Tiger • 2018 • episode "S1E5" • Dynasties

88:58

If you have ever wondered what would happen in your own home if you were taken away and everything inside was left to rot, the answer is revealed in this programme which explores the strange and surprising science of decay. For two months, a glass box containing a typical kitchen and garden was left to rot in full public view within Edinburgh Zoo. In this resulting documentary, Dr George McGavin and his team use time-lapse cameras and specialist photography to capture the extraordinary way in which moulds, microbes and insects are able to break down our everyday things and allow new life to emerge from old. Decay is something that many of us are repulsed by, but as the programme shows, it's a process that's vital in nature. And seen in close up, it has an unexpected and sometimes mesmerising beauty.

2011 • Nature

61:36

In the second episode, Iain discovers how flowers have transformed our planet. He journeys to the remote islands of the South Pacific to track down the earliest flowers. In the deserts of Africa and rainforests of Vietnam, he sees how they brought brilliant colour to the most barren landscapes and sculpted the earth itself. And he learns how they drove the evolution of all animals - kick-starting our human story.

S1E2 • How to Grow a Planet • 2012 • Nature

177:00

Discover a land of hauntingly beautiful coasts, magical forests, and volcanic and arctic extremes - and the lynx, orcas, puffins and wolves who call this frozen kingdom home. Chapter 1: Life on the Edge Wild and unpredictable, the Scandinavian coast is a place of haunting beauty and dangerous extremes - a journey from storm-swept islands crowded with seal pups to 3,000ft deep fjords where sea eagles fly and base jumpers parachute from the edge. In the far north, tropical currents and Arctic seas collide, creating riches - billions of herring tracked by orcas and humpback whales - while providing a home to thousands of seabirds, including the feisty puffin. Chapter 2: Heartlands Great forests form the heart of Scandinavia, stretching towards the Arctic and cutting through with a labyrinth of waterways. Incredible creatures like lynxes, wolves, bears and reindeer must survive the ever-changing seasons - from the chilling grip of winter to the warm riches of summer. Here, all life is deeply interconnected through surprising and ancient partnerships, creating a balance that has evolved over millennia. Chapter 3: Ice and Fire Scandinavia's northern extremes have been shaped by ice and fire, but it's the sun that reigns over these frozen kingdoms. Here, musk oxen, polar bears and arctic foxes must endure the long, dark polar night, but in spring, the sun's return ignites a dramatic transformation in the landscape and heralds the return of thousands of migrant visitors. Under the midnight sun, the north bursts into a sleepless rush of life and opportunity, a race against time to raise a family, but for some, it's the summer heat which brings the greatest dangers before the first frost and winter's welcome return.

2023 • Nature

51:19

This episode shows unique insights into Germany’s mountain world, traveling from Saxonian Switzerland to the Palatinate Forest, from the Harz to the Alps.

Part 2 • Wild Germany • 2012 • Nature

29:07

The first episode introduces the viewers to the continent of Antarctica and the surrounding sea and islands, its glaciers and the icebergs that form from it. It describes how the continent changes throughout the seasons, as it effectively doubles in size in winter when the surrounding sea freezes over, "the greatest seasonal change that takes place on this planet".

S1E1 • Life in the Freezer • 2003 • Nature

58:26

A look at mammals which have adapted to the changes humans have made to their environment, from sea lions competing with stray dogs for food in the fish markets of Chile to pig-tailed macaques in palm oil plantations in south east Asia. Plus, a look at how elephants have learnt to use the cover of darkness to venture into towns in search of a midnight feast, often leaving destruction in their wake.

S1E2 • Mammals with David Attenborough • 2024 • Nature