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This past week, millions of people around the world celebrated Earth Day by getting outside and doing their part to care for the planet. I, on the other hand, spent my Earth Day in front of the TV, learning more about this magnificent yet endangered world in which we live.
The BBC’s Planet Earth series (from the makers of another spectacular nature series, The Blue Planet) is unlike any nature show you’ve ever seen. Shot entirely in high definition, the series took five years and several million dollars to produce—and it definitely shows. The 14 hour-long episodes in the five-DVD set offer an up-close-and-personal look at several different species in their natural habitats around the world—and the footage is absolutely stunning. In fact, everything about the production is extraordinary—from the narration by David Attenborough to the grand soundtrack to the brilliant editing.
The first episode in the series, entitled “From Pole to Pole,” is my favorite—because it covers a little bit of just about every natural habitat around the world. In the 10 episodes that follow, the series takes a closer look at each environment—from mountains and forests to deserts and plains and everything in between. You’ll see some of the world’s extremes: its highest peaks, its driest deserts, its most remote caves, its largest mammals, its tiniest organisms. You’ll visit places that few people have ever seen, and you’ll see animal behavior that few people have witnessed.
Though some moments—and some episodes—are more exciting than others, each episode is filled with surprises. There are funny moments (like my favorite moment in the series—the mating dances of the male birds of paradise), and there are tragic moments (like the killing of a penguin by a seal). And there are moments that are truly breath taking.
While watching each episode will take your breath away, though, you’ll be even more amazed once you watch the Planet Earth Diaries, which can be found at the end of each episode. Each one offers a closer look at the dedication, determination, and hard work that went into the filming of the episode—whether it meant taking a hot air balloon into the trees or sitting patiently in the forest, day after day, waiting for a female bird to approach the male.
At the end of the series—on the fifth disc—there are three episodes that take a step back from the magnificence of the planet to discuss its frightening realities. Through interviews and footage, these episodes show the surprising changes that the world has undergone in just the last few years, stressing the importance of conservation. Though these episodes don’t really offer practical, everyday solutions for normal people, they’ll definitely leave viewers with a strong desire to do their part to help out.
Planet Earth is a spectacular series that will show you the world like you’ve never seen it before. It’s an eye-opening and educational experience that viewers of all ages will be able to enjoy and appreciate—and it’s one that I highly recommend adding to your family’s DVD collection.
Blu-ray Review:
If you already own the DVD version of the BBC’s Planet Earth, you’ve seen (and heard) hours of series extras. But now, for the first time, the extras are also featured on the new updated and expanded six-disc special edition Blu-ray release.
Special features in this set include Planet Earth Diaries—eye-opening (and often entertaining) making-of features that go behind the scenes of each episode. Many episodes also include audio commentaries, which offer even more behind-the-scenes information.
For a brief overview of some spectacular Planet Earth footage, there’s Great Planet Earth Moments, a 45-minute feature in which Planet Earth filmmakers talk about their most memorable filmmaking moments—and their most astonishing footage. Fans of the series won’t want to miss this wonderful recap of its best moments.
The set also includes a disc with three additional episodes: “Snow Leopard: Beyond the Myth,” “Secrets of the Maya Underworld,” and “Elephant Nomads of the Namib Desert,” which cover additional natural (and even, in the case of the Maya episode, historical) footage.
The new Planet Earth Blu-ray release offers hours upon hours of extraordinary natural footage (and many more hours of fascinating behind-the-scenes footage). It’s educational, it’s entertaining, and it’s absolutely breathtaking—a must-see for any resident of this remarkable planet.
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