Netflix’s Our Planet: Sir David Attenborough’s New Nature Series Highlights Our Environmental Crisis
Image credit: Netflix
Our Planet – the new nature documentary series narrated by Sir David Attenborough – launched today on Netflix following the world premiere last night attended by Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry at the Natural History Museum. Here is everything you need to know. If like us you’ve been waiting on the edge of your seat for Netflix’s new nature documentary series Our Planet to land – the wait is finally over. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, the new eight-part series Our Planet is now streaming on Netflix and as you might expect, it is feast for the eyes. But it is also more than that. With conservation at the heart of every shot and human impact on our planet front and centre of the narrative, it provides a stark warning that the time to act is now.From the creators of the award-winning Planet Earth, and produced in partnership with World Wildlife Fund, Our Planet explores the unique and precious wonders of our natural world, combining the stunning photography and technology that we have come to expect from an Attenborough documentary series, with an unprecedented, never-before-filmed look at the planet’s remaining wilderness areas and their animal inhabitants. Attenborough’s narration tells the story of each of these habitats and the wildlife that call them home – taking us on a journey through deserts, grasslands, jungles, seas, forests and polar regions – but importantly also shows us the impact that humankind is having on our planet, and crucially how interconnected we are with different habitats. What we (humans) do on this planet, directly influences nature and vice-versa.
“The ambitious four-year project has been filmed in 50 countries across all the continents of the world, with over 600 members of crew capturing more than three and a half thousand filming days, and will focus on the breadth of the diversity of habitats around the world, from the remote Arctic wilderness and mysterious deep oceans to the vast landscapes of Africa and diverse jungles of South America,” reads the synopsis from Netflix.
The series will explore some of the world’s most important habitats to reveal what must be preserved “if we are to ensure a future where both humans and nature can thrive”.
If you haven’t got round to watching it yet, here are some of our favourite Sir David Attenborough quotes from the first episode:
“In the last 50 years, wildlife populations have, on average, declined by 60%. For the first time in human history, the stability of nature can no longer be taken for granted.”
“Nature is resilient. Great riches still remain. And with our help, the planet can recover.”
“In places where rain falls abundantly throughout the year, forests grow. And in the warmth of the tropics, they support an unparalleled richness of life. Half of all the species of all land-living animals. The sheet diversity is breathtaking.”
“Plants often depend on animals to pollinate their flowers. And these intimate connections are just as important as the great global ones.”
“In just 70 years, things have changed at a frightening pace. The polar regions are warming faster than any other part of the planet. The Arctic in the north is a frozen ocean, and the sea ice, on which all life here depends, is disappearing.”
“Within 20 minutes, 75 million tonnes of ice break free. Glaciers have always released ice into the ocean, but now this is happening nearly twice as fast as it did ten years ago”
“All across our planet crucial connections are being disrupted. The stability that we and all life relies upon is being lost. What we do in the next 20 years will determine the future for all life on Earth.”
Watch the full series on Netflix now.
See more of our favourite animal documentaries and life-changing documentaries to watch now.
Read our favourite Sir David Attenborough quotes and watch his best speeches.
Watched the series and want to know how you can help? Read our 12 ways to love our planet and our guide on how to become a climate activist.