How to watch A Perfect Planet

Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, A Perfect Planet looks at the natural forces which shape our planet, and enable life to flourish here, as well as the impact that humans are having.

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Megan Shersby

Published: December 21, 2020 at 2:00 pm

When is A Perfect Planet on TV?

The first episode of A Perfect Planet is aired on Sunday 3 January 2021, on BBC One at 8pm. All five episodes are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Watch the trailer of A Perfect Planet:

Who is narrating A Perfect Planet?

The celebrated broadcaster and environmentalist Sir David Attenborough returns to the BBC to narrate this series.

Sir David Attenborough. © Gavin Thurston/Silverback Films

What is A Perfect Planet about?

This series focusses on the natural forces which shape our planet, and enable life to flourish here: the sun, volcanoes, oceans, and weather. In addition, the programme takes a look at how humans have impacted the planet and its environments and wildlife.

Yasur volcano, lava lake erupting with volcanologist, Tanna Island, Vanuatu. © Huw Cordey/Silverback Films

“Together, these forces have shaped our perfect planet, but it's a fragile system.” says Attenborough in the trailer. “Today there is a new force. One so powerful, it threatens life on Earth. Human activity is now so dominant that it's disrupting the forces of nature, and the vital habitats that life needs to survive on Earth. To preserve our planet, we need to act now. And if we do that, there will still be time to restore the ecological balance that once made this Earth our perfect planet.”

Which species appear on A Perfect Planet?

The series will feature a range of species:

An otter sniffs the air and surveys its surroundings as it prepares to hunt. it must remain vigilant on land when coyotes or wolves could be on the prowl. © Silverback Films

Lemon sharks swim in the shallow waters by the mangrove forests of Bimini, Bahamas. © Ed Charles/Silverback Films

A rockhopper penguin brooding its chick on Sealion Island in the Falkland Islands. © Sarah Walsh/Silverback Films

A marine iguana warming up in the sun on the shores of Fernandina Island, Galapagos. © Ed Charles/Silverback Films

Flamingos with chicks on Lake Natron. © Darren Williams/Silverback Films

A mother wild Bactrian camel with her young in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia. © Ed Charles/Silverback Films

A vampire finch bites the flight feather of a Nazca booby on Wolf Island, providing a steady flow of blood to supplement its diet of seeds and insects which are in short supply. © Silverback Films

WARNING: Embargoed for publication until 00:00:01 on 06/02/2020 - Programme Name: Perfect Planet - TX: n/a - Episode: n/a (No. n/a) - Picture Shows: For the Volcano episode we filmed the bears of Kamchatka coming to feed on thesalmon runs of Kurile Lake. It is one of the world’s greatest natural feasts, and is provided by thefertilising ash from the volcanic eruptions that formed and feed the lake. Here a bear cub takes a breakfrom the feast to play with her mother at the foot of one of the great active volcanoes that tower overthe lake, while the salmon gather around them to spawn, and Slaty-backed gulls pour in to join thebuffet. - (C) Photography Toby Nowlan copyright Silverback Films - Photographer: Toby Nowlan — Bears of Kamchatka coming to feed on the salmon runs of Kurile Lake. © Toby Nowlan/Silverback Films

Main image: Giant tortoise on Aldabra Island. © Huw Cordey/Silverback Films

Naturalist, writer and content creator

Megan is a naturalist, writer and content creator. She is also a bookworm and a keen board gamer. She is the former editorial and digital co-ordinator at BBC Wildlife, and wrote features and sections for both the print magazine and discoverwildlife.com, including the Q&A and Go Wild sections, Poo Corner and News Species Discovery, the weekly e-newsletter and the social media accounts. Her features have included olms (cave salamanders) in Slovenia, arapaima (very big fish) in Guyana, and the role of hippos as ecosystem engineers in Zambia. She has also contributed to the website and magazine of BBC Countryfile Magazine, and has hosted some its podcast episodes. Prior to joining BBC Wildlife in 2016, she gained a degree in BSc(Hons) Animal Science, undertook behavioural research on zebras and dwarf mongooses, and worked in environmental education for a number of conservation charities.

Giant tortoises on Aldabra Island. © Huw Cordey/Silverback Films

© Ann & Steve Toon/Getty