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  • BBC One

The Living Planet

A Portrait of the Earth

  • 1984
  • Ended
  • Documentary
  • ~55m / ep
  • 1 season
  • 8.5/10

David Attenborough examines the ways in which animals and plants adapt to their surroundings.

Latest: Miniseries · 1984

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  1. E1. The Building of the Earth

    Jan 19, 1984 · 55m

    This episode covers how the various land masses of the earth were formed, including discussion of tectonic plates, faults, volcanos and other such forces. Also discusses how flora and fauna adapt to these sorts of environments as they currently exist. Includes visits to the Himalayas, Mount St Helens & Krakatoa.

  2. E2. The Frozen World

    Jan 26, 1984 · 55m

    This episode covers the life that exists in frozen areas of the world such as high up in the mountains, and in the Arctic and Antarctic. This episode also discusses how plants and animals adapt to extremes of temperature, for example where there are very cold nights and extremely hot days. Includes coverage of algae, insects, sheep, squirrels, seals, penguins, foxes, polar bears, lemmings, owls, caribou, geese, Eskimo and much more. Places visited include Kenya, South America and USA.

  3. E3. The Northern Forests

    Feb 2, 1984 · 55m

    This episode covers the great coniferous forests which ring the earth just below the Arctic ice in the north. Also covers other temperate forests such as the redwood, sequoia and pine forest. Life forms covered include birds, squirrels, moose, owls, lynx, wolverines, woodpeckers, shrews, voles, deer, bears, chipmunks, salamanders, ducks, snakes and fungi.

  4. E4. Jungle

    Feb 16, 1984 · 55m

    This episodes focuses on the equatorial jungles all around the world and the incredible array of life which inhabits them. Goes through the various levels of the jungle, including above the canopy, in the canopy, between the canopy and the ground and on the rainforest floor. Includes eagles, insects, monkeys, bats, frogs, gliding snakes, squirrels, macaws, various parasites, dancing birds, jaguars and the native people who inhabit rainforests.

  5. E5. Seas of Grass

    Feb 23, 1984 · 55m

    This episode covers the wide, sweeping savannah lands which are much drier than the forest but still support an amazing array of life. Includes anteaters, insects, armadillos, birds, deer, tapir, lizards, wolves, crocodiles, turtles, capybara, frogs, gophers, prairie dogs, bison, coyote, antelope, giraffes, gazelle, lions, cheetah, monkeys, elephants, wildebeest, impala, zebras and the native peoples who live alongside them. Areas visited include Africa, North & South America and Asia.

  6. E6. Baking Deserts

    Feb 23, 1984 · 55m

    This episode looks at the driest parts of the earth, the deserts, and reveals the life which exists there despite the heat and lack of water. Also discusses how the deserts developed and why. Animals included are hyenas, foxes, jerboa, lizards, native cats, gerbils, scorpions, spiders, wolves, turtles, lizards, birds, plants, frogs, snakes, lizards, moles and the ship of the desert, the camel. Covers the effects of rain, how creatures live in sand dunes and the ecosystems in oases.

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