The 97-year-old broadcaster and three-time Emmy® Award-winner Sir David Attenborough presents the groundbreaking and cinematic landmark natural history series, Planet Earth III (8×60′). The extraordinary program is the third instalment in the critically acclaimed and multi-Emmy® Award-winning Planet Earth series. Filmed in 43 countries across six continents and over nearly five years, the eight-part series, plus a ‘Making Of’ special, follows some of the world’s most amazing animal characters; uncovering new species, behaviours, and filming firsts. Planet Earth III premieres Sunday, March 10 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on BBC Earth in Canada during the channel’s nationwide free preview event, happening from February 26 to April 28, 2024. BBC Earth is also available via Prime Video Channels with Planet Earth III available to stream simultaneously from March 10.
“In this new series of Planet Earth we travel to the most astonishing wild places, see mysterious creatures, witness rare, spectacular wonders, and reveal breath-taking animal dramas,” says David Attenborough. “The natural world continues to surprise us, but since Darwin’s time it has changed beyond recognition, being transformed by a powerful force – us. We will see how animals are adapting in extraordinary ways, to survive the new challenges they face. At this crucial time in our history, we must now look at the world through a new lens.”
While still retaining the awe, beauty, and warm accessible tone of its predecessors, Planet Earth III captures dramatic, thrilling, funny and sometimes heart-breaking stories, but always ones full of hope. In British Columbia, Planet Earth III documents never-before-seen humpback whale behaviour, uncovers an extraordinary population of garter snakes and captures the rare, elusive spirit bear. In Nunavut, the film crew follows an epic struggle between Arctic wolves and musk oxen as they compete for scarce prey and fight to survive.
Using pioneering filmmaking technology, the series brings a new, important insight into our increasingly fragile natural world by revealing the deep interconnectivity of all life on Earth. Lightweight drones, high-speed cameras and remotely operated deep-sea submersibles transport viewers to spectacular unseen landscapes, from remote jungle to scorching deserts, and from the darkest caves to the depths of the ocean. The final episode will feature the efforts to protect and preserve the wildlife and the critically important ecosystems of Planet Earth.
Episodes of Planet Earth III include:
- Episode 1 – Coasts (East Point, Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, British Columbia featured)
March 10 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
Where land and sea collide, this dynamic habitat houses some of the planet’s most surprising stories. Cameras follow terrestrial garter snakes in British Columbia as they take the plunge into chilly waters in search of a meal. - Episode 2 – Ocean
March 17 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
The largest habitat of all, the open ocean is the ultimate realm of new discovery, housing countless secrets that we are continuing to unlock. - Episode 3 – Deserts and Grasslands
March 24 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
Conditions in the vast wilderness can change in an instant. To be successful, you need to be able to adapt – quickly. - Episode 4 – Freshwater
March 31 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
Housing one tenth of all species on the planet, freshwater is a rich and diverse habitat filled with never-ending surprises. - Episode 5 – Forests (Hartley Bay, British Columbia featured)
April 7 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
Journey to these secret worlds where lives are entwined in the most unexpected of ways. This episode visits the temperate rainforests of Hartley Bay, British Columbia, where rarely seen spirit bears fish for salmon. - Episode 6 – Extremes (Ellesmere Island, Nunavut featured)
April 14 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
Travel to Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, where a pack of Arctic wolves fight to rebuild their strength after one of the toughest winters on Earth. With prey so scarce, they must travel vast distances to find it. And when they do, they must battle their ancient foes, musk oxen, a relic of the Ice Age. - Episode 7 – Human (Vancouver, Island, British Columbia featured)
April 21 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
Altering 80% of the land’s surface, there are now over 8 billion people on the planet. They must share this space with a myriad of species. Off the coast of Vancouver Island, humpback whales inhabit waters that have been overfished. You would think that their presence would reduce fish stocks even further, but astonishingly the opposite is thought to be happening. - Episode 8 – Heroes
April 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
We meet some incredible conservation champions on nature’s front line, fighting to preserve the future of our beautiful planet. - Episode 9 – The Making of Planet Earth III
April 28 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
The making of Planet Earth III took over five years as the team travelled to every corner of the planet to capture astounding animal dramas and used the latest technology to film behaviours never seen before.
Planet Earth III is a BBC Studios Natural History Production co-produced with BBC AMERICA, ZDF and France Televisions in partnership with The Open University for BBC. The Executive Producer is Mike Gunton, and the Series Producer is Matt Brandon. BBC Studios is handling global distribution. The series was commissioned by Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual.