The Natural World

Disc 1. Amazing Earth 1 x 52:00 min From the heights of Mount Everest, through the molten lava fields of Hawaii, to the very core of our planet, Amazing Earth scours the globe to reveal the geological forces that have changed the face of our planet. It’s a story of striking meteorites, gigantic eruptions, Ice Age superfloods and the movement of continents. Above all, it’s a reminder that our restless planet will never stand still and that the geological truce may be coming to an end. Disc 2. The Frozen Kingdom 1 x 52:00 min An extensive tour of the Earth’s coldest places. In the Arctic Circle we follow a polar bear mother and her cubs in search of food and visit a colony of harbour seals. In the Gulf of Alaska, bull walruses and fur seals bludgeon one another whilst Glacier Bay hosts the annual migration of humpback whales. Off the coast of Patagonia, killer whales attack seals on a beach and finally, in Antarctica, we meet temperature-resilient emperor penguins. Disc 3. Spirits of the Rainforest 1 x 100:00 min Spirits of the Rainforest’ is an unforgettable journey to Peru’s most remote and pristine national park, the Manu Biosphere Reserve. Enriched by glimpses into the day-to- day life of the native Machiguenga tribe, the film interweaves the natural history of the area with the Machiguengas’ myths and legends. Spirits of the Rainforest tells the story of the land, the legends and the legacies in this most remote and resplendent region. Disc 4. Ice Age Survivors 1 x 52:00 min Ten thousand years ago, as the last ice age ended, many animals became extinct. However, the dog, elephant and lion carry on for their departed kin: the dire wolf, woolly mammoth and saber-tooth tiger. This programme spans the globe paying testament to those species that have survived the ice age while also reflecting back on the lives of their descendants. Disc 5. Land of the Mammoth 1 x 100:00 min For twenty thousand years, a woolly mammoth lay trapped in an icy tomb on the Taimyr Peninsula of Arctic Siberia. In 1999, French explorer Bernard Buigues raised the mammoth and had it airlifted to an ice cave for defrosting. Now, Bernard has an even greater goal: to paint a complete picture of the mammoth’s world… its life and death… and ultimately to examine the causes of its mass extinction. Disc 6. Understanding Oceans 1 x 52:00 min There is a vast and mysterious world just offshore. A place of undiscovered species, cures for deadly diseases and keys to the weather. It’s dangerous and threatening and at the same time beautiful and appealing. ‘Understanding Oceans’ answers many questions about global warming by studying the ocean’s currents, winds and weather systems. Disc 7. Living in Extremes 1 x 52:00 min Earth is a planet of extremes. However, animals have developed to thrive in seemingly uninhabitable environments. In the freezing world of the Arctic, the polar bear has a coat of fur to cope with interminable winters. Mountain goats have developed their lungs to take advantage of thin air and bats have extraordinarily sensitive hearing to navigate in the darkest caves. Finally, in the mysterious deep of our oceans, fragile jellyfish are gelatinous enough to thrive in extreme water pressure. Disc 8. Journey to the Centre of the Earth 1 x 85:00 min ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ takes you where noman has ventured before – the Earth’s core and beyond! We’ll investigate man’s attempts to penetrate the depths of the Earth’s surface via deep drill holes, examine the creatures that live where life is seemingly insupportable and discover what would happen if you dug through to the other side of the Earth.