This is a chronological list of selected television programmes and feature films produced or co-produced by the BBC Studios Natural History Unit since its inception in 1957. It is not intended to be exhaustive given the large amount of material the Unit has produced in its history, but it does capture all the major TV series and films for which it has gained recognition. A brief synopsis of pre-1957 BBC radio and television programmes on a natural history theme is given in the History section of the BBC Studios Natural History Unit article.
This article contains promotional content .(April 2023) |
| Series Title | Year(s) Broadcast | Subject | Contributors | Production Partners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faraway Look | 1957 | Wildlife of Australasia | Peter and Philippa Scott (presenter) | |
| Eastwards with Attenborough | 1973 | Expedition to South East Asia | David Attenborough (presenter) | |
| Life on Earth | 1979 | The evolution of life | David Attenborough (presenter) | |
| The Living Planet | 1984 | How organisms adapt to their environment | David Attenborough (presenter) | |
| The Living Isles | 1985 | British wildlife | Julian Pettifer (presenter) and Peter Crawford (presenter) | |
| The First Eden | 1987 | A four-part natural history documentary presenting a portrait of the Mediterranean Sea and the lands around it | David Attenborough (narrator/presenter) | |
| Reefwatch | 1988 | A dive team broadcasts live from the northern Red Sea | Martha Holmes (presenter) and Tony Soper (presenter) | |
| Supersense | 1988 | Sensory perception in animals | Andrew Sachs (narrator) | |
| Land of the Eagle | 1990 | The Natural History & Colonisation of North America | Alan Ereira (narrator) and Peter Crawford (producer) | |
| The Trials of Life | 1990 | Animal behaviour | David Attenborough (presenter) | |
| Sea Trek | 1991 | Exploration of dive sites | Martha Holmes (presenter) and Mike deGruy (presenter) | |
| Lifesense | 1991 | Ground-breaking perception and precision in animals | Andrew Sachs (narrator) | |
| Realms of the Russian Bear | 1992 | Natural history of the former USSR states | Nikolai Drozdov (presenter) | |
| Life in the Freezer | 1993 | Natural history of Antarctica | David Attenborough (presenter) and Alastair Fothergill (producer) | |
| The Private Life of Plants | 1995 | A study of the plants | David Attenborough (presenter) | |
| Spirits of the Jaguar | 1996 | Natural History of Central America | Alan Ereira (narrator) | |
| Alien Empire | 1996 | A series looking at the world of the insects | John Shrapnel (narrator) | |
| Land of the Tiger | 1997 | Natural history of the Indian subcontinent | Valmik Thapar (presenter) | |
| Incredible Journeys | 1997 | Animal migration | Andrew Sachs (narrator) and Nigel Marven (producer) | |
| The Life of Birds | 1998 | A natural history of birds | David Attenborough (presenter) | |
| Earth Story | 1998 | Aubrey Manning finds out how old our planet is and what it looked like when it was newly formed. | Aubrey Manning (presenter) | |
| Supernatural | 1999 | Investigating extraordinary feats and strange powers of animals. | Andrew Sachs (narrator) | |
| Living Britain | 1999 | British natural history | Samuel West (narrator), Peter Crawford (producer) | |
| Andes to Amazon | 2000 | A portrait of South American landscapes and wildlife. Also known as Wild South America for the release. | Fergal Keane (narrator) | |
| State of the Planet | 2000 | The impact of humans on the natural world | David Attenborough (presenter) | |
| Predators | 2000 | The strategy and tactics that predators use to catch their prey. | John Hannah (narrator) | |
| Cousins | 2000 | Charlotte Uhlenbroek explores the world of the primates - our closest relatives. | Charlotte Uhlenbroek (presenter) | |
| Congo | 2001 | A portrait of the great central African river's, forests, and wildlife. | John Lynch (narrator) and Brian Leith (producer) | |
| The Blue Planet | 2001 | A natural history of the oceans. Also known as The Blue Planet: Seas of Life for North America release. | David Attenborough (narrator), Alastair Fothergill (producer) | |
| Wild Africa | 2001 | A portrait of Africa's landscapes and wildlife. | Fergal Keane (narrator) | |
| Ultimate Killers | 2001 | Hunting techniques of predators. | Steve Leonard (presenter) | |
| The Life of Mammals | 2002 | A natural history of mammals. | David Attenborough (presenter) | |
| Weird Nature | 2002 | Strange animal behavior | Ciaran McMenamin | |
| Talking with Animals | 2002 | A four-part series covering animal communication in various environments. | Charlotte Uhlenbroek (narrator) | |
| Animals - The Inside Story | 2002 | An exploration into the extremes of habitats where animals live, and even right inside their bodies to see how their physiology works. | Robert Lindsay (narrator) | |
| Wild New World [1] [2] | 2002 | Prehistory and wildlife of America from the arrival of humans to the end of the Ice Age. Also known as Prehistoric America for North America release. | Jack Fortune (narrator) | |
| Wild Weather | 2002 | A four-part series focusing on the extremes of wind, wet, cold and heat, and explore how these produce hurricanes, monsoons, ice storms and tornadoes, as well as regulate the global environment. | Donal MacIntyre (presenter) | |
| Monsters We Met [3] | 2003 | A look at man's impact on landscapes and species | Ian Holm (narrator) | |
| Wild In Your Garden | 2003 | Garden wildlife. | Bill Oddie (presenter), Kate Humble (presenter), Simon King (presenter) | |
| Wild Down Under | 2003 | A portrait of Australasia's landscapes and wildlife. Also known as Wild Australasia for international release. | Matt Day (narrator) | |
| Jungle | 2003 | Wildlife of the world's rainforests. | Charlotte Uhlenbroek (presenter) | |
| The Nile | 2004 | The history and natural history of the Nile. | Simon MacCorkindale (presenter) | |
| Dragons Alive | 2004 | The natural history of the reptiles. | Lloyd Owen (narrator) | |
| Britain Goes Wild | 2004 | The coming of spring in Britain. | Bill Oddie (presenter), Kate Humble (presenter), Simon King (presenter) | |
| Massive Nature | 2004 | An epic run of nature documentaries charting the behaviour of large groups of animals and their predators. | Sean Pertwee (narrator) | |
| Animal Camera | 2004 | Steve Leonard investigates how new technology reveals the secrets of the animal world. | Steve Leonard (presenter) | |
| British Isles - A Natural History | 2004 | The natural history of the British Isles. | Alan Titchmarsh (presenter) | |
| Europe: A Natural History | 2005 | How European landscapes and wildlife have changed through time. | Sean Pertwee (narrator) | |
| Life in the Undergrowth | 2005 | A study of terrestrial invertebrates. | David Attenborough (presenter) | |
| Amazon Abyss | 2005 | An expedition team documents the underwater life of the Amazon. | Kate Humble (presenter) and Mike deGruy (presenter) | |
| Journey of Life | 2005 | A five-part series covering evolution on land, sea and air. | Steve Leonard (presenter) | |
| Elephant Diaries | 2005, 2008 | Wildlife series following the lives of a group of orphaned African bush elephants at the David Shelrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya. | Michaela Strachan & Jonathan Scott (presenters) | |
| Planet Earth | 2006 | A portrait of Earth's wildernesses and wildlife spectacles. | David Attenborough (narrator), Alastair Fothergill (producer) | |
| Galápagos | 2006 | A natural history of the Pacific islands. | Tilda Swinton (narrator) | |
| Planet Earth: The Future | 2006 | Highlighting the conservation issues surrounding some of the species and environments featured in Planet Earth. | Simon Poland (narrator), Fergus Beeley (producer) | |
| Ocean Odyssey | 2006 | A documentary looking at the ocean abyss and its bizarre creatures. The programme also traces the 80 year story of the largest predator ever to have evolved, the sperm whale. | Bernard Hill (narrator) | |
| Incredible Animal Journeys | 2006 | A six-part documentary series about some of the more amazing journeys taken by polar bears, whales, ospreys, wild dogs, bar-headed geese, and caribou. | Steve Leonard (narrator/presenter) | |
| Ganges | 2007 | A journey along the sacred river from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal. | Sudha Bhuchar (narrator) | |
| Expedition Borneo | 2007 | Wildlife adventure series following a team of explorers in the heart of the tropical island of Borneo. | Alisdair Simpson (narrator) | |
| Wild Caribbean | 2007 | A natural history of the Caribbean islands and Sea. | Steve Toussaint (narrator) | |
| Orangutan Diary | 2007, 2009 | Wildlife series following the work of the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation and the lives of a group of orphaned and rescued orangutans at the Nyaru Menteng Rehabilitation Centre. | Michaela Strachan (presenter), Steve Leonard (presenter) | |
| Saving Planet Earth | 2007 | A season of programmes dedicated to wildlife conservation. | David Attenborough (presenter), Alan Titchmarsh (presenter) and others | |
| The Nature of Britain | 2007 | A survey of British wildlife and habitats. | Alan Titchmarsh (presenter) | |
| Life in Cold Blood | 2008 | A series dedicated to reptiles and amphibians. | David Attenborough (presenter) | |
| Wild China | 2008 | The BBC's first natural history series dedicated to China. | Bernard Hill (narrator) | |
| Fossil Detectives | 2008 | An eight-part series in which Open University associate lecturer Dr. Hermione Cockburn leads a team of fossil experts and geologists around different regions of Britain to search for fossil treasures and mysteries. | Dr. Hermione Cockburn (presenter) | |
| Oceans | 2008 | Four marine experts explore the planet's oceans. They reveal the hidden stories of the deep through archaeology, geology, marine biology and anthropology. | Paul Rose (presenter), Phillipe Cousteau (presenter), Lucy Blue (presenter), Tooni Mahto (presenter) | |
| Nature's Great Events | 2009 | The world's principal seasonal changes and their impact on wildlife. Also known as Nature's Most Amazing Events for North America release. | David Attenborough (narrator) | |
| Yellowstone | 2009 | A year in the life of the animals of Yellowstone National Park. | Peter Firth (narrator) | |
| South Pacific | 2009 | Natural history of the islands of the South Pacific. Also known as Wild Pacific for North America release. | Benedict Cumberbatch (narrator) | |
| Life | 2009 | Blue-chip series looking at extraordinary animal behaviour from all parts of the natural world. | David Attenborough (narrator) | |
| The Secret Life of Elephants | 2009 | A three-part series revealing the emotional and dramatic lives of elephants in Kenya's Samburu National Reserve. | Sarah Parish (narrator) | |
| Living With Monkeys: Tales From the Treetops | 2009 | Adventurer Guy Grieve and primatologist Dr. Julie Anderson spend six weeks in the rainforest of Gabon, trying to save one of the world's rarest monkeys. | Guy Grieve (presenter), Dr. Julie Anderson (presenter) | |
| The Great Rift: Africa's Wild Heart | 2010 | A series looking at flora, fauna, and people of the Great Rift Valley. | Hugh Quarshie (narrator) | |
| Mountain Gorilla | 2010 | Intimate footage of Africa's few remaining mountain gorillas. | Patrick Stewart (narrator) | |
| Birds Britannia | 2010 | A series looking at the different birds that live in the UK, and the stories they can tell us about the British people over time. | Bill Paterson (narrator) | |
| Human Planet | 2011 | Mankind's relationship with nature in the world today. | John Hurt (narrator) | |
| Madagascar | 2011 | A natural history of Madagascar. | David Attenborough (presenter) | |
| Frozen Planet | 2011 | A seven-part survey of the polar regions. | David Attenborough (narrator/presenter) and Alastair Fothergill (producer) | |
| The Bear Family & Me | 2011 | Gordon Buchanan tries to gain the trust of a wild bear family in the American wilderness. | Gordon Buchanan (presenter) | |
| The Animal's Guide to Britain | 2011 | Chris Packham examines Britain from an animal's point of view as he tries to understand their needs. | Chris Packham (presenter) | |
| Ocean Giants | 2011 | A natural history of whales and dolphins. | Stephen Fry (narrator) | |
| Nature's Miracle Babies | 2011 | Zoologist Martin Hughes-Games travels the world to discover the plight of threatened species and meets the babies born against the odds. | Martin Hughes-Games (presenter) | |
| Great Barrier Reef | 2012 | Exploring Australia's Great Barrier Reef, the largest living structure on our planet. | Monty Halls (presenter) | |
| Super Smart Animals | 2012 | Animal intelligence | Liz Bonnin (presenter) | |
| Land of the Lost Wolves | 2012 | Two-part natural history series following the fortunes of one very special pack of wolves as they return to North America's West Coast. | Gordon Buchanan (presenter) | |
| Planet Earth Live | 2012 | Series featuring live wildlife footage from across the globe. Also known as 24/7 Wild for international release. | Julia Bradbury and Richard Hammond (presenter) | |
| Secrets of Our Living Planet | 2012 | Biodiversity, ecosystems and the complex relationships between plants and animals. Also known as How Nature Works for international release. | Chris Packham (presenter) | |
| Nature's Microworlds | 2012–2013 | Nature series which looks at some of the world's most iconic ecosystems | Steve Backshall (narrator) | |
| A Year in the Wild | 2012 | The landscapes and wildlife of some of Britain's most iconic National Parks, seen through the eyes of people who know them best. | Hermione Norris (narrator) | |
| The Dark: Nature's Nighttime World | 2012 | An expedition team films nocturnal creatures in Central and South America. | Andy Serkis (narrator), Gordon Buchanan (presenter), George McGavin (presenter) and Justine Evans (presenter) | |
| Planet Earth Specials | 2012 | The real-life stories of individual young animals growing up in the wild. | Julia Bradbury (narrator) | |
| Attenborough: 60 Years in the Wild | 2012 | Over three very personal films, David Attenborough looks back at the unparalleled changes in natural history that he has witnessed during his 60-year career. | David Attenborough (presenter) | |
| Africa | 2013 | A six-part series that explores wildlife in Africa. | David Attenborough (narrator/presenter) | |
| The Polar Bear Family & Me | 2013 | Wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan follows a wild polar bear family over three seasons in Svalbard. | Gordon Buchanan (presenter) | |
| Wild Arabia | 2013 | A three-part series that explores the Arabian wildlife, landscape and people. | Alexander Siddig (narrator) | |
| Wild Burma: Nature's Lost Kingdom | 2013 | Scientists and film-makers travel to Burma to survey endangered wildlife, the first such expedition in 50 years. | Paterson Joseph (narrator), Gordon Buchanan (presenter), Ross Piper (presenter), Justine Evans (presenter) | |
| Great Bear Stakeout | 2013 | Deep in Alaska an expert team of film-makers follow the lives of grizzly bears. | Billy Connolly (narrator) | |
| Ice Age Giants [4] | 2013 | A three-part series about the great beasts of the Ice Age in North America and Europe. | Alice Roberts (presenter) | |
| Operation Snow Tiger | 2013 | Liz Bonnin helps conservationists find and protect three orphaned tiger cubs, while also looking at how tigers can be protected in the Russian wilderness. | Liz Bonnin (presenter) | |
| The Great British Year | 2013 | A portrait of the dynamic nature of Britain over the course of one year. Also known as Wild Kingdom for international release. | Joseph Fiennes (narrator) | |
| Animal Odd Couples | 2013 | Why animals of different species make friends with each other, and even with humans. | Liz Bonnin (presenter) | |
| Wild Brazil | 2014 | Series documenting the lives of Brazil's most charismatic animals: jaguars, giant otters, coatis and tufted capuchins. Also known as Brazil Gone Wild for North America release. | Stephen Mangan (narrator) | |
| Hidden Kingdoms | 2014 | Dramatized documentary series showing how diminutive animals experience the world from their perspective. Also known as Mini Monsters for Discovery Channel release. | Stephen Fry (narrator) | |
| 24 Hours on Earth | 2014 | A two-part series of a day in the life of our planet. | Matthew Macfadyen (narrator) | |
| Life Story | 2014 | A six-part series following specific animals from birth to parenthood. | David Attenborough (narrator/presenter) | |
| Monkey Planet | 2014 | A global survey of the primate order. | George McGavin (presenter) | |
| Inside the Animal Mind | 2014 | Three part series that looks at how animals perceive and interact with the world. | Chris Packham (presenter) | |
| Secrets of Bones | 2014 | A six-part series looking at the bones of animals. | Ben Garrod (presenter) | |
| Tigers About the House | 2014 | A programme following Giles Clark as he helps to bring up two young tiger cubs in his home. | Giles Clark | |
| The Wonder of Animals | 2014 | Series takes a in-depth look at nature's winners to reveal the secret of animals success. | Chris Packham (presenter) | |
| Super Senses: The Secret Power of Animals | 2014 | A three-part series exploring the extraordinary world of animal senses. | Helen Czerski and Patrick Aryee (presenters) | |
| Nature's Miracle Orphans | 2014, 2016 | Observational documentary series following orphaned baby animals and the dedicated people that rescue, rehabilitate and release them back into the wild. | Ellie Harrison (presenter), Max Hug Williams (presenter), Lucy Cooke (presenter), Patrick Aryee (presenter) | |
| Wonders of the Monsoon | 2014 | A five-part series exploring the effect of the monsoon on the wildlife of the Indian subcontinent and South East Asia. Also known as Lands of the Monsoon for international release. | Colin Salmon (narrator) | |
| Snow Wolf Family & Me | 2014 | Gordon Buchanan travels to the remote Canadian Arctic in search of wolves that have never seen people. | Gordon Buchanan (presenter) | |
| Alaska: Earth's Frozen Kingdom | 2015 | A three-part series that looks at a year in Alaska, revealing the stories of pioneering Alaskans, both animal and human, as they battle the elements. Also known as Wild Alaska for international release. | Dougray Scott (narrator) | |
| Shark | 2015 | A three-part series on over thirty species of shark which shows how they hunt, their intricate social lives, courtship, growing up and the threats they face. | Paul McGann (narrator) | |
| Japan: Earth's Enchanted Islands | 2015 | A three-part series about the natural world and wildlife of Japan's islands: Honshu, Hokkaido and the southernmost Islands. Also known as Wild Japan for international release. | Michelle Dockery (narrator) | |
| World's Weirdest Events | 2015 | A series that explores the unexplained, the unexpected and the unidentifiable events of the natural world. Also known as Weird Wonders for BBC America and Weird Wonders of the World for international release. | Chris Packham (presenter) | |
| Animals in Love | 2015 | A two-part series about animal relationships. | Liz Bonnin (presenter) | |
| Hidden India | 2015 | A three-part BBC series showcasing various facets of the rivers, mountains and wildlife of remote areas of India. | Geraldine James (narrator) | |
| Nature's Greatest Dancers | 2015 | A two-part series exploring the flamboyant, eye-catching and sometimes bizarre world of slick animal movers. | Steve Backshall (narrator) | |
| Animal Super Parents | 2015 | A two-part series revealing the weird and wonderful stories of some of the natural world's most incredible parents. | Hugh Dennis (narrator) | |
| Atlantic: The Wildest Ocean on Earth | 2015 | A three-part series exploring the Atlantic Ocean that stretches nearly 10,000 miles, from Arctic to Antarctic and from sun-drenched tropical reefs to crushing abyssal depths. Also known as Wild Atlantic for European release. | Cillian Murphy (narrator) | |
| Earth's Natural Wonders | 2015, 2018 | Series which explores natural wonders and examines what it takes to survive in some of the most extreme places on the planet. | Olivia Colman (narrator, Series 1), Sophie Okonedo (narrator, Series 2) | |
| Big Blue Live | 2015 | Series celebrates a wildlife success story and marine animal phenomenon in Monterey Bay, California. Also known as Big Blue: Monterey Bay for international release. | Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (presenter), Steve Backshall (presenter), Liz Bonnin (presenter), Matt Baker (presenter) | |
| Big Blue UK | 2015 | Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and a team of marine enthusiasts follow the animals arriving and thriving in UK waters. | Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (presenter), Lindsey Chapman (presenter), Richard Taylor-Jones (presenter) | |
| India: Nature's Wonderland | 2015 | Two-part series which travels to land of stunning wildlife, ancient cultures and extreme landscapes of India. | Liz Bonnin (presenter), Freida Pinto (presenter), Jon Gupta (presenter) | |
| Patagonia: Earth's Secret Paradise | 2015 | A three-part series exploring the landscapes and wildlife of Patagonia. Also known as Wild Patagonia for international release. | Santiago Cabrera (narrator) | |
| Earth's Wildest Waters: The Big Fish | 2015 | Series follows the eight British fishermen by using their skills to the limit in six epic fishing locations across the world. Also known as The Big Catch for international release. | Ben Fogle (presenter) | |
| Gorilla Family & Me | 2015 | Gordon Buchanan travels to the Democratic Republic of Congo to meet a family of rare Grauer's gorillas. | Gordon Buchanan (presenter) | |
| Wild West: America's Great Frontier | 2016 | Three-part series which explores the ways nature has found to survive in the extremely testing land of the wild west. Also known as Wild West for international release. | James Norton (narrator) | |
| Planet Earth II | 2016 | Series explores the unique characteristics of jungles, deserts, mountains, islands, grasslands and cities of Earth's most iconic habitats, and the ways animals survive within them. | David Attenborough (narrator/presenter) | |
| Earth's Greatest Spectacles | 2016 | Set in three of the most seasonally changeable landscapes on earth, revealing the processes that occur each year and showing how wildlife adapts to cope. Also known as Seasonal Wonderlands for international release. | Domhnall Gleeson (narrator) | |
| Life in the Air | 2016 | Documentary series exploring the animals from around the world that take to the air. Also known as SuperNature - Wild Flyers for PBS release. | Suranne Jones (narrator) | |
| Into the Wild | 2016 | Gordon Buchanan takes some well-known UK public figures on a wildlife adventure where they get up close and personal with some of the UK's most iconic species. | Gordon Buchanan (presenter) | |
| Nature's Epic Journeys | 2016 | Series follows iconic animals on three of the world's most breathtaking wildlife adventures. Each must overcome immense obstacles, from challenging terrain to hungry predators and sheer physical exhaustion. Also known as Nature's Great Migrations for international release, and Nature's Great Race for PBS release. | Liz Bonnin (presenter) | |
| New Zealand: Earth's Mythical Islands | 2016 | A three-part series which explores New Zealand's wildlife that has resulted from 80 million years of isolation. Also known as Wild New Zealand for international release. | Sam Neill (narrator) | |
| Earth's Seasonal Secrets | 2016 | Series follows how each of the four seasons transforms to the world. Also known as Earth's Great Seasons for international release. | Andrew Scott (narrator) | |
| Ingenious Animals | 2016 | A team of wildlife experts travel the globe in search of the most surprising animal stories and reveal how and why animals do such remarkable things. | Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (presenter), Patrick Aryee (presenter), Giles Clark (presenter), Lucy Cooke (presenter) | |
| Animal Babies | 2016 | Three-part series follows young animals as they take their first steps and face their earliest challenges. | Gordon Buchanan (narrator) | |
| Elephant Family & Me | 2016 | Gordon Buchanan follows a herd of elephants in the Kenyan wilderness. | Gordon Buchanan (presenter) | |
| World's Sneakiest Animals | 2016 | A series covering cheating behavior in animals, and how simple tricks have evolved into complex deceptions. Also known as Natural Born Hustlers for international and PBS release. | Chris Packham (presenter) | |
| Galápagos | 2017 | A series following a scientific expedition across the Galápagos Islands to carry out research that will help protect the islands and their inhabitants. Also known as Mission Galapagos for international release. | Liz Bonnin (narrator/presenter, UK version), Mark Bonnar (narrator, International version) | |
| Mexico: Earth's Festival of Life | 2017 | Three-part series which explores the wildlife, landscape, and culture in three distinct worlds within Mexico - mountain ranges, tropical forests and deserts. Also known as Wild Mexico for international release, and Wonders of Mexico for PBS release. | Eliud Gabriel Porra (narrator) | |
| Mountain: Life at the Extreme | 2017 | Three-part series about the animals and people who make a home on the mountain ranges of the Rockies, Himalayas, and Andes. Also known as Mountains: Life Above the Clouds for international release, and Kingdoms of the Sky for PBS release. | Dougie Henshall (narrator) | |
| Blue Planet II | 2017 | From the intense heat of the tropics to the frozen poles, from the coastlines to the darkest parts of the ocean, the series explores different marine worlds and the challenges they present for the creatures that live there. | David Attenborough (narrator/presenter) | |
| Thailand: Earth's Tropical Paradise | 2017 | Three-part series exploring the tropical wilderness of Thailand. Also known as Wild Thailand for international release. | Sophie Okonedo (narrator) | |
| Yellowstone: Wildest Winter to Blazing Summer | 2017 | Covers a year in Yellowstone National Park, and how wildlife adapts to the harsh seasonal changes. Also known as The Great American Thaw for international release, and Great Yellowstone Thaw for PBS release. | Kate Humble (presenter) and Patrick Aryee (presenter) | |
| Down the Mighty River | 2017 | Steve Backshall sets out to explore the Baliem River in the island of New Guinea. Also known as Steve Backshall's Extreme River Challenge for international release. | Steve Backshall (presenter) | |
| Wild Alaska Live | 2017 | A live-broadcast series about the congregation of wildlife in Alaska for the bountiful summer season. | Steve Backshall (presenter), Liz Bonnin (presenter), Matt Baker (presenter) | |
| Wild UK | 2017 | A live-broadcast series exploring the wilderness of the UK and the wildlife that thrives there. This is a companion program to Wild Alaska Live. | Colin Stafford Johnson (presenter), Lucy Cooke (presenter) | |
| Tribes, Predators & Me | 2017 | Gordon Buchanan follows the world's most remote tribes to observe how they live alongside nature's most deadly predators. Also known as Tribes, Animals & Me for international release. | Gordon Buchanan (presenter) | |
| Dynasties | 2018 | Series focuses on five animals, where each animal battles against the odds for the future of their families. | David Attenborough (narrator/presenter) | |
| Big Cats | 2018 | Three-part series uncovering the secret lives of big cats. Also known as Super Cats for PBS release. | Bertie Carvel (narrator) | |
| Animals with Cameras | 2018, 2021 | Wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan joins with scientists to put cameras on animals. Together, they make extraordinary discoveries about the lives of some of the planet's most fascinating species. | Gordon Buchanan (presenter) | |
| Big Cats About the House | 2018 | A three-part series follows Giles Clark - where he embarks with the life at the Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent. | Andrew Lincoln (narrator), Giles Clark (participant) | |
| Animals Behaving Badly | 2018 | A series about the behaviours and methods animals use to find a mate and raise a family. Also known as Natural Born Rebels for international and PBS release. | Liz Bonnin (presenter) | |
| Extraordinary Rituals | 2018 | A series which explores the spectacular and emotional world of rituals. Also known as Rituals for international release. | Simon Reeve (narrator, UK version), Matthew Gravelle (narrator, International version) | |
| Grizzly Bear Cubs & Me | 2018 | Two-part programme where Gordon Buchanan helps to rehabilitate orphaned baby grizzly bears into the Russian wilderness. | Gordon Buchanan (presenter) | |
| Cities: Nature's New Wild | 2018 - 2019 | Three-part programme which explores the ways wildlife is adapting to life in the world's cities. Also known as Wild Metropolis for international and PBS release. | Daniel Kaluuya (narrator) | |
| Earth From Space | 2019 | In this four-part series, cameras in space tell stories of life on our planet from a brand new perspective, revealing new discoveries, incredible colours and patterns, and just how fast it is changing. Also known as Life From Above for PBS release. | Chiwetel Ejiofor (narrator) | |
| Seven Worlds, One Planet | 2019 | A series which focuses on the climates, wildlife, and spectacles of each of Earth's seven continents. | Sir David Attenborough (narrator) | |
| Earth's Great Rivers | 2019 | Three-part series about the wildlife, landscapes, and humans of the Amazon, Mississippi and Nile rivers. Also known as Rivers of Life for PBS release. | David Oyelowo (narrator) | |
| Australia: Earth's Magical Kingdom | 2019 | Three-part series about Australian wildlife. | Barry Humphries (narrator) | |
| Blue Planet Live | 2019 | A live-broadcast celebration of marine life around the globe, as well as explorations of the health of Earth's oceans. Also known as Blue Planet Revisited for international release. | Chris Packham, Steve Backshall, Liz Bonnin (presenters) | |
| Blue Planet UK | 2019 | A live-broadcast series about marine life from all corners of the UK, and about the health of Earth's oceans. This is a companion program to Blue Planet Live. | Chris Packham, Gillian Burke, Steve Brown (presenters) | |
| Big Animal Surgery | 2019 | A series about medical procedures performed on some of the biggest animals in the world. | Liz Bonnin (presenter) | |
| Animal Babies: First Year on Earth | 2019 | A three part series looking at how baby animals cope when they are young, and how they develop to reach key milestones. | Wunmi Mosaku (narrator), Sue Gibson (presenter), Vianet Djenguet (presenter), Colin Stafford-Johnson (presenter) | |
| Animals at Play | 2019 | A series about animal "playtime" behaviour. | Gordon Buchanan (narrator) | |
| Secrets of Skin | 2019 | A six-part series about vertebrate skin, specifically covering adaptability, movement, protection, communication, defence, and sensory perception. | Ben Garrod (presenter) | |
| Snow Cats & Me | 2019 | Rescue and rehabilitation of lynx from the fur and pet trades back to into the wild. | Gordon Buchanan (presenter) | |
| Earth's Tropical Islands | 2020 | Exploring some of the world's most isolated tropical islands. | David Harewood (narrator) | |
| Baby Chimp Rescue | 2020 | A three-part series documenting the efforts of a rescue center for chimpanzees in Liberia. | Ben Garrod (presenter) | |
| Blue Planet Revisited | 2020 | A 2-part series focusing on threatened ecosystems in the oceans—specifically sharks in the Bahamas, and Australia's Great Barrier Reef. | Steve Backshall (presenter), Liz Bonnin (presenter) | |
| Primates | 2020 | A three-part documentary series about primates, and the strategies monkeys, apes and lemurs utilize to survive. | Chris Packham (narrator) | |
| A Wild Year | 2020 | A yearlong study of the nature of three regions of the British countryside—the Pembrokeshire coast, the fens of East Anglia, the North York Moors. | Toby Jones (narrator) | |
| Bears About the House | 2020 | Conservationist Giles Clark travels to Laos to help take care of care of Sun and Moon bear cubs. | Giles Clark (presenter), Andrew Lincoln (narrator) | |
| Iolo: The Last Wilderness of Wales | 2020 | Iolo Williams tracks wildlife in the Cambrian Mountains. | Iolo Williams (presenter) | |
| Mindful Escapes: Breathe, Release, Restore | 2020 | A four part series featuring relaxing sequences of the natural world. | Andy Puddicombe (Narrator) | |
| Waterhole: Africa's Animal Oasis | 2020 | A three-part series exploring the oases in the Mwiba Wildlife Reserve in Tanzania where elephants, lions, leopards and hundreds of other species meet and compete for water. | Chris Packham (presenter), Ella Al-Shamahi (presenter) | |
| Eden: Untamed Planet | 2021 | A six-part series focusing on isolated regions, largely undisturbed by human interference. | Helena Bonham Carter (narrator) | |
| Cheetah Family & Me | 2021 | Gordon Buchanan gets close to wild cheetah in the Kalahari, experiencing first hand the dangers these big cats face. | Gordon Buchanan (presenter) | |
| Chris Packham's Animal Einsteins | 2021 | A series about animal intelligence, and the strategies that give certain species the upper hand. | Chris Packham (presenter) | |
| Our Wild Adventures | 2021 | An 8-part retrospective through the natural history archives with some of the BBC's favourite wildlife presenters, as they share a few of their most memorable wild adventures. | Gordon Buchanan (presenter), Sue Gibson (presenter), Steve Backshall (presenter), Vianet Djenguet (presenter), Chris Packham (presenter), Liz Bonnin (presenter), Colin Stafford-Johnson (presenter), George McGavin (presenter) | |
| Chris and Meg's Wild Summer | 2021 | Wildlife presenters Chris Packham and stepdaughter Megan McCubbin go on a road trip featuring animal encounters, landscapes and time to reflect on their relationship. | Chris Packham (presenter), Megan McCubbin (presenter) | |
| The Green Planet | 2022 | A 5-part documentary series exploring plants and their relationship with animals, humans, and the environment. | David Attenborough (narrator/presenter) | |
| Prehistoric Planet | 2022, 2023 | A 5-part documentary series following dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals recreated with computer-generated imagery, living around the globe in the Late Cretaceous period 66 million years ago (Maastrichtian), just before the dinosaurs' extinction. | David Attenborough (narrator/presenter) | |
| Dynasties II | 2022 | A 6-part series which delves into the lives of animals as they fight for their families against the odds. Sequel to 2018's Dynasties. | David Attenborough (presenter/narrator) | |
| Frozen Planet II | 2022 | Sir David Attenborough explores a planet on the brink of major change as nature finds a way to survive and thrive in the frozen reaches of the planet. Sequel to 2011's Frozen Planet . | David Attenborough (presenter/narrator) | |
| Dogs in the Wild: Meet the Family | 2022 | A series about canines, and how they have adapted to a wide variety of Earth's climates. | Chris Packham (narrator) | |
| Earth's Great Rivers II | 2022 | Three-part series about the wildlife, landscapes, and humans of the Danube, Yukon, and Zambezi rivers. Sequel to 2019's Earth's Great Rivers. | ||
| Earth | 2023 | The story of our home planet. | Chris Packham (presenter) | |
| Planet Earth III | 2023 | Sequel to Planet Earth and Planet Earth II | David Attenborough (narrator) | |
| Wild Scandinavia | 2023 | Three-part series exploring the Scandinavian wilderness, featuring lynx, orcas, puffins and wolves, among other species. | Rebecca Ferguson (narrator) | |
| Big Little Journeys | 2023 | Aaron Pierre (narrator) | ||
| Mammals | 2024 | Twenty years after The Life of Mammals, David Attenborough revisits how mammals have conquered the Earth. | David Attenborough (narrator) | |
| OceanXplorers | 2024 | A 6-part series for National Geographic, co-produced with James Cameron and OceanX | ||
| Asia | 2024 | The BBC's first natural history series devoted to the continent of Asia. | David Attenborough (narrator) | |
| Big Cats 24/7 | 2024, 2025 | A film crew follow the lives of lions, leopards and cheetahs in Botswana's Okavango Delta | Filmed and presented by Brad Bestelink, Gordon Buchanan, Anna Dimitriadis, Vianet Djenguet and Greg Hartman | |
| The Secret Lives of Animals | 2024 | 10-part series for Apple TV+ | Hugh Bonneville (narrator) | |
| The Americas | 2025 | A ten-part documentary series devoted to the Americas. Co-production between the BBC and NBCUniversal. [5] | Tom Hanks (narrator) | |
| Kingdom | 2026 | David Attenborough (narrator) |
| Programme Title | Year | Subject | Contributors | Format | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lonesome George and the Battle for Galapagos | 2007 | The story of Lonesome George, the last Pinta Island giant tortoise, who became a global symbol for conservation efforts in the Galápagos Islands following his discovery in 1971. | Tilda Swinton (narrator) | 1x60' | BBC Four |
| Bill Oddie's Top Ten Birds | 2007 | Bill Oddie counts down the UK's ten most popular and most villainous birds in a light-hearted guide to our feathered friends and foes. | Bill Oddie (presenter) | 1x60' | BBC Four |
| Decade of Discovery | 2010 | Chris Packham presents a profile of his ten favourite new species discovered in the past decade. | Chris Packham (presenter) | 1x60' | BBC Two |
| Attenborough and the Giant Egg | 2011 | David Attenborough tells the story of a 1960s film trip to Madagascar during which he reconstructed the egg of a giant elephant bird. | David Attenborough (presenter) | 1x60' | BBC Two |
| Woolly Mammoth: Secrets from the Ice | 2012 | Alice Roberts reveals the natural history of the woolly mammoth, an extinct ice age giant. Also known as Ice Age Giants: Woolly Mammoths: Secrets from the Ice for the US broadcast. | Alice Roberts (presenter) | 1x60' | BBC Two |
| Miniature Britain | 2012 | George McGavin travels around Britain investigating the lives of microscopic creatures and their impact on the wider environment. | George McGavin (presenter) | 1x60' | BBC One |
| Ultimate Swarms | 2013 | George McGavin looks at how and why animals swarm together. | George McGavin (presenter) | 1x60' | BBC One |
| Attenborough's Paradise Birds | 2015 | David Attenborough tells the story of the birds of paradise. He explores the myths surrounding their discovery 500 years ago, the latest discoveries about their behaviour and the scientific truth behind their beauty. | David Attenborough (presenter) | 1x60' | BBC Two |
| Super Cute Animals | 2015 | Gordon Buchanan seeks to understand why humans find some animals to be cute and looks at how their features help them to survive. | Gordon Buchanan (presenter) | 1x60' | BBC One |
| Animals Unexpected | 2015 | A programme investigating how animals can adapt to new environments and thrive as invasive species. | Lucy Cooke (presenter) | 1x60' | BBC One |
| Attenborough and the Giant Dinosaur | 2016 | David Attenborough follows the excavation of bone remains of a gigantic dinosaur in southern Argentina. Also known as Raising the Dinosaur Giant for the PBS Nature broadcast in the US. | David Attenborough (presenter) | 1x60' | BBC One |
| Wild Tales from the Village | 2016 | A year in the life of a secluded village in rural France, showing the parallel world of the tiny creatures that live side by side with unsuspecting humans. | Tcheky Karyo (narrator) | 1x60' | BBC Two |
| Life in the Snow | 2016 | Gordon Buchanan profiles a selection of animals that live in cold winter climates. | Gordon Buchanan (presenter) | 1x60' | BBC One |
| Life in Polar Bear Town with Gordon Buchanan | 2016 | Gordon Buchanan travels to the town of Churchill on the shores of Canada's Hudson Bay, where packs of polar bears gather each autumn for their winter hunt. | Gordon Buchanan (presenter) | 1x60' | BBC Two |
| The Lake District: A Wild Year | 2017 | Innovative filming techniques give a new and unique perspective on a turbulent year in the life of England's Lake District National Park. | Bernard Cribbins (narrator) | 1x60' | BBC Two |
| Super Small Animals | 2017 | Biologist Patrick Aryee explores the evolutionary advantages that make small animals successful, from a little lemur to a tiny armadillo. | Patrick Aryee (presenter) | 1x60' | BBC One |
| Winter's Weirdest Events | 2017 | Chris Packham explain some of the natural world's strangest winter events. | Chris Packham (presenter) | 1x30' | BBC Two |
| Reindeer Family and Me | 2017 | Gordon Buchanan travels deep inside the Arctic Circle to meet the ancient Sámi people and the animals they live alongside - reindeer. | Gordon Buchanan (presenter) | 1x60' | BBC Two |
| Attenborough and the Sea Dragon | 2018 | David Attenborough explores the case of a newly discovered ichthyosaur - a giant "sea dragon" that hunted in the oceans during the age of the dinosaurs. | David Attenborough (writer and presenter) | 1x60' | BBC One |
| Planet Earth: A Celebration | 2020 | A compilation of footage from the BBC's Planet Earth II and Blue Planet II series, set to a new orchestral score by composers Hans Zimmer and Jacob Shea. | David Attenborough (narrator) | 1x60' | BBC One |
| Penguins: Meet the Family | 2020 | Liz Bonnin profiles the penguin family, with archive footage showing all 18 species in their natural habitats across the Southern Hemisphere. | Liz Bonnin (narrator) | 1x60' | BBC One |
| The Year Earth Changed | 2021 | A programme about the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on nature. It focusses on changes observed in wild animal behaviours during public health lockdowns and travel restrictions from the onset of the pandemic in 2020. | David Attenborough (narrator) | 1x48' | Apple TV+ |
| Lion: The Rise and Fall of the Marsh Pride | 2022 | The long history of the Maasai Mara's most famous lion pride, filmed by the BBC and other broadcasters for 40 years. | Simon King, Jackson Looseyia and Jonathan Scott (interviewees) | 1x90' | BBC Two |
| Fantastic Beasts: A Natural History | 2022 | Stephen Fry reveals the stories behind some of the world’s best-known mythical beasts. | Stephen Fry (presenter) | 1x60' | BBC One |
| Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster | 2024 | David Attenborough follows the discovery of the giant fossil of a prehistoric Jurassic predator on the south coast of England. | David Attenborough (presenter) | 1x60' | BBC One |
| Expedition Killer Whale | 2024 | Scientists and filmmakers document the sophisticated hunting techniques of orcas in the Southern Ocean. | Sharon D Clarke (narrator) | 1x60' | BBC Two |
| Series Title | Year(s) Broadcast | Subject | Contributors | DVD Release [a] | Video Download [b] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoo Quest | 1954-1963 | David Attenborough travels to exotic locations in a bid to find rare and unusual animals. | David Attenborough | ||
| Look | 1955–1969 | Weekly magazine show | Peter Scott (introduced by), Desmond Hawkins (producer), Tony Soper (producer) and Jeffery Boswall (producer) | No | No |
| On Safari | 1957–1965 | Filming animals in East Africa | Armand and Michaela Denis (presenter) | No | No |
| Undersea World of Adventure | 1958–1960 | Sea life | Hans and Lotte Hass (presenter) and Tony Soper (producer) | No | No |
| Animal Magic | 1962–1983 | Weekly magazine show for children | Johnny Morris (presenter) | No | No |
| Adventure | 1961–1965 | David Attenborough travel documentary. | David Attenborough (presenter) | No | No |
| Private Lives | 1967–1970 | Series on individual species including kingfisher, cuckoo and fox | Jeffery Boswall (producer) | No | No |
| The World About Us | 1967–1983 | Weekly blue-chip documentary strand featuring NHU content | Various | No | No |
| Wildlife on One | 1977–2005 | Weekly series profiling different animals | David Attenborough (narrator) | No | No |
| Natural World | 1983–2020 | Weekly blue-chip documentary strand | Various | Yes [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] | No |
| The Really Wild Show | 1986–2006 | Weekly magazine show for children | Terry Nutkins (presenter), Chris Packham (presenter), Michaela Strachan (presenter) and others | No | No |
| The Wildlife Specials | 1995–2007 | One-off profiles of individual species | David Attenborough (narrator) | Yes | No |
| Big Cat Diary Big Cat Week Big Cat Live | 1996–2008 | Family lives of the Masai Mara's lions, leopards and cheetahs | Jonathan Scott (presenter), Simon King (presenter) and Saba Douglas-Hamilton (presenter) and others | Yes | No |
| Birding with Bill Oddie | 1997–2000 | Birdwatching in the UK and abroad | Bill Oddie (presenter) | No | No |
| Bill Oddie Goes Wild | 2001–2003 | Watching British wildlife | Bill Oddie (presenter) | No | No |
| Wild | 2001–2009 | Series of wildlife and nature documentaries with access to never-before-seen footage. [16] | Various | No | No |
| Wild Battlefields | 2002–2003 | How lions, polar bears, tiger sharks and wolves hunt their prey | Sanjeev Bhaskar (narrator) | No | No |
| Abyss Amazon Abyss Pacific Abyss | 2002–2008 | Expeditions exploring the deep oceans, the Amazon River and the seas of Micronesia | Kate Humble (presenter) and Mike deGruy (presenter) | No | No |
| Bill Oddie's How to Watch Wildlife | 2005–2006 | Watching British wildlife | Bill Oddie (presenter) | Yes | No |
| Coast | 2005–2013 | Journeying around Britain's coastline (additional material by the NHU) | Nicholas Crane (presenter) and Neil Oliver (presenter) | Yes | No |
| Springwatch Autumnwatch Winterwatch | 2005–present | Observing British wildlife in spring, autumn and winter | Bill Oddie (presenter), Kate Humble (presenter), Simon King (presenter), Chris Packham (presenter), Martin Hughes-Games (presenter), Michaela Strachan (presenter) and others | No | No |
| Lost Land of the Jaguar Lost Land of the Volcano Lost Land of the Tiger | 2008–2010 | An expedition team explores various things | Steve Backshall (presenter), Gordon Buchanan (presenter), Justine Evans (presenter) and George McGavin (presenter) | Yes | No |
| Deadly 60 | 2009–present | Children's series tracking the world's deadliest animals | Steve Backshall (presenter) | Yes | No |
| Nature's Weirdest Events | 2012-2017 | Investigations into strange happenings in the natural world | Chris Packham (presenter) | Yes [17] [c] | Yes [18] [c] |
| David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities | 2013-2017 | David Attenborough looks at some of the strange behaviours and appearances in the animal kingdom and explains how they came to be and what purposes they have. | David Attenborough (presenter) | Yes [19] [20] [21] | Yes [22] |
| Series Title | Year(s) Broadcast | Subject | Contributors | DVD Release [a] | Video Download [b] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deep Blue | 2003 | Feature-length version of The Blue Planet TV series. | Pierce Brosnan (narrator), Alastair Fothergill (director) | Yes | No |
| Earth | 2007 | Feature-length version of the Planet Earth TV series. | James Earl Jones (narrator), Alastair Fothergill (director), Mark Linfield (director) | Yes | No |
| The Meerkats | 2008 | Follows the daily struggles for survival of a meerkat clan in the Kalahari Desert. | Paul Newman (narrator), James Honeyborne (director) | Yes | No |
| One Life | 2011 | Feature-length version of the Life TV series. | Daniel Craig (narrator), Michael Gunton (director), Martha Holmes (director) | Yes | No |
| Wings | 2014 | Feature-length version of the Earthflight TV series. | David Tennant (narrator) | Yes | No |
| Tiny Giants | 2014 | Feature-length version of the Hidden Kingdoms TV series. | Stephen Fry (narrator), Michael Gunton (producer), Mark Brownlow (producer & director) | Yes | No |
| Enchanted Kingdom | 2014 | Follows on a spell-binding journey through seven realms of Africa to reveal a natural world stranger, more magical, and more mystical than anything that people might imagine. | Idris Elba (narrator), Patrick Morris (director), Neil Nightingale (producer & director) | Yes | No |
| Wild Africa | 2015 | Follows with a spectacular trip through the most varied regions of the African continent: which gives a striking account of the impact of water on wild Africa and its animals. | Helena Bonham Carter (narrator), Patrick Morris (director), Mike Slee (director), Neil Nightingale (producer & director) | Yes | No |
| Shark: A 4D Experience | 2015 | Feature-length version of Shark TV series. | No | No | |
| Earthflight | 2016 | Film follows with an incredible flight across the world on the wings of birds. (not to be confused with the TV series Earthflight ) | Cate Blanchett (narrator) | No | No |
| Incredible Predators | 2016 | Feature-length version of The Hunt TV series. | Alastair Fothergill (director) | No | No |
| Earth: One Amazing Day | 2017 | Feature-length (1h 35m) version of the Planet Earth II TV series. | Robert Redford (narrator), Peter Webber (director), Lixin Fan (director), Richard Dale (director) | Yes | No |
| Oceans: Our Blue Planet | 2018 | Feature-length (40m) version of Blue Planet II . Embark on a global odyssey to discover the largest and least explored habitat on earth. New ocean science and technology has allowed us to go further into the unknown than we ever thought possible. | Kate Winslet (narrator), Mark Brownlow & Rachel Butler (directors) | Yes | No |
| Cuba: Journey to the Heart of the Caribbean | 2019 | Peter H. Chang (director) | |||
| Antarctica: Into The Unknown | 2021 | Benedict Cumberbatch (narrator), Fredi Davas (director) | |||
| Arctic: Our Frozen Planet | 2023 | Feature-length version of the Frozen Planet II TV series. | Benedict Cumberbatch (narrator), Rachel Scott (director) | ||
| Wild Asia | 2026 | Feature-length version of the Asia TV series. |
The material for this article has largely been drawn from the following sources: