Natural World

Natural World 1983

7.10

Natural World is a nature documentary television series broadcast annually on BBC Two and regarded by the BBC as its flagship natural history brand. It is currently the longest-running series in its genre on British television, with more than 400 episodes broadcast since its inception in 1983. Natural World is produced by the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol, but individual programmes can be in-house productions, collaborative productions with other broadcasters or films made and distributed by independent production companies and purchased by the BBC. Natural World programmes are often broadcast as PBS Nature episodes in the USA. Since 2008, most Natural World programmes have been shot and broadcast in high definition.

1983

Nature

Nature 1982

8.10

Consistently stunning documentaries transport viewers to far-flung locations ranging from the torrid African plains to the chilly splendours of icy Antarctica. The show's primary focus is on animals and ecosystems around the world. A comic book based on the show, meant to be used an as educational tool for kids, was briefly distributed to museums and schools at no cost in the mid-2000s.

1982

The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau

The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau 1968

7.70

The intrepid undersea explorer and author circles the globe on his floating laboratory, Calypso, in this occasional series. A pioneer in marine study, the red-capped Frenchman introduced generations of landlubbers to the creatures and mysteries of the sea.

1968

The Secret Life of the Zoo

The Secret Life of the Zoo 2016

6.20

Chester Zoo is the most popular zoo in Britain. This observational documentary series uses micro-rig camera technology to capture, in incredible detail, the remarkable behaviour of the animals there.

2016

Crikey! It's the Irwins

Crikey! It's the Irwins 2018

7.80

Follow Terri, Bindi and Robert Irwin as they run the extraordinary Australia Zoo in the bushlands of northern Australia. Caring for over 1,200 animals, overseeing a world-class wildlife hospital, and conducting high-octane global conservation expeditions, the Irwins’ lives are full of adventure, fueled by their love of animals and passion for protecting them.

2018

The Crocodile Hunter

The Crocodile Hunter 1997

7.53

Australian host Steve Irwin and his wife Terri run a wildlife refuge. Their shared passion is educating the world about wildlife, including the much feared crocodile and numerous venomous snakes. Steve's specialty is the capture and relocation of crocodiles. No animal appears too threatening to Steve, his true respect for animals is the foundation for everything he does.

1997

Prehistoric Planet

Prehistoric Planet 2022

8.30

Experience the wonders of our world like never before in this epic series from Jon Favreau and the producers of Planet Earth. Travel back 66 million years to when majestic dinosaurs and extraordinary creatures roamed the lands, seas, and skies.

2022

Shark Week

Shark Week 1988

7.40

The Discovery Channel's Shark Week, first broadcast on July 17, 1987, is a weeklong series of feature television programs dedicated to sharks. Held annually, normally in July or August, Shark Week was originally developed to raise awareness and respect for sharks. It is the longest-running cable television programming event in history. Now broadcast in over 72 countries, Shark Week is promoted heavily via social networks like Facebook and Twitter.

1988

The Blue Planet

The Blue Planet 2001

8.33

Sir David Attenborough narrates this critically acclaimed series that dives deep into the marine environment of Planet Earth. Although two-thirds of the world's surface is covered with water, scientists know less about the oceans than they do about the surface of the moon. This limited series travels from various coasts to the poles to examine watery denizens ranging from the gigantic blue whale to microscopic coral polyps.

2001

Planet Earth II

Planet Earth II 2016

8.59

David Attenborough presents a documentary series exploring how animals meet the challenges of surviving in the most iconic habitats on earth.

2016

Planet Earth

Planet Earth 2006

8.58

David Attenborough celebrates the amazing variety of the natural world in this epic documentary series, filmed over four years across 64 different countries.

2006

Nature's Great Events

Nature's Great Events 2009

8.40

Documentary series looking at the most dramatic wildlife spectacles on our planet, showing how life responds to natural events which can dramatically transform entire landscapes.

2009

Wildlife Specials

Wildlife Specials 1995

8.30

The BBC Wildlife Specials are a series of nature documentary programmes commissioned by BBC Television. The Wildlife Specials began with a pilot episode in 1995. 20 programmes have been made to date, with three of the recent ones being in multi parts. The earlier programmes were produced in-house by the BBC's specialist Natural History Unit, but the more recent Spy in the... titles were made by the independent John Downer Productions. The first 18 programmes, up to 2008, were narrated by David Attenborough. The most recent two were narrated by David Tennant. "The world's leading natural history filmmakers meet the world's most charismatic animals" — BBC tagline

1995

Blue Planet II

Blue Planet II 2017

8.63

There is nowhere more powerful and unforgiving yet more beautiful and compelling than the ocean. Join us and explore the greatest yet least known parts of our planet.

2017

Dynasties

Dynasties 2018

8.30

Follow the true stories of five of the world's most celebrated, yet endangered animals; penguins, chimpanzees, lions, painted wolves and tigers. Each in a heroic struggle against rivals and against the forces of nature, these families fight for their own survival and for the future of their dynasties.

2018

The Life of Mammals

The Life of Mammals 2002

8.30

David Attenborough presents a nature documentary series looking at why mammals are the most successful creatures on the planet.

2002

Our Planet

Our Planet 2019

8.53

Experience our planet's natural beauty and examine how climate change impacts all living creatures in this ambitious documentary of spectacular scope.

2019

One Strange Rock

One Strange Rock 2018

7.60

A mind-bending, thrilling journey exploring the fragility and wonder of planet Earth, one of the most peculiar, unique places in the entire universe, brought to life by the only people to have left it behind – the world’s most well known and leading astronauts.

2018

The Life of Birds

The Life of Birds 1998

8.00

In the documentary series produced by the BBC, The Life of Birds, Sir David Attenborough unveils a new investigation into the behaviour of birds, perfectly adapted animals that conquer the air. This ten-part series reveals the secret of the birds' great success, their remarkable strategies for finding food, their complex social systems, and their ingenious and often bizarre ways of mating and breeding. From the high speed of large airborne hunters to long distance migrations or the bright colors of nectar feeding hummingbirds, this is the ultimate bird series that every ornithologist should not miss.

1998