3 October 1999  Right whale
2 Hokkaido: Garden of the Gods 10 October 1999 John Hurt Crane, brown bear, eagle
3 Elephants of the Sand River 17 October 1999  African elephant
4 In the Company of Bears 24 October 1999 Miranda Richardson American black bear
5 The Millennium Oak 30 December 1999 Tom Baker English oak, common raven
6 Wild Indonesia: Island Castaways 23 January 2000 John Lynch Komodo dragon, tree kangaroo
7 Wild Indonesia: Underwater Worlds 30 January 2000 John Lynch Barracuda, manta ray
8 Wild Indonesia: Magical Forests 6 February 2000 John Lynch Sumatran elephant, flying fox
9 The Tiger's Tale 20 February 2000 Meera Syal Bengal tiger
10 The Wolf's Return 8 May 2000 Karen Archer, Paul Young Gray wolf
11 Monkey Warriors 15 May 2000  Monkey
12 Dangerous Australians 22 May 2000  Redback spider, Australian funnel-web spider
13 Crater: Africa's Predator Paradise 5 June 2000 John Hannah Wildebeest
14 Salmon: The Silver Tide 19 June 2000 Denis Lawson Salmon
15 Claws 10 July 2000 Chris McCalphy Crab
16 The Story of an African Wild Dog ?  African wild dog
Series 19[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 Otters in the Stream of Life 8 October 2000 Sally Magnusson European otter, dolphin, shark, whale, puffin
2 Camels Down Under 15 October 2000  Australian feral camel
3 Deadly Vipers 22 October 2000 Paul Young Viper
4 The Tigers' Fortress 29 October 2000 Valmik Thapar Bengal tiger
5 Big Red Roos 5 November 2000 Robert Llewellyn Red kangaroo
6 Killer Whales: Up Close and Personal 19 November 2000  Killer whale
7 Madagascar: Land of Lemurs 26 November 2000  Lemur
8 Seychelles: Jewels of a Lost Continent 10 December 2000  Aldabra giant tortoise, coco de mer
9 Bower Birds: The Art of Seduction 17 December 2000 David Attenborough 
10 The Last Tusker 21 January 2001  Sri Lankan elephant
11 Seals: Invaders of the Sea 28 January 2001  Seal
12 Killer Bees and Magic Trees 4 February 2001 Gerald Kastberger Asian giant honey bee
13 Hippo Beach 18 February 2001 Stephen Fry Hippopotamus
14 Timeless Thames 25 February 2001 Ian McShane 
15 Coyote: the Ultimate Survivor? 18 March 2001  Coyote
16 Transylvania: Living with Predators 25 March 2001 Andrew Sachs Gray wolf, brown bear
17 Danube Delta: Europe Untamed 15 April 2001  Goose, pelican, beluga sturgeon
18 Buffalo: The African Boss 31 July 2001  African buffalo
Series 20[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 The Lost Elephants of Timbuktu 7 October 2001 David Attenborough, Anne Orlando African elephant
2 Yellowstone: America's Sacred Wilderness 14 October 2001 Paul Schullery Gray wolf, elk, brown bear
3 Wild Nights 21 October 2001 Simon King Badger, red fox, owl
4 Hotel Heliconia 4 November 2001 Robert Lindsay Heliconia, hummingbird, bat, frog, viper, mosquito
5 Night Stalkers 18 November 2001  Fringe-lipped bat, fruit bat, vampire bat
6 Treasure Islands 25 November 2001  
7 Leopard Hunters 2 December 2001  Leopard
8 War Wrecks of the Coral Seas 9 December 2001  
9 The Alps 16 December 2001 Andrew Sachs Brown bear, gray wolf, golden eagle, ibex
10 A Wild Dog's Story 20 January 2002 Tico McNutt African wild dog
11 Killer Whales of Monterey Bay 27 January 2002 Andrew Sachs Killer whale
12 The Canine Conspiracy 24 February 2002 Richard Briers Domestic dog
13 The Cat Connection 3 March 2002 Charles Dance Domestic cat
14 Top Bat 10 March 2002 Mike Gunton, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Rebecca Hosking Vampire bat
15 Amazon: Super River 17 March 2002  Piranha
16 Rhinos: Built to Last? 24 March 2002 Robert Lindsay Rhinoceros
Series 21[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 Meerkats: Part of the Team 13 October 2002 Simon King Meerkat
2 Danger in Tiger Paradise 20 October 2002 Valmik Thapar Bengal tiger
3 Falklands: Flying Devils 27 October 2002 Jane Watson, Mark Smith Caracara
4 The Crossing 3 November 2002  Zebra, wildebeest, gazelle, crocodile, lion
5 Death Trap 17 November 2002  Whale, seal, shark, brown bear, bald eagle, fish
6 My Halcyon River 24 November 2002 Charlie Hamilton James, John James European otter, European mink, common kingfisher, mayfly, trout, moorhen, mallard
7 Killer Ants 1 December 2002  African driver ant, jack jumper ant
8 A Life with Cougars 15 December 2002 Jeff Turner, Sue Turner Cougar
9 Cats Under the Serengeti Stars 1 January 2003 Charlotte Rampling Caracal, hyena
10 Wild Women of Viramba 15 January 2003 John Shrapnel, Holly Carroll Yellow baboon
11 Killer Bees: Taming the Swarm 19 January 2003  Africanized honey bee
12 Highgrove: A Prince's Legacy 26 January 2003 David Attenborough 
13 Flying Home 2 February 2003 John Peel Whooping crane
15 The Elephant, The Emperor and Butterfly Tree 2 March 2003 Mark Strickson African elephant, emperor moth, mopane
Series 22[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 Lost Crocodiles of the Pharaohs 12 October 2003 Sean Pertwee Nile crocodile
2 Elephant Cave 19 October 2003 Kenneth Cranham African elephant
3 White Shark/Red Triangle 31 October 2003 Bert Pence Great white shark, elephant seal
4 Moon Power 9 November 2003  
5 Tigers of the Emerald Forest 16 November 2003 Raghu Chundawat, Joanna Van Gruisen Bengal tiger
6 Five Owl Farm 7 December 2003 Robert Hardy Barn Owl, little owl, long-eared owl, short-eared owl, tawny owl
7 The Monkey Prince ? Kristin Scott Thomas Monkey
8 The Eagle Has Landed 2 January 2004  Osprey, red kite, sea eagle
9 Swamp Cats 9 January 2004 Jeremy Northam Lion
10 A Moose Named Madeline 8 February 2004 Richard E. Grant Moose
11 The Amber Time Machine 15 February 2004 David Attenborough bee midge long-legged fly thunder gnat aphid ant mite giant bean tree balted tree seaburn tree nazareno tree palm stingless bee assassin bug tadpole marsh beetle diving beetle poison dart frog bromelia damselfly bamboo minuet worm fig fig wasp nematodes scale insect, Theropod Dinosaur
12 Five Big Cats and a Camera 22 February 2004 David Attenborough Cheetah, leopard, serval, caracal, lion
13 Ice Age Death Trap 29 February 2004 Sean Barrett Saber-toothed cat, dire wolf, short-faced bear, Columbian Mammoth, American mastodon, Giant ground sloths, Camelops, Harlan's ground sloth, American lion, Ancient bison, Hagerman horse, Teratornis
14 Ireland: Sculpted Isle 14 March 2004 Fergal Keane 
15 Lion: Out of Africa? 11 April 2004 Jonathan Scott Asian Lion, domestic cow
Series 23[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 Cheetahs: Fast Track to Freedom 14 October 2004 Simon King Cheetah
2 Norfolk Broads: The Fall and Rise of a Great Swamp 21 October 2004 Dan Snow Avocet, marsh harrier, crane
3 Mississippi: Tales of the Last River Rat 25 November 2004 Kenny Salwey Beaver, snapping turtle, sturgeon, pelican, eagle
4 Hammerhead 2 December 2004 Ian Holm Hammerhead shark
5 The Wild Wood 9 December 2004 Philippa Forrester Eurasian sparrowhawk, red fox, buzzard
6 Andes: The Dragon's Back 16 December 2004 Steven Berkoff Flamingo, puma, penguin
7 Echo of the Elephants: The Final Chapter? 19 January 2005 David Attenborough, Cynthia Moss African elephant
8 Serengeti 24 3 February 2005 Michael Praed Cheetah
9 Secrets of the Maya Underworld 9 February 2005 Simon MacCorkindale 
10 A Boy Among Polar Bears 15 February 2005 Sean Pertwee, Jobie Weetalluktuk Seal, narwhal, polar bear
11 Shark Coast ? David Attenborough Pyjama shark, leopard catshark
12 Land of the Falling Lakes ? John Shrapnel Brown bear, lynx, gray wolf, salamander
13 Caribou and Wolves: The Endless Dance ? Jeff Turner Reindeer, grey wolf
14 Wolf Pack ? Sean Pertwee Gray wolf
Series 24[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 The Orangutan King 19 October 2005 Paul McGann Orangutan
2 Eagle Island 26 October 2005 Gordon Buchanan Sea eagle, golden eagle, otter, seal, dolphin, whale, shark
3 The Queen of Trees 2 November 2005 Ian Holm Sycamore fig, fig wasp
4 King Cobra...and I 9 November 2005 Romulus Whitaker King cobra
5 Return of the Eagle Owl 16 November 2005 Roy Dennis Eagle owl
6 Cuba: Wild Island of the Caribbean 23 November 2005  Bee hummingbird, purple land crab and other land crabs, Cuban crocodile, sea turtle, iguana Caribbean reef shark Cuban Hutia Cuban Parrot Turkey vulture Cuban Trogon Cuban Woodpecker Cuban trama
7 Flying with Condors 30 November 2005 Judy Leden Andean condor
8 Ella: A Meerkat's Tale 7 December 2005  Meerkat
9 Wild Harvest 14 December 2005 Philippa Forrester Lapwing, skylark, dormouse, barn owl
10 Australia: Taking The Heat 28 December 2005  Red kangaroo, frog, koala
11 Penguins of the Antarctic 11 January 2006  Penguin
12 Portillo Goes Wild in Spain 18 January 2006 Michael Portillo Lynx, brown bear, vulture, bee-eater, killer whale
13 Ant Attack 25 January 2006  African driver ant
14 Stalking the Jaguar 1 February 2006 Owen Newman, Amanda Barrett Jaguar, caiman, peccary, capybara, domestic cow
15 Big Sky Bears 8 February 2006  American black bear
16 The Iceberg That Sank the Titanic 1 March 2006  
17 Bonobo: Missing In Action 8 March 2006 Frances White Bonobo
18 Satoyama, Japan's Secret Water Garden 27 July 2006 David Attenborough 
Series 25[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 The Last Lions of India 18 October 2006 Dilly Barlow Asiatic lion
2 On the Trail of Tarka 25 October 2006 John James, Philippa Forrester European otter
3 Eye for an Elephant 1 November 2006 Martyn Colbeck African elephant
4 The Bear Man of Kamchatka 8 November 2006[2][3][4] Jeff Turner, Charlie Russell Brown bear
5 The Falls of Iguacu 15 November 2006  Toucan, capuchin monkey, jaguar, coati, swift
6 Africa's Desert Garden 9 January 2007  
7 Battle To Save the Tiger 11 April 2007 David Attenborough Bengal tiger
8 Buddha, Bees and the Giant Hornet Queen 25 April 2007[5] Geraldine James Japanese giant hornet, bee
9 Hawaii: Message in the Waves 2 May 2007  Turtle, dolphin, monk seal, albatross
10 Invasion of the Crocodiles 9 May 2007 Sam Hazeldine, Adam Britton Saltwater crocodile
11 Toki's Tale 10 May 2007 Simon King Cheetah
12 The Bloodhound and the Beardie 16 May 2007  Bloodhound, Bearded Collie
13 Saving Our Seabirds 23 May 2007 Roy Dennis Puffin, guillemot, kittiwake, skua
14 Desert Lions 30 May 2007 David Attenborough Lion
15 Moose on the Loose 1 June 2007  Moose
16 Rainforests for the Future 6 June 2007  African elephant, western gorilla, common chimpanzee, mandrill
17 Wye - Voices from the Valley 13 June 2007  
Series 26[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 Snow Leopard - Beyond the Myth 4 January 2008 David Attenborough Snow leopard
2 Raising Sancho 11 January 2008  Giant otter
3 Earth Pilgrim - A Year on Dartmoor 18 January 2008  
4 Tiger Kill 25 January 2008  Bengal tiger
5 White Falcon, White Wolf 1 February 2008  Gyrfalcon, Arctic wolf
6 Saved by Dolphins 8 February 2008  Dolphin
7 Badgers - Secrets of the Sett 15 February 2008  European badger
8 Spacechimp 22 February 2008  Common chimpanzee
9 Elephant Nomads of the Namib Desert 26 March 2008  African elephant
10 Lobo: The Wolf that Changed America 2 April 2008 David Attenborough Gray wolf
11 Reindeer Girls 9 April 2008  Reindeer
12 Moose in the Glen 16 April 2008  Moose
13 Naabi - A Hyena Princess 23 April 2008  Spotted hyena
14 Spectacled Bears - Shadows of the Forest 6 May 2008  Spectacled bear
15 Superfish 14 May 2008  
16 A Turtle's Guide to the Pacific 7 August 2008  Sea turtle 
17 Jimmy And The Wild Honey Hunters 10 August 2008 Jimmy Doherty Honey Bee
Series 27[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 Titus: The Gorilla King 11 November 2008 Bernard Hill Mountain gorilla
2 Whale Shark 18 November 2008 Jessica Whittaker Whale shark
3 Clever Monkeys 25 November 2008 David Attenborough Monkey
4 Crocodile Blues 2 December 2008 Romulus Whittaker Gharial
5 Cork - Forest in a Bottle 9 December 2008 Monty Don 
6 Great White Shark - A Living Legend 2 January 2009 Peter Firth Great white shark
7 Cuckoo 9 January 2009 David Attenborough Common cuckoo
8 The Mountains of the Monsoon 16 January 2009 Sandesh Kadur 
9 Polar Bears & Grizzlies: Bears on Top of the World 23 January 2009 Peter Guinness Polar bear, brown bear
10 Man-Eating Tigers of the Sundarbans 30 January 2009 Sanjeev Bhaskar Bengal tiger
11 Elephants Without Borders 6 February 2009 Jeremy Northam African elephant
12 Snow Monkeys 13 February 2009 Iain Glen Japanese macaque
13 Cassowaries 19 February 2009 David Attenborough Cassowary
14 A Farm for the Future 20 February 2009 Rebecca Hosking 
15 Iron Curtain, Ribbon of Life 6 March 2009 Christian Rodska 
16 Uakari: Secrets of the English Monkey 26 March 2009 Jeremy Northam Red uakari
Series 28[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 Bearwalker of the Northwoods 28 October 2009 Lynn Rogers American black bear
2 Victoria Falls - The Smoke that Thunders 4 November 2009 Louis Mahoney African fish eagle, baboon
3 Andrea - Queen of Mantas 11 November 2009 Alisdair Simpson Manta ray
4 Black Mamba, White Witch 19 November 2009 Lenny Henry Black mamba
5 Bringing Up Baby 26 November 2009 David Attenborough Chimpanzee, lion, mouse
6 A Highland Haven 3 December 2009 Fergus Beeley White-tailed eagle, black-throated diver
7 Radio Gibbon 10 December 2009 Adrian Edmondson Gibbon
8 Birds of Paradise 6 January 2010 David Attenborough Bird-of-paradise
9 A Killer Whale Called Luna 24 February 2010 Michael Parfit Killer whale
10 The Secret Leopards 20 January 2010 Jonathan Scott Leopard
11 The Chimpcam Project 27 January 2010 Stuart McQuarrie Common chimpanzee
12 Prairie Dogs - Talk of the Town 3 February 2010 Rob Brydon Prairie dog
13 The Wild Places of Essex 10 February 2010 Robert Macfarlane Common seal, knot, fallow deer, bearded tit, peregrine falcon, bittern, water vole, bluebell, brent goose
14 Forest Elephants - Rumbles in the Jungle 4 March 2010 Richard Armitage African forest elephant
Series 29[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 The Monkey-Eating Eagle of the Orinoco 8 July 2010 Fergus Beeley Harpy eagle
2 Echo - An Unforgettable Elephant 5 August 2010 Martyn Colbeck, Cynthia Moss African elephant
3 Sea Otters - A Million Dollar Baby 12 August 2010 Bonnie Greer California sea otter
4 The Himalayas 19 August 2010 David Attenborough Snow Leopard, takin, gray langur, gray wolf, eagle
5 Africa's Dragon Mountain 2 September 2010 Iain Glen Vulture, baboon
6 The Dolphins of Shark Bay 3 November 2010 Rupert Penry-Jones Bottlenose dolphin
7 Panda Makers 7 December 2010 David Attenborough Giant panda
8 Butterflies: A Very British Obsession 17 December 2010 Imelda Staunton Butterfly
9 Miracle in the Marshes of Iraq 18 January 2011 David Johnson 
10 Elsa: The Lioness that Changed the World 1 February 2011 David Attenborough, Virginia McKenna Lion
11 Chimps of the Lost Gorge 8 February 2011 Adrian Lester Common chimpanzee
12 A Tiger Called Broken Tail 15 February 2011 Colin Stafford-Johnson Bengal tiger
13 One Million Snake Bites 22 February 2011 Romulus Whitaker King cobra, saw-scaled viper, common krait, Russell's viper, Indian cobra, green pit viper
14 The Last Grizzly of Paradise Valley 1 March 2011 Jeff Turner Brown bear
Series 30[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 My Life as a Turkey: Natural World Special 1 August 2011 Joe Hutto Wild turkey
2 Empire of the Desert Ants 10 August 2011 Andy Serkis Honey ant
3 Heligan: Secrets of the Lost Gardens 17 August 2011 Philippa Forrester Red fox, common toad
4 Komodo - Secrets of the Dragon 24 August 2011 Peter Capaldi, Bryan Fry Komodo dragon
5 The Woman Who Swims with Killer Whales 31 August 2011 Ingrid Visser Killer whale
6 Animal House 7 September 2011 David Attenborough 
7 Jungle Gremlins of Java 25 January 2012 Anna Nekaris Slow loris
8 Tiger Dynasty 1 February 2012 Amerjit Due Bengal tiger
9 Queen of the Savannah 29 March 2012 Tamsin Greig African honey bee
10 Grizzlies of Alaska 8 March 2012 Chris Morgan Brown bear
11 Madagascar, Lemurs and Spies 15 March 2012 David Attenborough, Erik Patel Silky sifaka, bamboo lemur, pygmy stump-tailed chameleon, helmet vanga, Malagasy paradise flycatcher, common sunbird-asity, Madagascar wagtail, ring-tailed mongoose
12 Zambezi 22 March 2012 James Frain Hippopotamus, African elephant, water buffalo, zebra
13 The Real Jungle Book Bear 5 April 2012 David Attenborough, Ivo Nörenberg, Oliver Goetzl Sloth bear, Indian peafowl, mongoose, Bengal tiger, sambar deer, bonnet macaque, Indian palm squirrel, leopard, Asian elephant, Indian chameleon, painted spurfowl, Indian skipper frog, lesser mouse-tailed bat
14 Unnatural History of London 18 June 2012 Timothy Spall Fallow deer, grey seal, European hedgehog, feral pigeon, peregrine falcon, grebe, European herring gull, red fox, red deer, great white pelican, mallard, red-eared slider, rose-ringed parakeet, European yellow-tailed scorpion, red swamp crayfish, signal crayfish, European badger
Series 31[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 Living with Baboons 19 July 2012 David Attenborough, Mat Pines Hamadryas baboon
2 Tiger Island: Natural World Special 26 July 2012 Paul McGann, Alan Rabinowitz Sumatran tiger
3 Queen of Tigers: Natural World Special 19 October 2012 Colin Stafford-Johnson Bengal tiger
4 A Wolf Called Storm: Natural World Special 26 October 2012 Jeff Turner Gray wolf
5 Attenborough's Ark: Natural World Special 9 November 2012 David Attenborough Black lion tamarin, Sumatran rhinoceros, solenodon, olm, marvellous spatuletail, Darwin's frog, pangolin, Priam's birdwing butterfly, cane toad, Northern quoll, Venus' flower basket
6 Jaguars - Born Free: Natural World Special 21 January 2013 Zoë Wanamaker Jaguar
7 Kangaroo Dundee: Part One 26 January 2013 Juliet Stevenson, Brolga Kangaroo
8 Kangaroo Dundee: Part Two 2 February 2013 Juliet Stevenson, Brolga Kangaroo
9 Giant Otters of the Amazon 9 February 2013 Charlie Hamilton James Giant otter
10 Flight of the Rhino 16 February 2013 Sean Bean Black rhinoceros
Series 32[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 Leopards - 21st Century Cats 17 May 2013 Romulus Whitaker Leopard
2 Giant Squid - Filming The Impossible: Natural World Special 13 July 2013 David Attenborough Giant Squid
3 The Mating Game 19 July 2013 David Attenborough Gorilla, Wolf, Flamingo, Kagu
4 Sri Lanka - Elephant Island 9 August 2013 Martyn Colbeck Asian Elephant
5 Meet The Monkeys 6 September 2013 Colin Stafford-Johnson Macaques
6 Orangutans - The Great Ape Escape 4 October 2013 Juliet Stevenson Orangutan
7 Meerkats - Secrets Of An Animal Superstar 11 October 2013 David Attenborough Meerkat
8 Walrus - Two Tonne Tusker 18 October 2013 Geoffrey Palmer Pacific Walrus
9 Killer Whales - Beneath The Surface 25 October 2013 Alec Newman Killer Whales
10 Vultures: Beauty In The Beast 31 January 2014 Charlie Hamilton James Vulture
Series 33[edit]

Episode
Title
Original Air Date
Presenter/Narrator
Principal Species Featured
1 Africa's Giant Killers 11 April 2014 Imogen Stubbs African bush elephant, African lion
2 Honey Badgers: Masters Of Mayhem 18 April 2014 Toby Jones Honey badger
3 France: The Wild Side 25 April 2014 Paul McGann Wolves, Wild boar
4 Nature's Misfits 2 May 2014 Bill Bailey various
5 The Pygmy Hippo - A Very Secret Life 9 May 2014 David Harewood Pygmy Hippo
6 The Bat Man Of Mexico 13 June 2014 David Attenborough Lesser long-nosed bat
7 Penguin Post Office 24 July 2014 Juliet Stevenson Gentoo Penguin
8 Beavers Behaving Badly 31 July 2014 Rob Brydon Beavers
9 A Bear With A Bounty 7 August 2014 Tamsin Greig Black Bear
Footnotes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Cameraman Hugh Miles won an Emmy Award (Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Cinematographers) for this episode.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ The Natural World: Kingdom of the Ice Bear: The Frozen Ocean, Internet Movie Database, retrieved 2 March 2013
2.Jump up ^ http://www.ironammonite.com/2006_11_01_archive.html
3.Jump up ^ The Times, 9/11/2006
4.Jump up ^ http://charlierussellbears.com/2006/October.html
5.Jump up ^ http://www.theguardian.com/culture/tvandradioblog/2007/apr/26/lastnightstvbuddhabeesand
External links[edit]
Natural World at BBC Programmes
List of Natural World episodes at the Internet Movie Database
 


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Nature (TV series)
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Nature
Nature logo.png
Genre
Natural history
Documentary
Created by
George Page, Thomas Lovejoy
Country of origin
United States
Original language(s)
English
No. of seasons
31
No. of episodes
440
Production

Executive producer(s)
David Heeley (1982-1991)
Fred Kaufman (1992-present)
Running time
55 minutes
Broadcast

Original channel
PBS
Original run
October 10, 1982 – present
External links
Website
Nature is a wildlife television program produced by Thirteen/WNET New York. It has been distributed to United States public television stations by the PBS television service since its debut on October 10, 1982. Some episodes may appear in syndication on many PBS member stations around the U.S. and Canada and on the Discovery Channel. This series currently airs on Wednesday on PBS.
Nature is one of the most watched documentary series in the world. It is a weekly one-hour program that consists of documentaries about various animals and ecosystems. The on-camera host of the first season was Donald Johanson, with voice-over narration by George Page. Starting with the 1983 season George Page became both the on-camera host and the narrator until the series' 19th season in 2000. Since then, Academy Award winner F. Murray Abraham has frequently narrated episodes, as has ecologist Chris Morgan.
Nature is one of the few programs in television history that has won and has been nominated for the same number of Emmy Awards during its longevity. In 1986, host George Page was nominated for best Outstanding Individual Achievements in Informational Programming. In 1988 and 1989, it won two Emmy Awards for best Outstanding Informational Series. In 2000, it was nominated for best Outstanding Main Title Design.


Contents  [hide]
1 Episodes 1.1 Season One
1.2 Season Two
1.3 Season Three
1.4 Season Four
1.5 Season Five
1.6 Season Six
1.7 Season Seven
1.8 Season Eight
1.9 Season Nine
1.10 Season Ten
1.11 Season Eleven
1.12 Season Twelve
1.13 Season Thirteen
1.14 Season Fourteen
1.15 Season Fifteen
1.16 Season Sixteen
1.17 Season Seventeen
1.18 Season Eighteen
1.19 Season Nineteen
1.20 Season Twenty
1.21 Season Twenty-One
1.22 Season Twenty-Two
1.23 Season Twenty-Three
1.24 Season Twenty-Four
1.25 Season Twenty-Five
1.26 Season Twenty-Six
1.27 Season Twenty-Seven
1.28 Season Twenty-Eight
1.29 Season Twenty-Nine
1.30 Season Thirty
1.31 Season Thirty-One
1.32 Season Thirty-Two
1.33 Season Thirty-Three
2 In other media 2.1 Comic book 2.1.1 Issues

3 See also
4 References
5 External links

Episodes[edit]
Season One[edit]
"Flight of the Condor" (Part 1 of 3) (October 10, 1982)
"Flight of the Condor" (Part 2 of 3) (October 17, 1982)
"Flight of the Condor" (Part 3 of 3) (October 24, 1982)
"Amate: The Great Fig Tree" (October 31, 1982)
"Kopje: A Rock For All Seasons" (November 7, 1982)
"On The Edge of Paradise" (November 14, 1982)
"Forest In The Clouds" (November 21, 1982)
"The Discovery of Animal Behavior: Natural Mysteries" (Part 1 of 6) (November 28, 1982)
"The Discovery of Animal Behavior: In Praise of God" (Part 2 of 6) (December 5, 1982)
"The Discovery of Animal Behavior: Search for the Mind" (Part 3 of 6) (December 12, 1982)
"The Discovery of Animal Behavior: A Question of Learning" (Part 4 of 6) (December 19, 1982)
"The Discovery of Animal Behavior: Signs and Signals" (Part 5 of 6) (December 26, 1982)
"The Discovery of Animal Behavior: Living Together" (Part 6 of 6) (January 2, 1983)
Season Two[edit]
"Forest In The Sea" (October 9, 1983)
"Fungi: The Rotten World About Us" (October 16, 1983)
"Acacia: Tree of Thorns" (October 23, 1983)
"On The Tracks of the Wild Otter" (November 6, 1983)
"Secret Weapons" (November 13, 1983)
"Voices In The Forest" (December 18, 1983)
"Osprey" (February 5, 1984)
"Big Business In Bees" (February 12, 1984)
"Jet Set Wildlife" (February 19, 1984)
"The Masterbuilders" (February 26, 1984)
"Plight of the Bumblebee" (March 4, 1984)
"Missing Monsoon" (March 11, 1984)
"Resurrection At Truk Lagoon" (March 25, 1984)
Season Three[edit]
"Krakatoa: The Day That Shook The World" (September 30, 1984)
"Treasures of the Gulf" (October 7, 1984)
"Sexual Encounters of the Floral Kind" (October 14, 1984)
"Fragments of Eden" (October 21, 1984)
"The Face of the Deep" (October 28, 1984)
"Yellowstone In Winter" (November 11, 1984)
"Winter Days" (December 2, 1984)
"Kilimanjaro" (December 9, 1984)
"Danube Delta" (December 16, 1984)
"Tumbler In The Sky" (January 13, 1985)
"Kinabalu: Summit of Borneo" (January 20, 1985)
"Birds Lost World of Paradox" (February 3, 1985)
"Lost World of the Medusa" (February 17, 1985)
"Kitum - The Elephant Cave" (March 10, 1985)
"Rhino On The Run" (March 17, 1985)
"Through Animal Eyes" (March 31, 1985)
"Man's Best Friend" (April 28, 1985)
"Namaqualand: Diary of A Desert Garden" (May 26, 1985)
Season Four[edit]
"And Then The Rains Came" (October 20, 1985)
"Battle of the Leaves" (October 27, 1985)
"The Ganges Gharial" (November 3, 1985)
"One Man’s Island" (November 10, 1985)
"Selva Verde: The Green Jungle" (November 17, 1985)
"The Plant Hunters" (November 24, 1985)
"Kalahari: Wilderness Without Water" (December 12, 1985)
"Emas: High Plains of Brazil" (January 5, 1986)
"The Feathered Swarm" (January 26, 1986)
"Kingdom of the Ice Bear: The Frozen Ocean" (Part 1 of 3) (February 16, 1986)
"Kingdom of the Ice Bear: Land of Beyond" (Part 2 of 3) (February 23, 1986)
"Kingdom of the Ice Bear: The Final Challenge" (Part 3 of 3) (March 2, 1986)
"Saguaro: Sentinel of the Desert" (March 9, 1986)
"Death Trap" (March 23, 1986)
"Aspen: Dancer On The Wind" (April 6, 1986)
"Secrets of An African Jungle" (April 27, 1986)
"Birdwatch From Florida" (May 4, 1986)
"The Gooneys of Midway" (May 11, 1986)
"Where Eagles Fly" (May 18, 1986)
"Skyhunters" (May 25, 1986)
Season Five[edit]
"Alyeska: The Great Land" (October 19, 1986)
"Baja Lagoon" (October 26, 1986)
"Galapagos: How They Got There" (Part 1 of 3) (November 2, 1986)
"Galapagos: Cold On The Equator" (Part 2 of 3) (November 9, 1986)
"Galapagos: The Ocean Travelers" (Part 3 of 3) (November 16, 1986)
"Pantanal: Prairie of the Great Waters" (November 23, 1986)
"Cats" (December 7, 1986)
"Leopard: A Darkness In The Grass" (December 14, 1986)
"Elephants" (January 18, 1987)
"Ichkeul: Between the Desert And The Deep Blue Sea" (February 8, 1987)
"In the Shadow of Fujisan: See No Evil" (Part 1 of 3) (February 22, 1987)
"In the Shadow of Fujisan: Bird of Happiness" (Part 2 of 3) (March 1, 1987)
"In the Shadow of Fujisan: Long Live the Turtle" (Part 3 of 3) (March 8, 1987)
"America's Wild Horses" (March 15, 1987)
"Holy Land: A Wilderness Like Eden" (Part 1 of 2) (April 12, 1987)
"Holy Land: Sweet Water, Bitter Sea" (Part 2 of 2) (April 19, 1987)
"The Forgotten Garden" (April 26, 1987)
"Lords of Hokkaido" (May 10, 1987)
"Designed For Living" (May 17, 1987)
Season Six[edit]
"The Flowing Oasis" (September 20, 1987)
"Amazonia: A Burning Question" (September 27, 1987)
"Spirits of the Forest" (October 4, 1987)
"Perspectives of Paradise" (October 18, 1987)
"A Season In The Sun" (November 15, 1987)
"The Legend of the Lightning Bird" (November 22, 1987)
"The Volcano Watchers" (November 29, 1987)
"Tiger!" (December 6, 1987)
"Land of the Kiwi" (January 3, 1988)
"Costa Rica: Paradise Reclaimed" (January 10, 1988)
"Masked Monkeys" (January 17, 1988)
"In-Flight Movie; Birds of the Sun God" (January 24, 1988)
"Hawaii: Islands of the Fire Goddess" (February 14, 1988)
"Okavango: Jewel of the Kalahari" (Part 1 of 3) (February 21, 1988)
"Okavango: Jewel of the Kalahari" (Part 2 of 3) (February 28, 1988)
"Okavango: Jewel of the Kalahari" (Part 3 of 3) (March 6, 1988)
"Great Moments With Nature's Filmmakers" (March 13, 1988)
"Elephant: Lord of the Jungle" (March 20, 1988)
"Miracle of the Scarlet Salmon" (March 27, 1988)
"Cowboys, Caimans And Capybaras" (April 24, 1988)
"Tom's River: Reflections of A River Keeper" (May 1, 1988)
"The Elephant Challenge" (May 8, 1988)
"The Coral Triangle" (June 12, 1988)
Season Seven[edit]
"Bonebreakers' Mountain" (October 8, 1988)
"Extremadura: Spain's Forgotten Forest" (October 16, 1988)
"Peacock's War" (October 30, 1988)
"Nature of Australia: A Portrait of the Island Continent: A Separate Creation" (Part 1 of 6) (November 13, 1988)
"Nature of Australia: A Portrait of the Island Continent: Seas Under Capricorn" (Part 2 of 6) (November 20, 1988)
"Nature of Australia: A Portrait of the Island Continent: The Making of the Bush" (Part 3 of 6) (November 27, 1988)
"Nature of Australia: A Portrait of the Island Continent: The Sunburnt Country" (Part 4 of 6) (December 4, 1988)
"Nature of Australia: A Portrait of the Island Continent: The Land of Flood and Fire" (Part 5 of 6) (December 11, 1988)
"Nature of Australia: A Portrait of the Island Continent: End of Isolation" (Part 6 of 6) (December 18, 1988)
"Night Hunters" (January 8, 1989)
"Beyond Timbuktu" (February 2, 1989)
"Under The Emerald Sea" (February 19, 1989)
"Wild Waterfalls" (February 26, 1989)
"Meerkats United / The Bee-Team" (March 5, 1989)
"Icebird" (March 12, 1989)
"Mozu The Snow Monkey" (March 19, 1989)
"The Everglades: Rain Machine" (March 26, 1989)
"Islands In The Sky" (April 16, 1989)
"Rulers of the Wind" (April 30, 1989)
"Kariba: The Lake That Made A Dent" (May 14, 1989)
Season Eight[edit]
"The Great Rift: Footprints In The Valley" (Part 1 of 3) (October 8, 1989)
"The Great Rift: Out of the Ashes" (Part 2 of 3) (October 15, 1989)
"The Great Rift: Breaking The Continent" (3 of 3) (October 22, 1989)
"Under The Ice" (October 29, 1989)
"Land of Dragons" (November 12, 1989)
"The Great Wood of Caledon" (November 19, 1989)
"Gorillas" (December 10, 1989)
"Forest of Fear" (December 17, 1989)
"Gran Paradiso" (January 7, 1990)
"Cranes of the Grey Wind" (January 21, 1990)
"King Solomon's Mountains" (February 4, 1990)
"Hunters of the Sky" (February 11, 1990)
"A Wolf In The Fold" (February 18, 1990)
"The Colorado" (March 4, 1990)
"The Emerald Isle" (March 11, 1990)
"Giant Otters" (March 18, 1990)
"The Haida Gwai: Islands of the People" (March 25, 1990)
"Presque Isle: Land In Motion" (April 1, 1990)
"The Great Yellowstone Fire" (April 8, 1990)
"Serpents" (April 15, 1990)
Season Nine[edit]
"Seasons In The Sea" (September 30, 1990)
"Monkeys on the Edge" (October 7, 1990)
"Scandinavia: Land of the Midnight Sun" (Part 1 of 2) (October 14, 1990)
"Scandinavia: Fresh Waters, Salt Seas" (Part 2 of 2) (October 21, 1990)
"The Sisterhood" (November 11, 1990)
"Supersense: Sight and Sound" (Part 1 of 3) (November 18, 1990)
"Supersense: Super Scents and Beyond" (Part 2 of 3) (November 25, 1990)
"Supersense: Making Sense" (Part 3 of 3) (December 2, 1990)
"Monkey Island" (December 12, 1990)
"Grizzly Country" (December 16, 1990)
"The Wild Shores of Patagonia" (January 13, 1991)
"The Gulf: Portrait of the War Zone" (February 17, 1991)
"One Man's Kenya" (February 24, 1991)
"The Elephants of Tsavo: Love and Betrayal" (March 3, 1991)
"Grand Teton Wilderness" (March 10, 1991)
"Year of the Jackal" (March 17, 1991)
"Black Bear of the North" (March 24, 1991)
"Wild Dogs of Africa" (April 7, 1991)
"Marathon Bird" (April 14, 1991)
"The Cat That Came In From the Cold" (April 28, 1991)
"Crown of the Continent: Waterton/Glacier National Park" (May 12, 1991)
Season Ten[edit]
"From The Heart of the World: The Elder Brothers' Warning" (September 28, 1991)
"Vietnam: A Country, Not A War" (October 13, 1991)
"Kali The Lion" (November 3, 1991)
"Madagascar: Island of Ghosts" (November 17, 1991)
"Land of the Eagle: The Great Encounter" (Part 1 of 8) (November 24, 1991)
"Land of the Eagle: Confronting the Wilderness" (Part 2 of 8) (November 24, 1991)
"Land of the Eagle: Conquering Swamps" (Part 3 of 8) (November 25, 1991)
"Land of the Eagle: Across the Seas of Grass" (Part 4 of 8) (November 25, 1991)
"Land of the Eagle: Into the Shining Mountains" (Part 5 of 8) (November 26, 1991)
"Land of theEagle: Living on the Edge" (Part 6 of 8) (November 26, 1991)
"Land of the Eagle: The First and Last Frontier" (Part 7 of 8) (November 27, 1991)
"Land of the Eagle: Searching for Paradise" (Part 8 of 8) (November 27, 1991)
"Great Moments With Nature's Filmmakers" (December 8, 1991)
"Horse Tigers" (January 5, 1992)
"Arctic Wanderers" (January 12, 1992)
"Ladakh: Kingdom In The Clouds" (January 19, 1992)
"Tiwai: Island of the Apes" (February 9, 1992)
"A Celebration of Birds With Roger Tory Peterson" (February 16, 1992)
"Elephant Seals: Those Magnificent Diving Machines" (March 1, 1992)
"Dolphins: Close Encounters" (March 8, 1992)
"Last Stand of the Giants" (May 31, 1992)
Season Eleven[edit]
"Realms of the Russian Bear: Green Jewel of the Caspian" (Part 1 of 6) (October 5, 1992)
"Realms of the Russian Bear: The Arctic Frontier" (Part 2 of 6) (October 5, 1992)
"Realms of the Russian Bear: The Red Deserts" (Part 4 of 6) (October 6, 1992)
"Realms of the Russian Bear: The Celestial Mountains" (Part 4 of 6) (October 6, 1992)
"Realms of the Russian Bear: Siberia, the Frozen Forest" (Part 5 of 6) (October 7, 1992)
"Realms of the Russian Bear: Born of Fire" (Part 6 of 6) (October 7, 1992)
"Shadows In A Desert Sea" (October 18, 1992)
"The Tree of Music" (October 25, 1992)
"Slaves To The Queen" (November 29, 1992)
"Ice Fox: Struggle For Survival" (January 10, 1993)
"Cheetahs In The Land of Lions" (January 24, 1993)
"Gorilla: King of the Congo" (February 14, 1993)
"American Trickster" (February 21, 1993)
"Hebrides: The Secret Islands" (February 28, 1993)
"Echo of the Elephants" (March 14, 1993)
"The Ghosts of Ruby" (May 9, 1993)
"The Bandit And The Builder" (March 16, 1993)
"Spirit of the Sound" (March 23, 1993)
Season Twelve[edit]
"In The Company of Wolves With Timothy Dalton" (October 3, 1993)
"Treasure of the Andes" (October 10, 1993)
"Echos From The Ice(November 7, 1993)
"The Nature of Sex: The Primal Instinct" (Part 1 of 6) (November 22, 1993)
"The Nature of Sex: A Time and a Place" (Part 2 of 6) (November 22, 1993)
"The Nature of Sex: The Sex Contract" (Part 3 of 6) (November 23, 1993)
"The Nature of Sex: Sex and the Human Animal" (Part 4 of 6) (November 23, 1993)
"The Nature of Sex: A Miracle in the Making" (Part 5 of 6) (November 24, 1993)
"The Nature of Sex: Young Ones" (Part 6 of 6) (November 24, 1993)
Season Thirteen[edit]
"In the Lion's Den with Anthony Hopkins" (October 2, 1994)
"Pandas of the Sleeping Dragon" (October 9, 1994)
"Warts and All" (November 6, 1994)
"Nomads of the Wind: Pierced Sky" (November 12, 1994)
"Nomads of the Wind: The Faraway Heaven" (November 20, 1994)
"Nomads of the Wind: Crossroads of the Pacific" (November 21, 1994)
"Nomads of the Wind: Burning Their Boats" (November 21, 1994)
"Nomads of the Wind: Distant Horizons" (November 22, 1994)
"Fire Bird" (January 8, 1995)
"Creatures in Crime" (February 5, 1995)
"Tigers With Bob Hoskins" (February 26, 1995)
"Ghost Bear" (March 5, 1995)
"Born to Run" (May 21, 1995)
"New Guinea: Island Invaders" (July 23, 1995)
"New Guinea: Other Worlds" (July 30, 1995)
Season Fourteen[edit]
"Jaguar: Year of the Cat" (October 8, 1995)
"Incredible Suckers" (October 15, 1995)
"Monkey in the Mirror" (November 5, 1995)
"The World of Penguins" (December 3, 1995)
"Castaways of Sulawesi" (December 17, 1995)
"Hunters of the Sea Wind" (January 14, 1996)
"Parrots: Look Who's Talking" (February 4, 1996)
"Alien Empire: Hardware Replicators" (February 11, 1996)
"Alien Empire: Battlezone Metropolis" (February 12, 1996)
"Alien Empire: Voyagers and Ware of the Worlds" (February 13, 1996)
"Jane Goodall's Wild Chimpanzees" (March 3, 1996)
"Victims of Venom" (March 31, 1996)
"Call of Kakadu" (May 5, 1996)
"Monsoon" (May 12, 1996)
Season Fifteen[edit]
"Sperm Whales: The Real Moby Dick" (October 13, 1996)
"The Joy of Pigs" (November 17, 1996)
"Spirits of the Jaguar: The Forging of a New World" (Part 1 of 4) (1 December 1, 1996)
"Spirits of the Jaguar: Forests of the Maya" (Part 2 of 4) (December 8, 1996)
"Spirits of the Jaguar: Hunters of the Caribbean Sea" (Part 3 of 4) (December 15, 1996)
"Spirits of the Jaguar: The fifth world of the Aztecs" (Part 4 of 4) (December 22, 1996)
"Extraordinary Dogs" (March 9, 1997)
"Bower Bird Blues" (April 1, 1997)
Season Sixteen[edit]
"Toothwalkers: Giants of the Arctic Ice" (October 12, 1997)
"Grand Canyon" (October 19, 1997)
"Eagles" (May 17, 1998)
Season Seventeen[edit]
"Great White Bear" (October 11, 1998)
"The Secret World of Sharks and Rays" (October 18, 1998)
"American Buffalo: Spirit of a Nation" (November 1, 1998)
The story about the return of the American Buffalo to Yellowstone National Park and to the Native American tribes.
"John Denver: Let This Be a Voice" (December 6, 1998)
"Episode #17.5" (December 29, 1998)
"Episode #17.6" (December 7, 1998)
Walking with Giants: The Grizzlies of Siberia" (February 14, 1999)
Extraordinary Cats" (February 21, 1999)
The Seedy Side of Plants" (May 23, 1999)
"A Conversation with Koko" (August 8, 1999)
Season Eighteen[edit]
"Antarctica: The End of Earth Katabatic" (Part 1 of 2) (October 24, 1999)
"Sled Dogs: An Alaskan Epic" (November 21, 1999)
"Wisdom of the Wild" (December 5, 1999)
"Inside the Animal Mind Part One: Are Animals Intelligent?" (January 16, 2000)
"Inside the Animal Mind Part Two: Do Animal Have Emotions?" (January 23, 2000)
"Inside the Animal Mind Part Three: Animal Consciousness" (January 30, 2000)
"Obsession with Orchids" (April 16, 2000)
"Earth Navigators" (April 23, 2000)
"The Body Changers say" (May 7, 2000)
"Springs Eternal: Florida's Fountain of Youth" (May 14, 2000)
Season Nineteen[edit]
"Wild Horses of Mongolia With Julia Roberts" (October 22, 2000)
"The Octopus Show" (October 29, 2000)
"Extraordinary Birds" (November 12, 2000)
"The Urban Elephant" (November 19, 2000)
Season Twenty[edit]
"Africa: Savana Homecoming" (September 9, 2001)
"Cloud: Wild Stallion of the Rockies" (November 4, 2001) (in Swedish wikipedia)
"Dogs: The Early Years" (November 11, 2001)
"Animals Behaving Badly" (November 18, 2001)
"Ravens" (December 16, 2001)
"Condition Black" (January 13, 2002)
"The White Elephants of Thailand with Meg Ryan" (February 10, 2002)
"Song of the Earth with David Attenborough" (April 7, 2002)
"Big Red Roos" (April 14, 2002)
"The Polar Bears of Churchill With Ewan McGregor" (May 19, 2002)
Season Twenty-One[edit]
"Tall Blondes" (October 13, 2002)
"Horse And Rider" (October 20, 2002)
"Dive To The Abyss" (October 27, 2002)
"Bloody Suckers" (November 17, 2002)
"Trail of the Cougar" (December 15, 2002)
"Under Antarctic Ice (January 12, 2003)
"The Reptiles: Alligators and Crocodiles" (February 2, 2003)
"The Reptiles: Snakes (February 9, 2003)
"The Reptiles: Turtles and Tortoises"(February 16, 2003)
"The Reptiles: Lizards (February 23, 2003)
"Lost World of the Holy Land"(April 13, 2003)
"Leopards of Yala" (April 20, 2003)
"A Mystery in Alaska" (May 11, 2003)
"War Wrecks of the Coral Seas" (May 18, 2003)
Season Twenty-Two[edit]
"The Living Edens: The Lost World: Venezuela's Ancient Tepuis" (September 14, 2003)
"Hippo Beach" (October 19, 2003)
"Kalahari: The Great Thirstland" (Part 1 of 2) (November 2, 2003)
"Kalahari: The Flooded Deserts" (Part 2 of 2) (November 9, 2003)
"White Shark/Red Triangle" (November 16, 2003)
"Cloud's Legacy: The Wild Stallion Returns" (November 23, 2003)
"The Living Edens: Arctic Oceans: Canada's South Hampton Island" (December 21, 2003)
"Shadow Over The Suns: The Story of Eagles" (January 18, 2004)
"Diamonds" (February 8, 2004)
"The Real Macaw" (February 15, 2004)
"Holy Cow" (February 22, 2004)
"Pale Male" (March 16, 2004)
"Ireland" (March 28, 2004)
"Flight School" (April 11, 2004)
"Land of the Falling Lakes" (April 18, 2004)
Season Twenty-Three[edit]
"Shark Mountain" (November 14, 2004)
"Chasing Big Cats" (November 17, 2004)
"The Good, The Bad, The Grizzly" (November 21, 2004)
"Violent Hawaii" (January 9, 2005)
"Silent Roar: Searching For The Snow Leopard" (January 16, 2005)
"Cuba: Wild Island of the Caribbean" (January 30, 2005)
"From Orphan To King" (February 13, 2005)
"Snowflake: The White Gorilla" (April 20, 2005)
"The Venom Cure" (April 3, 2005)
"Deep Jungle: New Frontiers" (Part 1 of 3) (April 17, 2005)
"Deep Jungle: Monsters of the Forest" (Part 2 of 3) (April 24, 2005)
"Deep Jungle: The Beast Within" (Part 3 of 3) (May 1, 2005)
"The Dolphin Defender" (April 15, 2005)
Season Twenty-Four[edit]
"Killers In Eden" (November 6, 2005)
"Can Animals Predict Disaster?" (November 13, 2005)
"Katrina's Animal Rescue" (November 20, 2005)
"Encountering Seas Monsters" (December 18, 2005)
"Life In Death Valley" (January 8, 2006)
"Oceans In Glass: Behind The Scenes At The Monterey Bay Aquarium" (January 22, 2006)
"Underdogs" (January 29, 2006)
"True Adventures of the Ultimate Spider-Hunter" (February 12, 2006)
"Animals Behaving Worse" (February 19, 2006)
"Murder In The Troop" (April 2, 2006)
"The Queen of Trees" (April 9, 2006)
"The Vanishing Lions" (April 30, 2006)
"Crime Scene Creatures" (May 7, 2006)
Season Twenty-Five[edit]
"Chimpanzees: An Unnatural History" (November 5, 2006)
"Penguins of the Antarctic" (November 12, 2006)
"Christmas In Yellowstone" (November 19, 2006)
"The Best of Nature: 25 Years" (January 14, 2007)
"Rhinoceros" (January 28, 2007)
"Supersize Crocs" (February 11, 2007)
"Raptor Force" (February 18, 2007)
"Andes: The Dragon's Back" (February 25, 2007)
"Unforgettable Elephants" (April 1, 2007)
"Voyage of the Lonely Turtle" (April 15, 2007)
"Dogs That Changed The World: The Rise of the Dog" (Part 1 of 2) (April 22, 2007)
"Dogs That Changed The World: Dogs By Design" (Part 2 of 2) (April 29, 2007)
"Sharkland" (May 6, 2007)
Season Twenty-Six[edit]
"Silence of the Bees" (October 28, 2007)
"In The Valley of the Wolves" (November 4, 2007)
"The Cheetah Orphans" (November 11, 2007)
"The Beauty of Ugly" (November 18, 2007)
"The Desert Lions" (January 6, 2008)
"Parrots In The Land of Oz" (January 27, 2008)
"Crash: A Tale of" (Red Knot and Limulidae) Two Species" (February 2, 2008)
"Arctic Bears" (February 17, 2008)
"What Females Want And Males Will Do" (Part 1 of 2) (April 6, 2008)
"What Males Want And Males Will Do" (Part 2 of 2) (April 13, 2008)
"The Gorilla King" (April 20, 2008)
"Superfish" (May 4, 2008)
"Prince of the Alps" (May 11, 2008)
Season Twenty-Seven[edit]
"White Falcon, White Wolf" (October 26, 2008)
"Clever Monkeys" (November 9, 2008)
"American Eagle" (November 16, 2008)
"The Wolf That Changed America" (November 23, 2008)
"The Dragon Chronicles" (January 11, 2009)
"Is That Skunk?" (January 25, 2009)
"Drakensberg: Barrier of Spears" (February 8, 2009)
"Why We Love Cats And Dogs" (February 15, 2009)
"Kilauea: Mountain of Fire" (March 29, 2009)
"Frogs: The Thin Green Line" (April 5, 2009)
"The Loneliest Animals" (April 19, 2009)
"Eagles of Mull" (May 3, 2009; broadcast in 2005 on Natural World as "Eagle Island")
"Victoria Falls" (May 17, 2009)
Season Twenty-Eight[edit]
"Cloud: Challenge of the Stallions" (October 25, 2009)
"Born Wild: The First Day of Life" (November 1, 2009)
"Black Mamba" (November 8, 2009)
"Fellowship of the Whales" (November 15, 2009)
"Hummingbirds: Magic In The Air" (January 10, 2010)
"Clash: Encounters of Bears And Wolves" (January 17, 2010)
"Wild Balkans" (January 31, 2010)
"Invasion of the Giant Pythons" (February 21, 2010)
"Moment of Impact: Episode 1: Hunters & Herds" (April 4, 2010)
"Moment of Impact: Episode 2: Jungle" (April 11, 2010)
Season Twenty-Nine[edit]
"Cuba: The Accidental Eden" (September 26, 2010)
"Echo: An Elephant to Remember" (October 17, 2010)
"A Murder of Crows" (October 24, 2010)
"Braving Iraq" (November 7, 2010)
"Wolverine: Chasing the Phantom" (November 14, 2010)
"Revealing the Leopard" (November 21, 2010)
"Elsa's Legacy: The Born Free Story" (January 9, 2011)
"Birds of the Gods" (January 23, 2011)
"The Himalayas" (February 13, 2011)
"Broken Tail: A Tiger's Last Journey" (February 20, 2011)
"Outback Pelicans" (March 27, 2011)
"Survivors of the Firestorm" (April 17, 2011)
"Salmon: Running the Gauntlet" (May 1, 2011)
"Bears of the Last Frontier: City of Bears" (May 8, 2011)
"Bears of the Last Frontier: The Road North" (May 15, 2011)
"Bears of the Last Frontier: Arctic Wanderers" (May 22, 2011)
Season Thirty[edit]
"Radioactive Wolves" (October 19, 2011)
"The Animal House" (November 2, 2011)
"Jungle Eagle" (November 9, 2011)
"My Life as a Turkey" (November 16, 2011)
"Kangaroo Mob" (January 11, 2012)
"Fortress of the Bears" (January 25, 2012)
"Raccoon Nation" (February 8, 2012)
"Ocean Giants" (February 22, 2012)
"River of No Return" (April 18, 2012)
"The White Lions" (May 9, 2012)
"Cracking the Koala Code" (May 16, 2012)
Season Thirty-One[edit]
"Siberian Tiger Quest" (October 10, 2012)
"Magic of the Snowy Owl" (October 24, 2012)
"Animal Odd Couples" (November 7, 2012)
"An Original DUCKumentary" (November 14, 2012)
"Attenborough's Life Stories: Life on Camera" (January 23, 2013)
"Attenborough's Life Stories: Understanding the Natural World" (January 30, 2013)
"Attenborough's Life Stories: Our Fragile Planet" (February 6, 2013)
"Cold Warriors: Wolves and Buffalo" (February 13, 2013)
"What Plants Talk About" (April 3, 2013)
"The Mystery of Eels" (April 17, 2013)
"Legendary White Stallions" (May 1, 2013)
"The Private Life of Deer" (May 8, 2013)
"Great Zebra Exodus" (May 15, 2013)
Season Thirty-Two[edit]
"Earthflight: North America" (Part 1 of 6) (September 4, 2013)
"Earthflight: Africa" (Part 2 of 6) (September 11, 2013)
"Earthflight: Europe" (Part 3 of 6) (September 18, 2013)
"Earthflight: South America" (Part 4 of 6) (September 25, 2013)
"Earthflight: Asia and Australia" (Part 5 of 6) (October 2, 2013)
"Earthflight: Flying High" (Part 6 of 6) (October 9, 2013)
"Saving Otter 501" (October 16, 2013)
"Love in the Animal Kingdom" (November 6, 2013)
"Parrot Confidential" (November 13, 2013)
"Meet the Coywolf" (January 22, 2014)
"The Funkiest Monkeys" (January 29, 2014)
"Honey Badgers: Masters of Mayhem" (February 19, 2014)
"Ireland's Wild River" (March 5, 2014)
"My Bionic Pet" (April 9, 2014)
"Touching the Wild" (April 16, 2014)
"Snow Monkeys" (April 23, 2014)
"Leave It to Beavers" (May 14, 2014)
"The Gathering Swarms" (May 21, 2014)
"Fabulous Frogs" (June 25, 2014)
Season Thirty-Three[edit]
"Ostrich" (Part 1 of 6) (September 4, 2014)
"Ostrich" (Part 2 of 6) (September 11, 2014)
"Ostrich" (Part 3 of 6) (September 18, 2014)
"Ostrich" (Part 4 of 6) (September 25, 2014)
"Ostrich" (Part 5 of 6) (October 2, 2014)
"Ostrich" (Part 6 of 6) (October 9, 2014)
"Eagle Mountain" (October 16, 2014)
"The Legend Of Shark" (November 1, 2014)
"Elephant Confidential" (November 14, 2014)
"Lions Roar" (January 22, 2015)
"The Funkiest Sea Lion" (January 29, 2015)
"Earthflight: Jungle" (February 19, 2015)
"Whales" (March 4, 2015)
"Monkey Kingdom" (April 9, 2015)
"Meet the Coywolf II" (April 15, 2015)
"Moose In The Wild" (April 23, 2015)
In other media[edit]
Comic book[edit]
Three issues of a Nature comic book were produced from 2006–2008. They were full-color corollaries to on-air episodes like "Silence of the Bees," "In the Valley of the Wolves," and "The Beauty of Ugly." Nature Comics was targeted at pre-teens and teenagers as an educational tool, and was distributed free to museums, schools, and nature centers.
Nature Comics featured the talents of a number of notable cartoonists, including Josh Neufeld, Rick Veitch, Lauren Weinstein, and Thomas Yeates. The series was edited by David Reisman.
Nature Comics #2 was given an Association of Education Publishers 2008 Distinguished Achievement Award (in the Specialized Audience Instruction/Graphic Novel category).[1]
Issues[edit]
Nature Comics #1 (2006) — related episodes: "Christmas in Yellowstone" (Season 23), "Penguins of the Antarctic" (Season 23), and "Chimpanzees: An Unnatural History" (Season 23)
Mark Schultz (cover art)
Jonathan Bennett
Rick Veitch
Lauren Weinstein
R. Kikuo Johnson
Sabrina Jones
Nature Comics #2 (2007) — related episodes: "Silence of the Bees" (Season 24), "In the Valley of the Wolves" (Season 24), and "The Beauty of Ugly" (Season 24)
Rick Veitch
Lauren Weinstein
R. Kikuo Johnson (cover art and inside story)
Thomas Yeates
Josh Neufeld
Jeffrey Lewis
The Unexpected World of Nature (a.k.a. Nature Comics #3) (2008) — related episodes: "The Dragon Chronicles" (Season 25), "The Wolf That Changed America" (Season 25), and "Frogs: The Thin Green Line" (Season 25)
Rick Veitch (cover and inside story)
Thomas Yeates
Sabrina Jones
R. Kikuo Johnson
Lauren Weinstein
Hope Larson
Josh Neufeld
See also[edit]
NOVA
Deep Jungle
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "2008 Distinguished Achievement Award Winners: Curriculum," Association of Educational Publishers website. Accessed Sept. 22, 2010.
External links[edit]
Official website
The Best of Nature: the First 25 years
Nature at the Internet Movie Database
Nature at TV.com
Nature Comics official website
Nature Comics free PDFs: #1, #2, #3


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Ice storm
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search


Globe icon.
 The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (March 2014)
For other uses, see Ice storm (disambiguation).
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An ice storm is a type of winter storm characterized by freezing rain, also known as a glaze event or, in some parts of the United States, as a silver thaw.[1] The U.S. National Weather Service defines an ice storm as a storm which results in the accumulation of at least 0.25-inch (6.4 mm) of ice on exposed surfaces.[2] From 1982 to 1994, ice storms were more common than blizzards and averaged 16 per year.[3] They are not violent storms, but instead commonly perceived as gentle rains occurring at temperatures just below freezing. For this reason people may be unaware of the danger if it happens overnight.


Contents  [hide]
1 Formation
2 Effect
3 Notable ice storms
4 Gallery
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

Formation[edit]



 A graph showing the formation of different kinds of precipitation.
The formation of ice begins with a layer of above-freezing air above a layer of sub-freezing temperatures closer to the surface. Frozen precipitation melts to rain while falling into the warm air layer, and then begins to refreeze in the cold layer below. If the precipitate refreezes while still in the air, it will land on the ground as sleet. Alternatively, the liquid droplets can continue to fall without freezing, passing through the cold air just above the surface. This thin layer of air then cools the rain to a temperature below freezing (0 °C or 32 °F). However, the drops themselves do not freeze, a phenomenon called supercooling (or forming "supercooled drops"). When the supercooled drops strike ground or anything else below 0 °C (32 °F) (e.g. power lines, tree branches, aircraft), a layer of ice accumulates as the cold water drips off, forming a slowly thickening film of ice, hence freezing rain.[4][5][6]
While meteorologists can predict when and where an ice storm will occur, some storms still occur with little or no warning.[5] In the United States, most ice storms are in the northeastern part of the country, but damaging storms have occurred farther south. An ice storm in February 1994 resulted in tremendous ice accumulation as far south as Mississippi, and caused reported damage in nine states. More timber was damaged than that caused by Hurricane Camille. An ice storm in eastern Washington in November 1996 directly followed heavy snowfall. The combined weight of the snow and 25 to 37 millimeters (0.98 to 1.46 in) of ice caused widespread damage and was considered the most severe ice storm in the Spokane area since 1940.[3]
Effect[edit]



 Wires sagging after an ice storm. Besides disrupting transportation, ice storms can disrupt utilities by snapping lines and poles.
The freezing rain from an ice storm covers everything with heavy, smooth glaze ice. In addition to hazardous driving or walking conditions, branches or even whole trees may break from the weight of ice. Falling branches can block roads, tear down power and telephone lines, and cause other damage. Even without falling trees and tree branches, the weight of the ice itself can easily snap power lines and also break and bring down power/utility poles; even electricity pylons with steel frames. This can leave people without power for anywhere from several days to a month. According to most meteorologists, just one quarter of an inch of ice accumulation can add about 500 pounds (230 kg) of weight per line span. Damage from ice storms is easily capable of shutting down entire metropolitan areas.



 Devastation caused by an ice storm
Additionally, the loss of power during ice storms has indirectly caused numerous illnesses and deaths due to unintentional carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. At lower levels, CO poisoning causes symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, fatigue, and headache, but high levels can cause unconsciousness, heart failure, and death.[7] The relatively high incidence of CO poisoning during ice storms occurs due to the use of alternative methods of heating and cooking during prolonged power outages, common after severe ice storms.[8] Gas generators, charcoal and propane barbecues, and kerosene heaters contribute to CO poisoning when they operate in confined locations.[7] CO is produced when appliances burn fuel without enough oxygen present,[9] such as basements and other indoor locations.
Loss of electricity during ice storms can indirectly lead to hypothermia and even death from hypothermia. It can also lead to ruptured pipes due to water freezing inside the pipes.
Tree sensitivity to sap coloration and resistance to crown damage from an ice storm.[3]

Sensitivity to sap coloration
Resistance to ice damage to crown
Low or average Average or strong Strong
Sensitive
 Manitoba maple (Acer negundo)
Striped maple (Acer pensylvanicum)
Silver maple (Acer saccharinum)
Norway maple (Acer platanoides)
Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
White birch (Betula pubescens)
Grey birch (Betula populifolia)
Jack pine (Pinus banksiana)
Red pine (Pinus resinosa)
Aspens
Pin cherry (Prunus pensylvanica)
Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)
Willows and Alders
Mountain ashes
Linden (or basswood)
Locusts and Honey locusts (Gleditsia triacanthos)
 Yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis)
American beech (Fagus grandifolia)
White ash (Fraxinus americana)
Elms
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
White pines
Apple trees
Balsam fir (Abies balsamea')
Little-leaf linden (Tilia cordata)
Hawthorns
 Spruces

Insensitive
 Eastern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis)
American larch (Larix laricina)
Black cherry (Prunus serotina)
Red ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)
Common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
 Bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis)
Red oaks
Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima)
Black ash (Fraxinus nigra)
Shagbark hickory (Carya ovata)
 Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)
Burr oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
White oak (Quercus alba)
Swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor)
Hophornbeam
Black walnut (Juglans nigra)
Hornbeam
Saskatoon berry (Amelanchier alnifolia)

Notable ice storms[edit]
An ice storm which struck northern Idaho in January 1961 set a record for thickest recorded ice accumulation from a single storm in the United States, at 8 inches.[10][11]
In March 1991, a major ice storm in the area of Rochester, NY caused $375 million in damages, placing it among the worst natural disasters in New York State history.[12]
In February 1994, a severe ice storm caused over $1 billion in damage in the Southern United States, primarily in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama.
The North American ice storm of 1998 occurred during January 5–9, 1998. It was one of the most damaging and costly ice storms in North American history. The storm caused massive power failures in several large cities on the East Coast of the United States. The most affected area was extreme eastern Ontario and southwestern Quebec in Canada, where over 3 million people were without power for up to a month and a half. Whole trees snapped and electrical pylons were completely flattened under the weight of the accumulated ice.[13]
The Northeastern United States was impacted by a major ice storm on December 11–12, 2008, which left about 1.25 million homes and businesses without power. Areas impacted with 3⁄4 to 1 in (19 to 25 mm) of ice accumulation included eastern New York in the Albany area, central and western Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire, coastal and south-central Maine, Pennsylvania in the Pocono Mountains region, northwestern Connecticut, and southern Vermont. Southern New Hampshire and northernmost Massachusetts got hit the worst with the storm with ice accumulations ranging from 1.5 to 3 in (38 to 76 mm) of ice. This left residents unable to get supplies, go to work etc. due to blocked roads from trees that fell on the roads. Any trees that fell quickly took down power poles. It took utility crews from 4 to as much as 16 days to get a look at the damage and start to restore power to nearly 1.3 million people. In all there were 675,000 residents in New Hampshire without power and around 500,000 in northern Massachusetts.[citation needed]
In late January 2009 ice storms covered several U.S. states, including Arkansas and Kentucky. Most areas affected saw over 2 in (51 mm) of ice accumulation, and between 1–5 in (25–127 mm) of snow on top of the ice. This ice storm left well over 2 million people without power at its peak and killed 55 people, 24 in Kentucky.[14] Rural Water Associations in Arkansas and Kentucky activated emergency response plans to deal with power loss to small water utilities across their states. Neighboring state Rural Water Associations, including experienced emergency responders from Louisiana and Florida, loaned equipment and manpower to assist the hardest-hit areas.[15][16]
During the unusually severe winter of 2009–2010 in the United Kingdom, heavy snow had fallen over much of the country in late December and early January. By the second week of January, many of the roads and pavements had been cleared by local councils due to the use of rock salt gritting. However, during the early hours of 12 January, a wet front[clarification needed] moved across the country, causing freezing rain and heavy ice glaze, particularly in the South and West Yorkshire areas of Northern England (crucially, this rainfall had stopped before first light). When the local population prepared to set out for work and school, they saw from their windows what appeared to be clear roads and pavements but were in fact treacherous sheets of black ice. Cars and buses almost immediately encounted extreme difficulty, and emergency services were called to dozens of accidents. Pedestrians in the village of Holmfirth found the only safe way to proceed was to crawl on all fours.[17] Accident and emergency units at hospitals in the Sheffield, Rotherham, and Barnsley areas found themselves inundated by people with broken bones, fractures, and sprains, and many schools were closed as it was judged unsafe for pupils to attempt to make their way there.
On December 25, 2010, freezing rain fell on Moscow and vicinity. The glaze ice accumulation caused a number of accidents and power outages, of which the most serious was damage caused to two power lines feeding Domodedovo Airport, causing a complete blackout of the airport and express railway that connected it to the city. As a result, the airport was shut down and hundreds of passengers were stranded inside, with taxi drivers charging up to 10,000 rubles (USD 330) for a one-hour drive to the city.[18] Other city airports, Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo, where air traffic was re-routed and amid heavy snowfall that followed ice rain, collapsed a day later, causing a full air transport collapse.
Gallery[edit]




A tree covered in ice from the Northeastern Ice Storm of 2008.




A street in Elora, Ontario, Canada after an ice storm, sometime between 1900 and 1919.




A pinecone covered in ice, showing the results of a winter ice storm.




A buildup of ice on a branch after an ice storm.




Car after an ice storm hit central Iowa in 2007.

See also[edit]
2005 Atlantic Power Outage
Freezing rain
Ice pruning
List of ice storms
Power outage
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "Glossary of Meteorology, Section S". AMS Glossary. Retrieved 2009-01-09.
2.Jump up ^ Hauer, Richard J.; Dawson, Jeffrey O.; Werner, Les P. (2006). Trees and Ice Storms - The Development of Ice Storm-Resistant Urban Tree Populations (2 ed.). College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, and the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences and the Office of Continuing Education, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
3.^ Jump up to: a b c Irland, Lloyd C. (2000-11-15). "Ice Storms and forest impacts". The Science of the Total Environment 262 (1): 231–242. doi:10.1016/S0048-9697(00)00525-8. ISSN 0048-9697.
4.Jump up ^ Gay, David A.; Robert E. Davis (1993-12-30). "Freezing rain and sleet climatology of the southeastern USA". Climate Research 3 (1): 209–220. doi:10.3354/cr003209.
5.^ Jump up to: a b "Ice Storms". City of Savannah, Georgia. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
6.Jump up ^ University of Illinois. "Cyclones and Fronts: the definition of freezing rain". Retrieved 2009-01-09.
7.^ Jump up to: a b Hartling, L.; Brison, R.J.; Pickett, W. (November 1998). "Cluster of Unintentional Carbon Monoxide Poisonings Presenting to the Emergency Departments of Kingston, Ontario during 'Ice Storm 98'". Canadian Journal of Public Health 89 (3): 388–390.
8.Jump up ^ Wrenn, K.; Conners, G.P. (1997). Carbon monoxide poisoning during ice storms: A tale of two cities (4 ed.). Journal of Emergency Medicine.
9.Jump up ^ Griefe, A.L.; Goldenhar, L.M.; Freund, E. (1997). Carbon monoxide poisoning from gasoline-powered engines: Risk perception among midwest flood victims (3 ed.). American Journal of Public Health.
10.Jump up ^ National Weather Service — January 3, 2010. Accessed 1-3-2010.
11.Jump up ^ "On this day in weather history". weatherforyou.com. Retrieved 2012-09-09.
12.Jump up ^ "Looking Back: Twenty Years Since Ice Storm of 1991". ynn.com. 2011-03-02. Retrieved 2013-03-23.
13.Jump up ^ McCready, Jim (2004). "Ice Storm 1998: Lessons learned". Eastern Ontario Model Forest. Retrieved 2006-09-10.
14.Jump up ^ "National Death Toll Hits 55 in Ice Storm, 24 in KY". ABC News. 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-02.[dead link]
15.Jump up ^ "Arkansas Rural Water fighting ice to bring generators to powerless utilities". National Rural Water Association. 2009-01-29. Retrieved 2009-01-29.[dead link]
16.Jump up ^ "700,000 without power - Kentucky Rural Water Association helps with recovery from ice storm". National Rural Water Association. 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-02.[dead link]
17.Jump up ^ BBC News (14 January 2010). "Council grit supplies run low in West Yorkshire". BBC. Retrieved 2010-10-13.
18.Jump up ^ "В аэропорту "Домодедово" отключили электричество (Domodedovo Airport is blacked out)". Lenta.ru. December 26, 2010. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
External links[edit]
 Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ice storms.
Ice Storms
Gallery of Ice Storm Photos
US Economic Costs of Ice Storms NOAA Economics
 


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Typhoon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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This article is about Pacific tropical cyclones. For other uses, see Typhoon (disambiguation).



 Three different tropical cyclones spinning over the western Pacific Ocean on 7 August 2006. The cyclone on the lower right has intensified into a typhoon.
A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops in the western part of the North Pacific Ocean between 180° and 100°E. This region is referred to as the northwest Pacific basin.[1] For organisational purposes, the northern Pacific Ocean is divided into three regions: the eastern (North America to 140°W), central (140°W to 180°), and western (180° to 100°E). The Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC) for tropical cyclone forecasts is in Japan, with other tropical cyclone warning centers for the northwest Pacific in Honolulu (the Joint Typhoon Warning Center), the Philippines and Hong Kong. While the RSMC names each system, the main name list itself is coordinated amongst 18 countries that have territories threatened by typhoons each year. The Philippines use their own naming list for systems which approach the country.
Within the northwestern Pacific there are no official typhoon seasons as tropical cyclones form throughout the year. Like any tropical cyclone, there are six main requirements for typhoon formation and development: sufficiently warm sea surface temperatures, atmospheric instability, high humidity in the lower to middle levels of the troposphere, enough Coriolis force to develop a low pressure center, a pre-existing low level focus or disturbance, and low vertical wind shear. The majority of storms form between June and November whilst tropical cyclone formation is at a minimum between December and May. On average, the northwestern Pacific features the most numerous and intense tropical cyclones globally. Like other basins, they are steered by the subtropical ridge towards the west or northwest, with some systems recurving near and east of Japan. The Philippines receive a brunt of the landfalls, with China and Japan being impacted slightly less. Some of the deadliest typhoons in history have struck China. Southern China has the longest record of typhoon impacts for the region, with a thousand year sample via documents within their archives. Taiwan has received the wettest known typhoon on record for the northwest Pacific tropical cyclone basin.


Contents  [hide]
1 Nomenclature 1.1 Etymology and usage
1.2 Intensity classifications
2 Genesis
3 Frequency
4 Paths
5 Basin monitoring 5.1 Name sources
6 Records
7 See also
8 References
9 External links

Nomenclature[edit]
Etymology and usage[edit]
The English word typhoon originates from the Japanese word (台風, pronounced taifū).[citation needed] Other possible, but likely incorrect, theories include that it could have originated from Persian توفان tūfān (storm), (which is pronounced "tufoon" in the Bandari dialect of Persian, spoken on the shores of the Persian Gulf [2] from the verb tūfīdan (Persian: توفیدن/طوفیدن‎ means "to roar", "to blow furiously"[3]) - a cyclonic storm, a cognate of Sanskrit "tanun" meaning high or agitated winds. It also appears to have contributed to the Chinese word 大風 (pinyin: dàfēng) meaning "great wind" as spoken in southern Chinese dialects such as Hakka and Cantonese. The modern way of writing typhoon in Chinese (simplified Chinese: 台风; traditional Chinese: 颱風; pinyin: táifēng) uses a different first character, however, and may have come about based on the re-importing of the word from English. (Another theory is that the initial ty syllable of the word was a reference to Taiwan, and phoon is pronounced like winds in Taiwanese language. Therefore, typhoon may refer to Taiwan's winds.) Another possible etymology of typhoon is from the Greek word τύφειν (týphein), meaning "to smoke" (see also Typhon), to describe the cyclonic storms of the Indian Ocean.[4] Typhoon is the regional name in the northwest Pacific for a severe (or mature) tropical cyclone,[5] whereas hurricane is the regional term in the northeast Pacific and northern Atlantic. Elsewhere this is called a tropical cyclone, severe tropical cyclone, or severe cyclonic storm.[6]
Intensity classifications[edit]
RSMC Tokyo's Tropical Cyclone Intensity Scale

Category
Sustained winds

Typhoon
64–84 knots
 118–156 km/h
Severe Tropical Storm
48–63 knots
 89–117 km/h
Tropical Storm
34–47 knots
 62–88 km/h
Tropical Depression
≤33 knots
 ≤61 km/h
See also: Tropical cyclone scales
A tropical depression is the lowest category that the Japan Meteorological Agency uses and is the term used for a tropical system that has wind speeds not exceeding 33 knots (38 mph; 61 km/h).[7] A tropical depression is upgraded to a tropical storm should its sustained wind speeds exceed 34 knots (39 mph; 63 km/h). Tropical storms also receive official names from RSMC Tokyo.[7] Should the storm intensify further and reach sustained wind speeds of 48 knots (55 mph; 89 km/h) then it will be classified as a severe tropical storm.[7] Once the system's maximum sustained winds reach wind speeds of 64 knots (74 mph; 119 km/h), the JMA will designate the tropical cyclone as a typhoon—the highest category on its scale.[7]
From 2009 the Hong Kong Observatory started to further divide typhoons into three different classifications: typhoon, severe typhoon and super typhoon.[8] A typhoon has wind speed of 64-79 knots (73-91 mph; 118-149 km/h), a severe typhoon has winds of at least 80 knots (92 mph; 150 km/h), and a super typhoon has winds of at least 100 knots (120 mph; 190 km/h).[8] The United States' Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) unofficially classifies typhoons with wind speeds of at least 130 knots (67 m/s; 150 mph; 241 km/h)—the equivalent of a strong Category 4 storm in the Saffir-Simpson scale—as super typhoons.[9] However, the maximum sustained wind speed measurements that the JTWC uses are based on a 1-minute averaging period, akin to the U.S.' National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurricane Center. As a result, the JTWC's wind reports are higher than JMA's measurements, as the latter are based on a 10-minute averaging interval.[10]
Genesis[edit]



 Depth of 26 °C isotherm on October 1, 2006
See also: Tropical cyclogenesis
There are six main requirements for tropical cyclogenesis: sufficiently warm sea surface temperatures, atmospheric instability, high humidity in the lower to middle levels of the troposphere, enough Coriolis force to develop a low pressure center, a pre-existing low level focus or disturbance, and low vertical wind shear. While these conditions are necessary for tropical cyclone formation, they do not guarantee that a tropical cyclone will form. Normally, an ocean temperature of 26.5 °C (79.7 °F) spanning through a depth of at least 50 metres (160 ft) is considered the minimum to maintain the special mesocyclone that is the tropical cyclone.[citation needed] These warm waters are needed to maintain the warm core that fuels tropical systems. A minimum distance of 500 km (300 mi) from the equator is normally needed for tropical cyclogenesis.[11]
Whether it be a depression in the intertropical covergence zone (ITCZ) or monsoon trough, a broad surface front, or an outflow boundary, a low level feature with sufficient vorticity and convergence is required to begin tropical cyclogenesis. About 85 to 90 percent of Pacific typhoons form within the monsoon trough.[12] Even with perfect upper level conditions and the required atmospheric instability, the lack of a surface focus will prevent the development of organized convection and a surface low. Vertical wind shear of less than 10 m/s (20 kn, 33 ft/s) between the ocean surface and the tropopause is required for tropical cyclone development.[11] Typically with Pacific typhoons, there are two outflow jets: one to the north ahead of an upper trough in the Westerlies, and a second towards the equator.[12]
In general, westerly wind increases associated with the Madden-Julian Oscillation lead to increased tropical cyclogenesis in all tropical cyclone basins. As the oscillation propagates from west to east, it leads to an eastward march in tropical cyclogenesis with time during that hemisphere's summer season.[13] On average, twice per year twin tropical cyclones will form in the western Pacific ocean, near the 5th parallel north and the 5th parallel south, along the same meridian, or line of longitude.[14] There is an inverse relationship between tropical cyclone activity in the western Pacific basin and the north Atlantic basin, however. When one basin is active, the other is normally quiet, and vice versa. The main reason for this appears to be the phase of the Madden-Julian oscillation, or MJO, which is normally in opposite modes between the two basins at any given time.[15]
Frequency[edit]
Storm Frequency
 Tropical storms and Typhoons by month,
 for the period 1959–2011 (Northwest Pacific)

Month
Count
Average
Jan 25 0.5
Feb 12 0.2
Mar 23 0.4
Apr 34 0.6
May 63 1.2
Jun 90 1.7
Jul 205 3.9
Aug 296 5.6
Sep 262 4.9
Oct 210 4.0
Nov 133 2.5
Dec 66 1.2
Annual 1419 26.8
Source: JTWC[16]
Nearly one-third of the world's tropical cyclones form within the western Pacific. This makes this basin the most active on Earth.[17] Pacific typhoons have formed year round, with peak months from August to October. The peak months correspond to that of the Atlantic hurricane seasons. Along with a high storm frequency, this basin also features the most globally intense storms on record. One of the most recent busy seasons was 2004. Tropical cyclones form in any month of the year across the northwest Pacific ocean, and concentrate around June and November in the northern Indian ocean. The area just northeast of the Philippines is the most active place on Earth for tropical cyclones to exist. Across the Philippines themselves, activity reaches a minimum in February, before increasing steadily through June, and spiking from July through October, with September being the most active month for tropical cyclones across the archipelago. Activity falls off significantly in November.[18] The most frequently impacted areas of the Philippines by tropical cyclones are northern and central Luzon and eastern Visayas.[19] A ten-year average of satellite determined precipitation showed that at least 30 percent of the annual rainfall in the northern Philippines could be traced to tropical cyclones, while the southern islands receive less than 10 percent of their annual rainfall from tropical cyclones.[20]
Paths[edit]



 Tracks of all tropical cyclones in the northernwestern Pacific Ocean between 1980 and 2005. The vertical line to the right is the International Date Line.
Most tropical cyclones form on the side of the subtropical ridge closer to the equator, then move poleward past the ridge axis before recurving north and northeast into the main belt of the Westerlies.[21] When the subtropical ridge position shifts due to El Niño, so will the preferred tropical cyclone tracks. Areas west of Japan and Korea tend to experience much fewer September–November tropical cyclone impacts during El Niño and neutral years. During El Niño years, the break in the subtropical ridge tends to lie near 130°E which would favor the Japanese archipelago.[22] During La Niña years, the formation of tropical cyclones, along with the subtropical ridge position, shifts westward across the western Pacific ocean, which increases the landfall threat to China and greater intensity to Philippines.[22] Those that form near the Marshall Islands find their way to Jeju Island, Korea.[23]
Typhoon paths follow three general directions.[17]
Straight track (or straight runner). A general westward path affects the Philippines, southern China, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
A parabolic, recurving track. Storms recurving affect eastern Philippines, eastern China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan.
Northward track. From point of origin, the storm follows a northerly direction, only affecting small islands.
A rare few storms, like Hurricane John, were redesignated as typhoons as its track originated from the Eastern/Central Pacific and moved its way into the western Pacific.
See also: Hurricane belt
Basin monitoring[edit]
Within the Western Pacific, RSMC Tokyo-Typhoon Center, part of the Japan Meteorological Agency has had the official warning responsibility for the whole of the Western Pacific since 1989,[24] and the naming responsibility for systems of tropical storm strength or greater since 2000.[8] However each National Meteorological and Hydrological Service within the western Pacific has the responsibility for issuing warnings for land areas about tropical cyclones affecting their country, such as the Joint Typhoon Warning Center for United States agencies,[25] the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) for interests in the island archipelago nation,[8] and the Hong Kong Observatory for storms which come close enough to cause the issuance of warning signals.[26]
Name sources[edit]
The list of names consists of entries from 17 Southeast and East Asian nations and the United States who have territories directly affected by typhoons. The submitted names are arranged into five lists; and each list is cycled with each year. Unlike tropical cyclones in other parts of the world, typhoons are not named after people. Instead, they generally refer to animals, flowers, astrological signs, and a few personal names. However, PAGASA retains its own naming list, which does consist of human names.[27] Therefore, a typhoon can possibly have two names. Storms that cross the date line from the central Pacific retain their original name, but the designation of hurricane becomes typhoon. In Japan, typhoons are also given a numerical designation according to the sequence of their occurrence in the calendar year.[24]

Records[edit]

Total
 Storms
Year
Tropical
 Storms
Typhoons
Super
 Typhoons
39 1964 13 19 7
35 1965
1967
1971 14
 15
 11 10
 16
 16 11
 4
 4
34 1994 14 14 6
33 1996 12 15 6
32 1974 16 16 0
31 1989
1992
2013 10
 13
 18 15
 17
 8 6
 5
 5
30 1962
1966
1972
1990
2004 7
 10
 8
 9
 10
 17
 17
 20
 17
 13 6
 3
 2
 4
 7
The most active Western Pacific typhoon season was in 1964,[citation needed] when 39 storms of tropical storm strength formed. The least activity seen in the northwest Pacific ocean was during the 2010 Pacific typhoon season, when only 14 tropical storms and seven typhoons formed. In the Philippines, the most active season, since 1945, for tropical cyclone strikes was 1993 when nineteen tropical cyclones moved through the country.[28] There was only one tropical cyclone which moved through the Philippines in 1958.[29] The 2004 Pacific typhoon season was the busiest for Okinawa since 1957.[30] Within Guangdong in southern China, during the past thousand years, the most active decades for typhoon strikes were the 1660s and 1670s.[31]
The highest sustained tropical cyclone winds on record were recorded during Typhoon Haiyan at 195 miles per hour (314 km/h) shortly before making landfall in the central Philippines on Nov. 8, 2013.[32] The most intense storm based on minimum pressure was Typhoon Tip in the northwestern Pacific Ocean in 1979, which reached a minimum pressure of 870 hectopascals (26 inHg) and maximum sustained wind speeds of 165 knots (85 m/s, 190 mph, 310 km/h).[33] The deadliest typhoon of the 20th century was Typhoon Nina which killed nearly 100,000 in China in 1975 due to a flood that caused 12 reservoirs to fail.[34] After Typhoon Morakot landed in Taiwan at midnight on August 8, 2009, almost the entire southern region of Taiwan (Chiayi County/Chiayi City, Tainan County/Tainan City (now merged as Tainan), Kaohsiung County/Kaohsiung City (now merged as Kaohsiung), and Pingtung County) and parts of Taitung County and Nantou County were flooded by record-breaking heavy rain. The rainfall in Pingtung County reached 2,327 millimeters (91.6 in),[35] breaking all rainfall records of any single place in Taiwan induced by a single typhoon,[36] and making the cyclone the wettest known typhoon.
See also[edit]

Portal icon Tropical cyclones portal
China tropical cyclone rainfall climatology
Effects of tropical cyclones
Tropical cyclone
Typhoons in the Philippines
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Chris Landsea (2010-06-01). "Subject: F1) What regions around the globe have tropical cyclones and who is responsible for forecasting there?". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2011-03-30.
2.Jump up ^ Etymology Online - Typhoon
3.Jump up ^ لغت‌نامه‌ی دهخدا؛ ذیل کلمه
4.Jump up ^ Anatoly Liberman (2009). Word Origins And How We Know Them: Etymology for Everyone. Oxford University Press. pp. 141–142. ISBN 978-0-19-538707-0. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
5.Jump up ^ Glossary of Meteorology (June 2000). "Typhoon". American Meteorological Society. Retrieved 2011-03-24.
6.Jump up ^ Chris Landsea (2010-06-01). "Frequently Asked Questions Subject: A1) What is a hurricane, typhoon, or tropical cyclone?". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2011-03-24.
7.^ Jump up to: a b c d Typhoon Committee (2008). "Typhoon Committee Operational Manual" (PDF). World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved 2008-12-23.
8.^ Jump up to: a b c d "Classifications of Tropical cyclones". Hong Kong Observatory. 2009-03-18. Retrieved 2009-04-27.
9.Jump up ^ Joint Typhoon Warning Center (2008-03-31). "What are the description labels used with tropical cyclones by JTWC?". Joint Typhoon Warning Center - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). Retrieved 2008-12-22.
10.Jump up ^ "How are JTWC forecasts different than forecasts issued by tropical cyclone warning centres (TCWCs) of other countries?". Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 2008-03-31. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
11.^ Jump up to: a b Chris Landsea (1 June 2010). Subject: A15) How do tropical cyclones form ? National Hurricane Center. Retrieved on 2011-03-24.
12.^ Jump up to: a b Roger Graham Barry and Andrew Mark Carleton (2001). Synoptic and dynamic climatology. Psychology Press. pp. 520–521. ISBN 978-0-415-03115-8. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
13.Jump up ^ John Molinari and David Vollaro (September 2000). "Planetary- and Synoptic-Scale Influences on Eastern Pacific Tropical Cyclogenesis". Monthly Weather Review 128 (9): 3296–307. Bibcode:2000MWRv..128.3296M. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(2000)128<3296:PASSIO>2.0.CO;2. Retrieved 2006-10-20.
14.Jump up ^ Roger Graham Barry and Richard J. Chorley (2003). Atmosphere, weather, and climate. Psychology Press. p. 271. ISBN 978-0-415-27170-7. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
15.Jump up ^ E. D. Maloney and D. L. Hartmann (September 2001). "The Madden–Julian Oscillation, Barotropic Dynamics, and North Pacific Tropical Cyclone Formation. Part I: Observations" (PDF). Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences 58 (17): 2545–2558. Bibcode:2001JAtS...58.2545M. doi:10.1175/1520-0469(2001)058<2545:TMJOBD>2.0.CO;2. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
16.Jump up ^ Joint Typhoon Warning Center (2011). 2011 Annual Tropical Cyclone Report: Western Pacific (Report). United States Navy, United States Air Force. Retrieved 2013-02-07.
17.^ Jump up to: a b James B. Elsner and Kam-Biu Liu (2003-10-08). "Examining the ENSO-Typhoon Hypothesis". Climate Research 25: 43. doi:10.3354/cr025043. Retrieved 2007-08-18.
18.Jump up ^ Ricardo García-Herrera, Pedro Ribera, Emiliano Hernández and Luis Gimeno (2006). "Typhoons in the Philippine Islands, 1566-1900". Journal of Geophysical Research 112 (D6): 40. Bibcode:2007JGRD..11206108G. doi:10.1029/2006JD007370. Retrieved 2010-04-13.
19.Jump up ^ Colleen A. Sexton (2006). Philippines in Pictures. Twenty-First Century Books. p. 16. ISBN 978-0-8225-2677-3. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
20.Jump up ^ Edward B. Rodgers, Robert F. Adler, and Harold F. Pierce (October 2000). "Contribution of Tropical Cyclones to the North Pacific Climatological Rainfall as Observed from Satellites". Journal of Applied Meteorology (American Meteorological Society) 39 (10): 1662. Bibcode:2000JApMe..39.1658R. doi:10.1175/1520-0450(2000)039<1658:COTCTT>2.0.CO;2. Retrieved 2011-03-30.
21.Jump up ^ Joint Typhoon Warning Center (2006). "3.3 JTWC Forecasting Philosophies". United States Navy. Retrieved 2007-02-11.
22.^ Jump up to: a b M. C. Wu, W. L. Chang, and W. M. Leung (2003). "Impacts of El Nino-Southern Oscillation Events on Tropical Cyclone Landfalling Activity in the Western North Pacific". Journal of Climate 17 (6): 1419–1428. Bibcode:2004JCli...17.1419W. doi:10.1175/1520-0442(2004)017<1419:IOENOE>2.0.CO;2. Retrieved 2007-02-11.
23.Jump up ^ David J. Nemeth (1987). The architecture of ideology: neo-Confucian imprinting on Cheju Island, Korea. University of California Press. p. 51. ISBN 978-0-520-09713-1. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
24.^ Jump up to: a b Japan Meteorological Agency (2001-05-25). "Annual Report on Activities of the RSMC Tokyo – Typhoon Center: 2000". pp. iii,11. Retrieved 2011-03-11.
25.Jump up ^ Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (2011). "Products and Service Notice". United States Navy. Retrieved 2011-03-11.
26.Jump up ^ Hong Kong Observatory (September 2010). "Tropical Cyclones in 2009". pp. 18–19. Retrieved 2011-03-11.
27.Jump up ^ "How typhoons are named". USA Today. 2007-11-01. Retrieved 2008-08-18.
28.Jump up ^ Joint Typhoon Warning Center (2009). "Member Report Republic of the Philippines". Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved 2010-04-14.
29.Jump up ^ Joint Typhoon Warning Center (1959). "1958". United States Navy.
30.Jump up ^ Erik Slavin (2005-05-30). "Preparation critical for Japan's coming typhoon season". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
31.Jump up ^ Kam-Biu Liu, Caiming Shen, and Kin-Sheun Louie (2001). "A 1,000-Year History of Typhoon Landfalls in Guangdong, Southern China, Reconstructed from Chinese Historical Documentary Records". Annals of the Association of American Geographers 91 (3): 453–464. doi:10.1111/0004-5608.00253. ISSN 0004-5608.
32.Jump up ^ Samenow, Jason; McNoldy Brian (2013-11-08). "Among Strongest Storms Ever". Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
33.Jump up ^ George M. Dunnavan, John W. Diercks (1980). "An Analysis of Super Typhoon Tip (October 1979)". Monthly Weather Review (American Meteorological Society) 108 (11): 1915–1923. Bibcode:1980MWRv..108.1915D. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1980)108<1915:AAOSTT>2.0.CO;2. ISSN 1520-0493. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
34.Jump up ^ Anderson-Berry, Linda J.; Weyman James C. (2008-02-26). "Fifth International Workshop on Tropycal Cyclones: Topic 5.1: Societal Impacts of Tropical Cyclones.". World Meteorological Organization. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
35.Jump up ^ Arizona State University (2009-08-12). "Taiwan Rainfall Record Investigation". Retrieved 2011-03-06.
36.Jump up ^ "Record rains in south". The China Post. 2009-08-09. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
External links[edit]
Japan Meteorological Agency
China Meteorological Agency
Digital Typhoon
Hong Kong Observatory
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Korea Meteorological Administration
National Weather Service Guam
Malaysian Meteorological Department
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
Taiwan Central Weather Bureau
TCWC Jakarta
Thai Meteorological Department
Typhoon2000
Vietnam's National Hydro-Meteorological Service
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Tsunami
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For other uses, see Tsunami (disambiguation).
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2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, An aerial view of damage in the Sendai region with black smoke coming from the Nippon Oil Sendai oil refinery
A tsunami (plural: tsunamis or tsunami; from Japanese: 津波, lit. "harbour wave";[1] English pronunciation: /suːˈnɑːmi/ soo-NAH-mee or /tsuːˈnɑːmi/ tsoo-NAH-mee[2]) , also known as a seismic sea wave, is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, generally an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions (including detonations of underwater nuclear devices), landslides, glacier calvings, meteorite impacts and other disturbances above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami.[3]
Tsunami waves do not resemble normal sea waves, because their wavelength is far longer. Rather than appearing as a breaking wave, a tsunami may instead initially resemble a rapidly rising tide, and for this reason they are often referred to as tidal waves. Tsunamis generally consist of a series of waves with periods ranging from minutes to hours, arriving in a so-called "wave train".[4] Wave heights of tens of metres can be generated by large events. Although the impact of tsunamis is limited to coastal areas, their destructive power can be enormous and they can affect entire ocean basins; the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was among the deadliest natural disasters in human history with at least 290,000 people killed or missing in 14 countries bordering the Indian Ocean.
The Greek historian Thucydides suggested in his late-5th century BC History of the Peloponnesian War, that tsunamis were related to submarine earthquakes,[5][6] but the understanding of a tsunami's nature remained slim until the 20th century and much remains unknown. Major areas of current research include trying to determine why some large earthquakes do not generate tsunamis while other smaller ones do; trying to accurately forecast the passage of tsunamis across the oceans; and also to forecast how tsunami waves would interact with specific shorelines.
Tsunamis are often referred to by the inaccurate and highly misleading term tidal wave, although the phenonmenon is unrelated to the tides.



 Taken at Ao Nang, Krabi Province, Thailand, during the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in Thailand

File:Simulación Tsunami.ogv
Play media


 3D tsunami simulation

Contents  [hide]
1 Etymology 1.1 Seismic sea wave
2 History
3 Generation mechanisms 3.1 Seismicity
3.2 Landslides
3.3 Meteotsunamis
4 Characteristics
5 Drawback
6 Scales of intensity and magnitude 6.1 Intensity scales
6.2 Magnitude scales
7 Warnings and predictions 7.1 Forecast of tsunami attack probability
8 Mitigation
9 As a weapon
10 See also
11 Footnotes
12 References
13 External links 13.1 Images, video, and animations


Etymology



 Tsunami warning bilingual sign in Ulee Lheue, Banda Aceh in Acehnese and Indonesian
The term tsunami comes from the Japanese 津波, composed of the two kanji 津 (tsu) meaning "harbour" and 波 (nami), meaning "wave". (For the plural, one can either follow ordinary English practice and add an s, or use an invariable plural as in the Japanese.[7])
Tsunami are sometimes referred to as tidal waves, which are unusually high sea waves that are triggered especially by earthquakes.[8] In recent years, this term has fallen out of favor, especially in the scientific community, because tsunami actually have nothing to do with tides. The once-popular term derives from their most common appearance, which is that of an extraordinarily high tidal bore. Tsunami and tides both produce waves of water that move inland, but in the case of tsunami the inland movement of water may be much greater, giving the impression of an incredibly high tide. Although the meanings of "tidal" include "resembling"[9] or "having the form or character of"[10] the tides, and the term tsunami is no more accurate because tsunami are not limited to harbours, use of the term tidal wave is discouraged by geologists and oceanographers.
There are only a few other languages that have an equivalent native word. In Acehnese language, the words are ië beuna[11] or alôn buluëk[12] (depending on the dialect). In Tamil language, it is aazhi peralai. On Simeulue island, off the western coast of Sumatra in Indonesia, in Devayan language the word is smong, while in Sigulai language it is emong.[13] In Singkil (in Aceh province) and surrounding, the people name tsunami with word gloro.[14]
Seismic sea wave
The term seismic sea wave also is used to refer to the phenomenon, because the waves most often are generated by seismic activity such as earthquakes.[15] Prior to the rise of the use of the term "tsunami" in English-speaking countries, scientists generally encouraged the use of the term "seismic sea wave" rather than the inaccurate term "tidal wave." However, like "tsunami," "seismic sea wave" is not a completely accurate term, as forces other than earthquakes – including underwater landslides, volcanic eruptions, land slumping into the ocean, meteorite impacts, or even the weather when the atmospheric pressure changes very rapidly – can generate such waves.[16][17]
History
See also: List of historic tsunamis



Lisbon earthquake and tsunami in 1755


 The Russians of Pavel Lebedev-Lastochkin in Japan, with their ships tossed inland by a tsunami, meeting some Japanese in 1779
As early as 426 BC the Greek historian Thucydides inquired in his book History of the Peloponnesian War about the causes of tsunami, and was the first to argue that ocean earthquakes must be the cause.[5][6]

"The cause, in my opinion, of this phenomenon must be sought in the earthquake. At the point where its shock has been the most violent the sea is driven back, and suddenly recoiling with redoubled force, causes the inundation. Without an earthquake I do not see how such an accident could happen."[18]
The Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus (Res Gestae 26.10.15-19) described the typical sequence of a tsunami, including an incipient earthquake, the sudden retreat of the sea and a following gigantic wave, after the 365 AD tsunami devastated Alexandria.[19][20]
While Japan may have the longest recorded history of tsunamis, the sheer destruction caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami event mark it as the most devastating of its kind in modern times, killing around 230,000 people. The Sumatran region is not unused to tsunamis either, with earthquakes of varying magnitudes regularly occurring off the coast of the island.[21]
Generation mechanisms
The principal generation mechanism (or cause) of a tsunami is the displacement of a substantial volume of water or perturbation of the sea.[22] This displacement of water is usually attributed to either earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, glacier calvings or more rarely by meteorites and nuclear tests.[23][24] The waves formed in this way are then sustained by gravity. Tides do not play any part in the generation of tsunamis.
Seismicity
Tsunami can be generated when the sea floor abruptly deforms and vertically displaces the overlying water. Tectonic earthquakes are a particular kind of earthquake that are associated with the Earth's crustal deformation; when these earthquakes occur beneath the sea, the water above the deformed area is displaced from its equilibrium position.[25] More specifically, a tsunami can be generated when thrust faults associated with convergent or destructive plate boundaries move abruptly, resulting in water displacement, owing to the vertical component of movement involved. Movement on normal faults will also cause displacement of the seabed, but the size of the largest of such events is normally too small to give rise to a significant tsunami.




Drawing of tectonic plate boundary before earthquake




Overriding plate bulges under strain, causing tectonic uplift.




Plate slips, causing subsidence and releasing energy into water.




The energy released produces tsunami waves.

Tsunamis have a small amplitude (wave height) offshore, and a very long wavelength (often hundreds of kilometres long, whereas normal ocean waves have a wavelength of only 30 or 40 metres),[26] which is why they generally pass unnoticed at sea, forming only a slight swell usually about 300 millimetres (12 in) above the normal sea surface. They grow in height when they reach shallower water, in a wave shoaling process described below. A tsunami can occur in any tidal state and even at low tide can still inundate coastal areas.
On April 1, 1946, a magnitude-7.8 (Richter Scale) earthquake occurred near the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. It generated a tsunami which inundated Hilo on the island of Hawai'i with a 14-metre high (46 ft) surge. The area where the earthquake occurred is where the Pacific Ocean floor is subducting (or being pushed downwards) under Alaska.
Examples of tsunami originating at locations away from convergent boundaries include Storegga about 8,000 years ago, Grand Banks 1929, Papua New Guinea 1998 (Tappin, 2001). The Grand Banks and Papua New Guinea tsunamis came from earthquakes which destabilised sediments, causing them to flow into the ocean and generate a tsunami. They dissipated before traveling transoceanic distances.
The cause of the Storegga sediment failure is unknown. Possibilities include an overloading of the sediments, an earthquake or a release of gas hydrates (methane etc.).
The 1960 Valdivia earthquake (Mw 9.5), 1964 Alaska earthquake (Mw 9.2), 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (Mw 9.2), and 2011 Tōhoku earthquake (Mw9.0) are recent examples of powerful megathrust earthquakes that generated tsunamis (known as teletsunamis) that can cross entire oceans. Smaller (Mw 4.2) earthquakes in Japan can trigger tsunamis (called local and regional tsunamis) that can only devastate nearby coasts, but can do so in only a few minutes.
Landslides
In the 1950s, it was discovered that larger tsunamis than had previously been believed possible could be caused by giant submarine landslides. These rapidly displace large water volumes, as energy transfers to the water at a rate faster than the water can absorb. Their existence was confirmed in 1958, when a giant landslide in Lituya Bay, Alaska, caused the highest wave ever recorded, which had a height of 524 metres (over 1700 feet).[27] The wave didn't travel far, as it struck land almost immediately. Two people fishing in the bay were killed, but another boat amazingly managed to ride the wave.
Another landslide-tsunami event occurred in 1963 when a massive landslide from Monte Toc went into the Vajont Dam in Italy. The resulting wave overtopped the 262 m (860 ft) high dam by 250 metres (820 ft) and destroyed several towns. Around 2,000 people died.[28][29] Scientists named these waves megatsunami. Scientists discovered that extremely large landslides from volcanic island collapses can generate megatsunamis that can cross oceans.
Meteotsunamis



 Devastation wrought by Hurricane Ike's meteotsunamic storm surge over the Bolivar Peninsula in 2008.
Some meteorological conditions, especially deep depressions such as tropical cyclones, can generate a type of storm surge called a meteotsunami which raises water heights above normal levels, often suddenly at the shoreline.[30]
In the case of deep tropical cyclones, this is due to very low atmospheric pressure and inward swirling winds causing an uplifted dome of water to form under and travel in tandem with the storm. When these water domes reach shore, they rear up in shallows and surge laterally like earthquake-generated tsunamis, typically arriving shortly after landfall of the storm's eye.[31][32]
Characteristics



 When the wave enters shallow water, it slows down and its amplitude (height) increases.


 The wave further slows and amplifies as it hits land. Only the largest waves crest.
Tsunamis cause damage by two mechanisms: the smashing force of a wall of water travelling at high speed, and the destructive power of a large volume of water draining off the land and carrying a large amount of debris with it, even with waves that do not appear to be large.
While everyday wind waves have a wavelength (from crest to crest) of about 100 metres (330 ft) and a height of roughly 2 metres (6.6 ft), a tsunami in the deep ocean has a much larger wavelength of up to 200 kilometres (120 mi). Such a wave travels at well over 800 kilometres per hour (500 mph), but owing to the enormous wavelength the wave oscillation at any given point takes 20 or 30 minutes to complete a cycle and has an amplitude of only about 1 metre (3.3 ft).[33] This makes tsunamis difficult to detect over deep water, where ships are unable to feel their passage.
The reason for the Japanese name "harbour wave" is that sometimes a village's fishermen would sail out, and encounter no unusual waves while out at sea fishing, and come back to land to find their village devastated by a huge wave.
As the tsunami approaches the coast and the waters become shallow, wave shoaling compresses the wave and its speed decreases below 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph). Its wavelength diminishes to less than 20 kilometres (12 mi) and its amplitude grows enormously. Since the wave still has the same very long period, the tsunami may take minutes to reach full height. Except for the very largest tsunamis, the approaching wave does not break, but rather appears like a fast-moving tidal bore.[34] Open bays and coastlines adjacent to very deep water may shape the tsunami further into a step-like wave with a steep-breaking front.
When the tsunami's wave peak reaches the shore, the resulting temporary rise in sea level is termed run up. Run up is measured in metres above a reference sea level.[34] A large tsunami may feature multiple waves arriving over a period of hours, with significant time between the wave crests. The first wave to reach the shore may not have the highest run up.[35]
About 80% of tsunamis occur in the Pacific Ocean, but they are possible wherever there are large bodies of water, including lakes. They are caused by earthquakes, landslides, volcanic explosions, glacier calvings, and bolides.

Drawback



 An illustration of the rhythmic "drawback" of surface water associated with a wave. It follows that a very large drawback may herald the arrival of a very large wave.
All waves have a positive and negative peak, i.e. a ridge and a trough. In the case of a propagating wave like a tsunami, either may be the first to arrive. If the first part to arrive at shore is the ridge, a massive breaking wave or sudden flooding will be the first effect noticed on land. However if the first part to arrive is a trough, a drawback will occur as the shoreline recedes dramatically, exposing normally submerged areas. Drawback can exceed hundreds of metres, and people unaware of the danger sometimes remain near the shore to satisfy their curiosity or to collect fish from the exposed seabed.
A typical wave period for a damaging tsunami is about 12 minutes. This means that if the drawback phase is the first part of the wave to arrive, the sea will recede, with areas well below sea level exposed after 3 minutes. During the next 6 minutes the tsunami wave trough builds into a ridge, and during this time the sea is filled in and destruction occurs on land. During the next 6 minutes, the tsunami wave changes from a ridge to a trough, causing flood waters to drain and drawback to occur again. This may sweep victims and debris some distance from land. The process repeats as the next wave arrives.
Scales of intensity and magnitude
As with earthquakes, several attempts have been made to set up scales of tsunami intensity or magnitude to allow comparison between different events.[36]
Intensity scales
The first scales used routinely to measure the intensity of tsunami were the Sieberg-Ambraseys scale, used in the Mediterranean Sea and the Imamura-Iida intensity scale, used in the Pacific Ocean. The latter scale was modified by Soloviev, who calculated the Tsunami intensity I according to the formula
\,\mathit{I} = \frac{1}{2} + \log_{2} \mathit{H}_{av}
where \mathit{H}_{av} is the average wave height along the nearest coast. This scale, known as the Soloviev-Imamura tsunami intensity scale, is used in the global tsunami catalogues compiled by the NGDC/NOAA[37] and the Novosibirsk Tsunami Laboratory as the main parameter for the size of the tsunami.
Magnitude scales
The first scale that genuinely calculated a magnitude for a tsunami, rather than an intensity at a particular location was the ML scale proposed by Murty & Loomis based on the potential energy.[36] Difficulties in calculating the potential energy of the tsunami mean that this scale is rarely used. Abe introduced the tsunami magnitude scale \mathit{M}_{t}, calculated from,
\,\mathit{M}_{t} = {a} \log h + {b} \log R = \mathit{D}
where h is the maximum tsunami-wave amplitude (in m) measured by a tide gauge at a distance R from the epicentre, a, b and D are constants used to make the Mt scale match as closely as possible with the moment magnitude scale.[38]
Warnings and predictions
See also: Tsunami warning system



 Tsunami warning sign
Drawbacks can serve as a brief warning. People who observe drawback (many survivors report an accompanying sucking sound), can survive only if they immediately run for high ground or seek the upper floors of nearby buildings. In 2004, ten-year old Tilly Smith of Surrey, England, was on Maikhao beach in Phuket, Thailand with her parents and sister, and having learned about tsunamis recently in school, told her family that a tsunami might be imminent. Her parents warned others minutes before the wave arrived, saving dozens of lives. She credited her geography teacher, Andrew Kearney.
In the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami drawback was not reported on the African coast or any other east-facing coasts that it reached. This was because the wave moved downwards on the eastern side of the fault line and upwards on the western side. The western pulse hit coastal Africa and other western areas.
A tsunami cannot be precisely predicted, even if the magnitude and location of an earthquake is known. Geologists, oceanographers, and seismologists analyse each earthquake and based on many factors may or may not issue a tsunami warning. However, there are some warning signs of an impending tsunami, and automated systems can provide warnings immediately after an earthquake in time to save lives. One of the most successful systems uses bottom pressure sensors, attached to buoys, which constantly monitor the pressure of the overlying water column.
Regions with a high tsunami risk typically use tsunami warning systems to warn the population before the wave reaches land. On the west coast of the United States, which is prone to Pacific Ocean tsunami, warning signs indicate evacuation routes. In Japan, the community is well-educated about earthquakes and tsunamis, and along the Japanese shorelines the tsunami warning signs are reminders of the natural hazards together with a network of warning sirens, typically at the top of the cliff of surroundings hills.[39]
The Pacific Tsunami Warning System is based in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. It monitors Pacific Ocean seismic activity. A sufficiently large earthquake magnitude and other information triggers a tsunami warning. While the subduction zones around the Pacific are seismically active, not all earthquakes generate tsunami. Computers assist in analysing the tsunami risk of every earthquake that occurs in the Pacific Ocean and the adjoining land masses.




Tsunami hazard sign at Bamfield, British Columbia




A tsunami warning sign on a seawall in Kamakura, Japan, 2004




The monument to the victims of tsunami at Laupahoehoe, Hawaii




Tsunami memorial in Kanyakumari beach




A Tsunami hazard sign (Spanish - English) in Iquique, Chile.


Photo of evacuation sign
Tsunami Evacuation Route signage along U.S. Route 101, in Washington

As a direct result of the Indian Ocean tsunami, a re-appraisal of the tsunami threat for all coastal areas is being undertaken by national governments and the United Nations Disaster Mitigation Committee. A tsunami warning system is being installed in the Indian Ocean.



 One of the deep water buoys used in the DART tsunami warning system
Computer models can predict tsunami arrival, usually within minutes of the arrival time. Bottom pressure sensors can relay information in real time. Based on these pressure readings and other seismic information and the seafloor's shape (bathymetry) and coastal topography, the models estimate the amplitude and surge height of the approaching tsunami. All Pacific Rim countries collaborate in the Tsunami Warning System and most regularly practice evacuation and other procedures. In Japan, such preparation is mandatory for government, local authorities, emergency services and the population.
Some zoologists hypothesise that some animal species have an ability to sense subsonic Rayleigh waves from an earthquake or a tsunami. If correct, monitoring their behavior could provide advance warning of earthquakes, tsunami etc. However, the evidence is controversial and is not widely accepted. There are unsubstantiated claims about the Lisbon quake that some animals escaped to higher ground, while many other animals in the same areas drowned. The phenomenon was also noted by media sources in Sri Lanka in the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.[40][41] It is possible that certain animals (e.g., elephants) may have heard the sounds of the tsunami as it approached the coast. The elephants' reaction was to move away from the approaching noise. By contrast, some humans went to the shore to investigate and many drowned as a result.
Along the United States west coast, in addition to sirens, warnings are sent on television and radio via the National Weather Service, using the Emergency Alert System.
Forecast of tsunami attack probability
Kunihiko Shimazaki (University of Tokyo), a member of Earthquake Research committee of The Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion of Japanese government, mentioned the plan to public announcement of tsunami attack probability forecast at Japan National Press Club on 12 May 2011. The forecast includes tsunami height, attack area and occurrence probability within 100 years ahead. The forecast would integrate the scientific knowledge of recent interdisciplinarity and aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. As the plan, announcement will be available from 2014.[42][43][44]
Mitigation
See also: Tsunami barrier

Photo of seawall with building in background

 A seawall at Tsu, Japan
In some tsunami-prone countries earthquake engineering measures have been taken to reduce the damage caused onshore.
Japan, where tsunami science and response measures first began following a disaster in 1896, has produced ever-more elaborate countermeasures and response plans.[45] That country has built many tsunami walls of up to 12 metres (39 ft) high to protect populated coastal areas. Other localities have built floodgates of up to 15.5 metres (51 ft) high and channels to redirect the water from incoming tsunami. However, their effectiveness has been questioned, as tsunami often overtop the barriers.
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster was directly triggered by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, when waves that exceeded the height of the plant's sea wall.[46] Iwate Prefecture, which is an area at high risk from tsunami, had tsunami barriers walls totalling 25 kilometres (16 mi) long at coastal towns. The 2011 tsunami toppled more than 50% of the walls and caused catastrophic damage.[47]
The Okushiri, Hokkaidō tsunami which struck Okushiri Island of Hokkaidō within two to five minutes of the earthquake on July 12, 1993 created waves as much as 30 metres (100 ft) tall—as high as a 10-story building. The port town of Aonae was completely surrounded by a tsunami wall, but the waves washed right over the wall and destroyed all the wood-framed structures in the area. The wall may have succeeded in slowing down and moderating the height of the tsunami, but it did not prevent major destruction and loss of life.[48]
As a weapon
There have been studies and at least one attempt to create tsunami waves as a weapon. In World War II, the New Zealand Military Forces initiated Project Seal, which attempted to create small tsunamis with explosives in the area of today's Shakespear Regional Park; the attempt failed.[49]
See also

Portal icon Disasters portal
Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis
Disaster preparedness
Earthquake Early Warning (Japan)
Higher Ground Project
Index of wave articles
List of earthquakes
List of natural disasters
Minoan eruption
Rogue wave
Seiche
Sneaker wave
Supervolcano
Tauredunum event
Tsunamis in lakes
Tsunami-proof building
Tsunami Society
Tsunamis in the United Kingdom
Kaikoura Canyon landslide tsunami hazard
Footnotes
1.Jump up ^ "Tsunami Terminology". NOAA. Retrieved 2010-07-15.
2.Jump up ^ Wells, John C. (1990). Longman pronunciation dictionary. Harlow, England: Longman. p. 736. ISBN 0-582-05383-8. Entry: "tsunami"
3.Jump up ^ Barbara Ferreira (April 17, 2011). "When icebergs capsize, tsunamis may ensue". Nature. Retrieved 2011-04-27.
4.Jump up ^ Fradin, Judith Bloom and Dennis Brindell (2008). Witness to Disaster: Tsunamis. Witness to Disaster. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society. pp. 42, 43.
5.^ Jump up to: a b Thucydides: “A History of the Peloponnesian War”, 3.89.1–4
6.^ Jump up to: a b Smid, T. C. (April 1970). "'Tsunamis' in Greek Literature". Greece & Rome 17 (1) (2nd ed.). pp. 100–104.
7.Jump up ^ [a. Jap. tsunami, tunami, f. tsu harbour + nami waves.—Oxford English Dictionary]
8.Jump up ^ http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tidal%20wave
9.Jump up ^ "Tidal", The American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Company. 11 November 2008.Dictionary.reference.com
10.Jump up ^ -al. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved November 11, 2008, Dictionary.reference.com
11.Jump up ^ Proposing The Community-Based Tsunami Warning System
12.Jump up ^ Novel Alon Buluek
13.Jump up ^ Tsunami 1907: Early Interpretation and its Development
14.Jump up ^ 13 Pulau di Aceh Singkil Hilang
15.Jump up ^ The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency: Tsunami Smart: Glossary
16.Jump up ^ Earth Science Australia: Tsunami...Tidal Waves
17.Jump up ^ Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology: Tsunami Frequently Asked Questions
18.Jump up ^ Thucydides: “A History of the Peloponnesian War”, 3.89.5
19.Jump up ^ Kelly, Gavin (2004). "Ammianus and the Great Tsunami". The Journal of Roman Studies 94 (141): 141–167. doi:10.2307/4135013. JSTOR 4135013.
20.Jump up ^ Stanley, Jean-Daniel & Jorstad, Thomas F. (2005), "The 365 A.D. Tsunami Destruction of Alexandria, Egypt: Erosion, Deformation of Strata and Introduction of Allochthonous Material"
21.Jump up ^ The 10 most destructive tsunamis in history, Australian Geographic, March 16, 2011.
22.Jump up ^ Haugen K, Løvholt F, Harbitz C, K; Lovholt, F; Harbitz, C (2005). "Fundamental mechanisms for tsunami generation by submarine mass flows in idealised geometries". Marine and Petroleum Geology 22 (1–2): 209–217. doi:10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2004.10.016.
23.Jump up ^ Margaritondo, G (2005). "Explaining the physics of tsunamis to undergraduate and non-physics students". European Journal of Physics 26 (3): 401. Bibcode:2005EJPh...26..401M. doi:10.1088/0143-0807/26/3/007.
24.Jump up ^ Voit, S.S (1987). "Tsunamis". Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics 19 (1): 217–236. Bibcode:1987AnRFM..19..217V. doi:10.1146/annurev.fl.19.010187.001245.
25.Jump up ^ "How do earthquakes generate tsunamis?". University of Washington.
26.Jump up ^ Facts and figures: how tsunamis form, Australian Geographic, March 18, 2011.
27.Jump up ^ George Pararas-Carayannis (1999). "The Mega-Tsunami of July 9, 1958 in Lituya Bay, Alaska". Retrieved 2014-02-27.
28.Jump up ^ Petley, Dave (Professor) (2008-12-11). "The Vaiont (Vajont) landslide of 1963". The Landslide Blog. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
29.Jump up ^ Duff, Mark (2013-10-10). "Italy Vajont anniversary: Night of the 'tsunami'". BBC News. Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-02-27.
30.Jump up ^ Monserrat, S.; Vilibíc I. & Rabinovich A.B, (2006). "Meteotsunamis: atmospherically induced destructive ocean waves in the tsunami frequency band". Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 6 (6): 1035–1051. doi:10.5194/nhess-6-1035-2006. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
31.Jump up ^ "Ike's Texas-Sized Tales Of Survival". CBS News. 17 September 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2013. ""It was like an atomic bomb going off. Right after the eye passed, whole houses came by us at 30 miles an hour.""
32.Jump up ^ Eyewitness video of Supertyphoon Haiyan's meteotsunamic storm surge on November 6, 2013
33.Jump up ^ Earthsci.org, Tsunamis
34.^ Jump up to: a b "Life of a Tsunami". Western Coastal & Marine Geology. United States Geographical Survey. 22 October 2008. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
35.Jump up ^ Prof. Stephen A. Nelson (28 January 2009). "Tsunami". Tulane University. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
36.^ Jump up to: a b Gusiakov V. "Tsunami Quantification: how we measure the overall size of tsunami (Review of tsunami intensity and magnitude scales)". Retrieved 2009-10-18.
37.Jump up ^ National Geophysical Data Center / (NGDC/WDS) Global Historical Tsunami Database
38.Jump up ^ Abe K. (1995). "Estimate of Tsunami Run-up Heights from Earthquake Magnitudes". Tsunami: progress in prediction, disaster prevention, and warning. ISBN 978-0-7923-3483-5. Retrieved 2009-10-18.
39.Jump up ^ Chanson, H. (2010). Tsunami Warning Signs on the Enshu Coast of Japan. Shore & Beach, Vol. 78, No. 1, pp. 52–54. ISSN 0037-4237.
40.Jump up ^ Lambourne, Helen (2005-03-27). "Tsunami: Anatomy of a disaster". BBC.
41.Jump up ^ Kenneally, Christine (2004-12-30). "Surviving the Tsunami: What Sri Lanka's animals knew that humans didn't". Slate Magazine.
42.Jump up ^ Forecast of earthquake probability is within 30 years ahead, however Tsunami attack probability is much lower than earthquake so that the plan is set to be within 100 years ahead. Yomiuri Shimbun 2011-05-13 ver.13S page 2, "津波の襲来確率、初の公表へ…地震調査委員会" [Newly public announce of Tsunami attack probability...Earthquake Research committee of Japan]. Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). 2011-05-12. Retrieved 2011-05-13.
43.Jump up ^ IndiaTimes Kunihiko Shimazaki speaks during a press conference in Tokyo Thursday, May 12, 2011
44.Jump up ^ "Experts: Early warnings mitigated Japan disaster". The Miami Herald. 2011-05-12. Retrieved 2011-05-14.[dead link]
45.Jump up ^ "Journalist's Resource: Research for Reporting, from Harvard Shorenstein Center". Content.hks.harvard.edu. 2012-05-30. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
46.Jump up ^ Phillip Lipscy, Kenji Kushida, and Trevor Incerti. 2013. "The Fukushima Disaster and Japan’s Nuclear Plant Vulnerability in Comparative Perspective." Environmental Science and Technology 47 (May), 6082-6088.
47.Jump up ^ Kyodo Press "Tsunami toppled more than 50% of sea wall in Iwate prefecture" (JA)
48.Jump up ^ "1993年7月12日　北海道南西沖地震" (in Japanese).
49.Jump up ^ "The Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, Part 2". Inset to The New Zealand Herald. 3 March 2010. p. 9.
References
IOC Tsunami Glossary by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) at the International Tsunami Information Centre (ITIC) of UNESCO
Tsunami Terminology at NOAA
In June 2011, the VOA Special English service of the Voice of America broadcast a 15-minute program on tsunamis as part of its weekly Science in the News series. The program included an interview with a NOAA official who oversees the agency's tsunami warning system. A transcript and MP3 of the program, intended for English learners, can be found at The Ever-Present Threat of Tsunamis.
abelard.org. tsunamis: tsunamis travel fast but not at infinite speed. retrieved March 29, 2005.
Dudley, Walter C. & Lee, Min (1988: 1st edition) Tsunami! ISBN 0-8248-1125-9 website
Iwan, W.D., editor, 2006, Summary report of the Great Sumatra Earthquakes and Indian Ocean tsunamis of December 26, 2004 and March 28, 2005: Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, EERI Publication #2006-06, 11 chapters, 100 page summary, plus CD-ROM with complete text and supplementary photographs, EERI Report 2006-06. ISBN 1-932884-19-X website
Kenneally, Christine (December 30, 2004). "Surviving the Tsunami." Slate. website
Lambourne, Helen (March 27, 2005). "Tsunami: Anatomy of a disaster." BBC News. website
Macey, Richard (January 1, 2005). "The Big Bang that Triggered A Tragedy," The Sydney Morning Herald, p 11—quoting Dr Mark Leonard, seismologist at Geoscience Australia.
Interactive Map of Historical Tsunamis from NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center
Tappin, D; 2001. Local tsunamis. Geoscientist. 11–8, 4–7.
Girl, 10, used geography lesson to save lives, Telegraph.co.uk
Philippines warned to prepare for Japan's tsunami, Noypi.ph
External links
 Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tsunami.
Animation of DART tsunami detection system
Can HF Radar detect Tsunamis? – University of Hamburg HF-Radar.
Community Exposure to Tsunami Hazards in California United States Geological Survey
Envirtech Tsunami Warning System – Based on seabed seismics and sea level gauges.
Geology.com The highest tsunami was caused by rockfall
IOC Tsunami Glossary by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) at the International Tsunami Information Centre (ITIC) of UNESCO
How to survive a tsunami – Guide for children and youth
International Centre for Geohazards (ICG)
ITSU – Coordination Group for the Pacific Tsunami Warning System.
Jakarta Tsunami Information Centre
National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) Tsunami Data
National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program Coordinated U.S. Federal/State effort
NOAA Center for Tsunami Research (NCTR)
NOAA Tsunami – General description of tsunamis and the United States agency NOAA's role
NOVA: Wave That Shook The World – Site and special report shot within days of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
Pacific Tsunami Museum
Science of Tsunami Hazards journal
Tsunami scientific publications list
Scientific American Magazine (January 2006 Issue) Tsunami: Wave of Change What we can learn from the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004.
Social & Economic Costs of Tsunamis in the United States from "NOAA Socioeconomics" website initiative
Tsunami Centers – United States National Weather Service.
Tsunami database with detailed statistics
Interactive map of recent and historical tsunami events with links to graphics, animations and data
Tsunami Warning – Tsunami warnings via mobile phone.
Tsunamis and Earthquakes
USGS: Surviving a tsunami (United States)
Impact of Tsunami on groundwater resources IGRAC International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre
Tsunami Surges on Dry Coastal Plains: Application of Dam Break Wave Equations, Coastal Engineering Journal, 48 4: 355-370
What happened on July 21, 365 A.D.? An ancient Mediterranean tsunami event
Images, video, and animations
Tsunami videos on YouTube from the NOAA Center for Tsunami Research
Amateur Camcorder Video Streams of the December 26, 2004 tsunami that hit Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia (search on tsunamis)
Animation of 1960 tsunami originating outside coast of Chile
Animations of actual and simulated tsunami events from the NOAA Center for Tsunami Research
CBC Digital Archives – Canada's Earthquakes and Tsunamis
Computer-generated animation of a tsunami
Natural Hazards Image Database (tsunami, volcano and earthquake damage) from NOAA National Geophysical Data Center
Origin of a Tsunami – animation showing how the shifting of continental plates in the Indian Ocean created the catastrophe of December 26, 2004.
Photos and Videos of Humanitarian Assistance to Tsunami-hit areas by the Singapore Armed Forces
Tsunami Aftermath in Penang and Kuala Muda, Kedah.
Satellite Images of Tsunami Affected Areas High resolution satellite images showing the effects of the 2004 tsunami on the affected areas in Indonesia, Thailand and Nicobar island of India.
The Survivors – A moving travelogue full of stunning images along the tsunami ravaged South-Western Coast of India (Unavailable)
Animations of tsunami propagation model results for actual tsunami events
2004 Boxing Day Tsunami at YouTube
Raw Video: Tsunami Slams Northeast Japan, a video of the 2011 Tōhoku (Japan) earthquake tsunami by Associated Press at YouTube, showing the wave from a tsunami engulfing a town and farmlands.
A simulation of tsunami run-up of the tsunami of March 11, 2011 at Koborinai, Miyako, Japan, where the tsunami reached a height of 37.9 m (124 ft)
What Causes A Tsunami: Animation (NOAA)


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