Sir David Attenborough is hosting a brand new documentary series for BBC One and Discovery.
A Perfect Planet is a five-part series which will explain how the living planet operates.
The show will demonstrate how the forces of nature – weather, ocean currents, solar energy and volcanoes – drive, shape and support Earth’s great diversity of life. In doing so, it will reveal how animals are perfectly adapted to whatever the environment throws at them.
Watch A Perfect Planet on TV and online
A Perfect Planet will air on BBC One on Sunday, 3 January at 8PM and continue weekly on Sunday nights. The series has five episodes.
You’ll be able to watch episodes online via BBC iPlayer here.
David Attenborough said: “Oceans, sunlight, weather and volcanoes – together these powerful yet fragile forces allow life to flourish in astonishing diversity. They make Earth truly unique – a perfect planet.
“Our planet is one in a billion, a world teeming with life. But now, a new dominant force is changing the face of Earth: humans. To preserve our perfect planet we must ensure we become a force for good.”
A Perfect Planet episodes
Episode 1 – Volcano
A look at how without volcanoes, there would be no life on Earth. Although destructive, magma from the planet’s molten core builds land, and mineral-rich ash from eruptions fertilises the surface.
Episode 2 – The Sun
From the frozen poles to the searing deserts, this episode shows how animals have come up with strategies to survive the uneven amounts of sunlight that fall on our planet.
Episode 3 – Weather
Weather controls the distribution of freshwater around our planet. In turn, shapes the lives of animals across the globe, rising to an incredible diversity of species and habitats.
Episode 4 – Ocean
There are not five separate oceans, but one. Its waters linked by powerful forces that keep them on the move. This constant mixing is vital for the health of oceans and marine life.
Episode 5 – Humans
Humans are changing our planet so rapidly, it’s affecting earth’s life support systems: our weather, our oceans and the living world.
A synopsis for the series teases: “Planet Earth is perfect. It orbits at the perfect distance from the sun; it tilts at just the right angle and has a decent sized moon to hold it in place. On top of that, the day-to-day workings of the planet naturally serve to nurture animals and plants.
“For instance, a global weather system circulates and distributes fresh water to all corners, and a cycle of marine currents delivers nutrients to even the deepest reaches of the ocean. As a result, there is literally no corner of our planet where life can’t be found.”
The BBC reveal: “From the white wolves of Ellesemere Island to bears in Kamchatka, vampire finches of the Galapagos to golden snub-nosed monkeys of China, the series will combine a global view of the planet from space with intimate animal stories from the most spectacular habitats.
“From the Indian Monsoon to Hawaiian volcanoes, tidal islands of the Bahamas to the extremes of the Arctic winter, A Perfect Planet will take the audience on a stunning visual journey that will change the way we see our home.
“The final episode in the series looks at the dramatic impact of the world’s newest global force of nature – humans.”
Picture: BBC One
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