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This past week, millions of people around the world celebrated Earth Day by getting outside and doing their part to care for the planet. I, on the other hand, spent my Earth Day in front of the TV, learning more about this magnificent yet endangered world in which we live.
The BBC’s Planet Earth series (from the makers of another spectacular nature series, The Blue Planet) is unlike any nature show you’ve ever seen. Shot entirely in high definition, the series took five years and several million dollars to produce—and it definitely shows. The 14 hour-long episodes in the five-DVD set offer an up-close-and-personal look at several different species in their natural habitats around the world—and the footage is absolutely stunning. In fact, everything about the production is extraordinary—from the narration by David Attenborough to the grand soundtrack to the brilliant editing.
The first episode in the series, entitled “From Pole to Pole,” is my favorite—because it covers a little bit of just about every natural habitat around the world. In the 10 episodes that follow, the series takes a closer look at each environment—from mountains and forests to deserts and plains and everything in between. You’ll see some of the world’s extremes: its highest peaks, its driest deserts, its most remote caves, its largest mammals, its tiniest organisms. You’ll visit places that few people have ever seen, and you’ll see animal behavior that few people have witnessed.
Though some moments—and some episodes—are more exciting than others, each episode is filled with surprises. There are funny moments (like my favorite moment in the series—the mating dances of the male birds of paradise), and there are tragic moments (like the killing of a penguin by a seal). And there are moments that are truly breath taking.
While watching each episode will take your breath away, though, you’ll be even more amazed once you watch the Planet Earth Diaries, which can be found at the end of each episode. Each one offers a closer look at the dedication, determination, and hard work that went into the filming of the episode—whether it meant taking a hot air balloon into the trees or sitting patiently in the forest, day after day, waiting for a female bird to approach the male.
At the end of the series—on the fifth disc—there are three episodes that take a step back from the magnificence of the planet to discuss its frightening realities. Through interviews and footage, these episodes show the surprising changes that the world has undergone in just the last few years, stressing the importance of conservation. Though these episodes don’t really offer practical, everyday solutions for normal people, they’ll definitely leave viewers with a strong desire to do their part to help out.
Planet Earth is a spectacular series that will show you the world like you’ve never seen it before. It’s an eye-opening and educational experience that viewers of all ages will be able to enjoy and appreciate—and it’s one that I highly recommend adding to your family’s DVD collection.
DVD Review:
In celebration of Earth Day, the BBC has released the BBC Natural History Collection—a mammoth 17-disc set (that’s more than 30 hours) of its natural history series. The set includes both Planet Earth and The Blue Planet, as well as two additional series: The Life of Birds and The Life of Mammals.
No matter how hard I try, I can’t even begin to explain just how magnificent these series are. The footage is breath taking, and each episode tells a fascinating story about the world around us—and about the animals that share it with us.
Like the old set of encyclopedias that every family owned back when I was a kid (back in the olden days, before the Internet), the BBC’s Natural History Collection is a valuable tool for teaching your kids about their planet—and you’re sure to enjoy learning along with them.
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