Planet Earth III
| Planet Earth III | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Nature documentary |
| Presented by | David Attenborough |
| Composers |
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| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Producers |
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| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | BBC One |
| Release | 22 October – 10 December 2023 |
| Related | |
Planet Earth III is a 2023 British nature documentary series co-produced by BBC Studios, BBC America and the Open University and the third instalment in the Planet Earth series. It follows Planet Earth (2006) and Planet Earth II (2016). The series is presented and narrated by Sir David Attenborough. It premiered in the UK on 22 October 2023.[1][2]
Episodes
The series comprises eight episodes.[3]
| No. | Title | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Coasts" | 22 October 2023 | 10.6 | |
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The first episode focuses on coastal habitats. In green sea turtles come ashore to nest at night to lay their eggs, but some are stranded by the ebbing tide at day time due to their exposure to sun heat and exhaustion. However, most of the sea turtles manage to escape via tidal waves. The island is on borrowed time. This, the world’s largest green turtle rookery, is set to disappear beneath the waves.
Making Planet Earth III: The end of the episode reveals the speed of change throughout Sir David's lifetime. His was the first filming expedition in 1957. Little could he have known just how much the island would change in 66 years. | ||||
| 2 | "Ocean" | 29 October 2023 | N/A | |
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In the shallow seas of the tropics, the deadly anchovies , have learned clever techniques to raid fishermen’s nets – which they now do in their thousands, but it comes with a huge risk. As the net is drawn in, the sea lions must get out quickly, while others remain trapped as the fisherman releases them. Sadly, the inexperienced young pups didn't survive this experience, and some paid the ultimate price. Animals have evolved in remarkable ways to cope with the demands of life in the ocean. But can they now adapt to the new challenge of living alongside us?
Making Planet Earth III: The end of the episode reveals the team recording the Columbus Crabs off the coasts of the Canary Island . | ||||
| 3 | "Deserts & Grasslands" | 5 November 2023 | N/A | |
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The third episode focuses on both grassland and desert. Within the saiga antelope fight for their chance to win mating rights. Seventy percent of rutting males die every year in battles that have been taking place since the ice age. Closer to the equator, a diverse grassland found in the Cerrado region of Brazil provides the richest grassland ecosystem on earth and is home to the rare, fruit-eating maned wolf . The glimpse of the maned wolf nurturing is recorded inside the den where a mother raises her three puppies, but their future is uncertain. The fire suddenly ravages the area but miraculously it didn't reach the den. The Cerrado is a vitally important grassland – home to thousands of species of plants and animals found nowhere else – and it is in danger of being lost forever. In central Africa, one of the world’s most spectacular wildlife gatherings is testament to what can happen if we help protect these precious ecosystems and allow nature to restore its own balance.
Making Planet Earth III: The end of the episode reveals the team recorded the collard maned wolf named Norenia and her pups. | ||||
| 4 | "Freshwater" | 12 November 2023 | N/A | |
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In the heart of the goby fish on the remote volcanic island of Bioko prepare for a perilous journey. After months feeding out at sea, they return to freshwater to breed. The safest place to lay their eggs is where ocean predators can’t follow – at the very top of a 30m waterfall. Surely an impossible journey for a fish only an inch long, and one that will require a bizarre physical transformation. Fresh water is vital to life, yet it is a finite resource. Of all the water on earth, only 2.5 per cent is fresh and most of that is locked up as ice or hidden deep below ground. In fact, less than one percent of freshwater is accessible. Humans rely on fresh water for drinking, agriculture, irrigation, industry and power. Throughout history, we have devised extraordinary means to ensure it is always available for every demand, fostering the dangerous illusion that it is infinitely abundant. Yet today, two-thirds of our world’s great rivers no longer reach the sea, and in the last 50 years, freshwater species have seen an 83 per cent decline globally – a faster decline than that of species in any other habitat. One animal suffering on the front line is the Indus river dolphin in Pakistan. This species is the most endangered freshwater dolphin globally, with only around two thousand individuals remaining. Every year, these dolphins get trapped in the network of irrigation canals which form part of the vast Indus Basin irrigation system – the largest such system on earth. These canals divert water from the Indus River to irrigate crops. As water levels drop due to agricultural demands, the dolphins become stranded in ever-shrinking pools, often hundreds of kilometres away from the main river. Their only hope for survival depends on the efforts of a dedicated rescue team, working to return them back to the river before it’s too late.
Making Planet Earth III: The end of the episode reveals the camera crew exploration in Pakistan where they record rescue teams on protecting river dolphins. | ||||
| 5 | "Forests" | 19 November 2023 | N/A | |
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In chimpanzees , our closest relatives, are forced to carve out an existence in the human world as they scavenge for food.
Making Planet Earth III: The end of the episode reveals the camera crew's exploration in Uganda where they record chimpanzees' coexistence with villagers. | ||||
| 6 | "Extremes" | 26 November 2023 | N/A | |
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The sixth episode focuses on how animals evolve through extreme environments. In monarch butterflies are overwintering. But the calm is shattered when a storm hits their forest shelter resulting in casualties. Fires are one of nature’s most destructive forces, but they are also vital for keeping some habitats healthy - few places more so than northern Australia’s savannahs. Golden-shouldered parrot raise their families inside termite mounds that safeguard the chicks from predators, but when a fire unexpectedly strikes, the nest survives due to its fireproof endurance. As the climate changes, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and often more intense. On the plains of Kenya, an African elephant matriarch is struggling to keep her two sons alive. After months of drought and with food and water supplies critically low, the family is faced with tragedy. Few places are more extreme than the Gobi Desert - temperatures here can range up to 40 degrees Celsius. But one iconic animal of the extremes has made its home here: the snow leopard . This rare and intimate view of a mother and cubs reminds us that the extremes still hold some of planet Earth’s greatest secrets and most spectacular natural wonders.
Making Planet Earth III: The end of the episode reveals the camera crew's exploration of Hang Son Doong using the drone to film the feature within its cavern. | ||||
| 7 | "Human" | 3 December 2023 | N/A | |
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Humpback whales off the coast of Vancouver Island inhabit waters that have been over-fished. You would think that their presence would reduce fish stocks even further, but astonishingly the opposite is thought to be happening. It is all because of the iron in the whales’ dung which provides fertilization to feed the phytoplankton , which is the basis of the food chain. The fish feed on the growing phytoplankton population and, even though the whales are feasting on them, their numbers are predicted to increase. Not only do the whales, and their poo, play an important role in restoring the ecosystem, but they also combat climate change. The phytoplankton photosynthesize, taking carbon out of the atmosphere, just like trees do. Thanks to whale poo, their numbers grow to such an extent that each great whale has the same impact as planting 30,000 trees! Although some species are managing to thrive in the human world, in many parts our actions are putting unprecedented pressure on wildlife. Our fates, however, are closely intertwined. If the natural world is not protected, it could be devastating for all of us. The major challenge will be re-imagining the way we live on this planet to find ways to protect all life on Earth. | ||||
| 8 | "Heroes" | 10 December 2023 | N/A | |
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In black rhino – a species poached for its horn. To help save them, they are setting up new breeding populations in safe havens. The only problem is how to move rhinos that live in dense and remote areas. Dumi’s ingenious solution is to safely sedate them and put them in a sling under a helicopter – and soon the one-tonne rhinos are flying to their new home.
In frogs are the most threatened group of animals, principally due to a fungal disease that is decimating them all over the world.
His favourite frog of all is sad Santiago – perhaps the rarest frog on the planet. He is one of the very last of the Morona-Santiago stubfoot toad . Santiago is kept in captivity in a secure laboratory in the Andes. Jaime wants to find a partner for him so he can set up a captive breeding colony and try and save his species. To do it, Jaime must trek to a remote cloud forest high in the Andes and spend every night exploring the remote mountain rivers for a mate for Santiago.
In Forest elephant numbers have declined by two-thirds in the last 20 years – and this trade is a major cause. Working with a group of local activists, Trang pretends to be a Vietnamese buyer of ivory. Just as the deal is done, she gives a secret signal, and the police swoop in. It’s dangerous work, and hidden cameras tell the story.
Austrian Alps to the warm feeding grounds of Italy . Normally, they would follow the natural mothers – but now Katharina must show them the way. She uses a microlight to teach her young birds to fly to safety – but will they follow her over the mountains?
To save species from extinction, one must first save the habitats where they live, and increasingly our wild places are disappearing. This is seen most clearly in the Amazon rainforest – the most diverse terrestrial habitat on the planet. Alessandra Korap is a leader of the Munduruku, an indigenous group from the Amazon. Its future is now under threat, as the government discusses new laws to open it up to mining and agriculture. To try and save her ancestral home, Alessandra and other indigenous community leaders are organising the biggest ever demonstration by indigenous people in Brazil to make their voices heard. ‘I see us as little ants,’ she says, ‘when we get together – then we start to bother them.’ But saving habitats will not succeed unless we get to grips with the biggest potential threat of all: our changing climate. Mohamed Nasheed is a former president of the Maldives. He attends every climate conference, trying to persuade fellow politicians and leaders to take action. We follow him to COP26 in Glasgow where he says, ‘If we cannot have a legally binding agreement, where countries agree not to push global temperatures above one point five degrees, my country will be gone, as will all the world’s coral reefs and most of the rainforests.’ As climate targets look more and more likely to be missed, Nasheed believes there is a solution. ‘The more the environment becomes an election issue, the more there will be action on climate. Every time you vote – in every election – please tick the planet.’ | ||||
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 7 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.8/10.[4]
Writing for The Guardian, critic Rebecca Nicholson gave the series five stars out of five, stating that "it is possible to watch and enjoy it purely for the astonishing footage – but it will horrify you, too."[5]
Reviewing for the Financial Times, Dan Einav awarded the first episode five stars out of five, writing that "at a time when the news reveals the world to be a dark and ugly place, Planet Earth stirringly reminds us of its overwhelming beauty."[6]
In a review for The Times, Carol Midgley awarded the series four out of five stars, calling it "magnificent, but it's a fast track to becoming really quite sad." She also noted that the crew reportedly broke their non-intervention rule to rescue trapped turtles and sea lions while filming, but considered this a positive act, writing "Good for them. Who wouldn’t help a suffering creature?"[7]
The Evening Standard reviewer Elizabeth Gregory gave the series four stars out of five, writing that the series struggles to meet the challenge of balancing "being both captivating and concerned". Gregory highlighted the shift in focus compared to the previous two Planet Earth series towards showing “how animals are adapting in extraordinary ways, to survive the new challenges they face”, portraying "a sense of the magic of life on our planet – and how close we are to losing it."[8]
References
- ^ "Sir David Attenborough's Planet Earth III - "We must now look at the world through a new lens"". BBC. 2023-10-16. Archived from the original on 2023-10-17.
- ^ "When is Planet Earth III on TV and how can I watch it?". Discover Wild Life.
- ^ "Planet Earth III". BBC Earth.
- ^ "Planet Earth III". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
- ^ Einav, Dan (2023-10-21). "Planet Earth III — David Attenborough reminds us of the world's beauty". Financial Times. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
- ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
- ^ Gregory, Elizabeth (2023-10-16). "Planet Earth III: animals dazzle against the odds". Evening Standard. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
External links
- Planet Earth III at BBC Online
- Planet Earth III at BBC Earth
- Planet Earth III at IMDb
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