The Green Planet (TV series)

The series consists of five episodes, each based on a different theme and environment. Each episode ends with a segment on the methods and equipment used to capture the episode. == Production ==

In January, the upcoming release of The Green Planet, a five-part documentary about the biodiversity of plant life narrated by David Attenborough was announced. Bilibili, ZDF, France Télévisions and NHK. In an interview with The Irish News, Attenborough said that "The world is green—it's an apt name [for the series], the world is green. And yet people's understanding about plants, except in a very kind of narrow way, has not kept up with that. I think this will bring it home." Filming began in early 2019 and took over three years to complete. Filming took place in 27 countries, including Japan, Croatia, Costa Rica and the United States. The series, which was presented from a "plant's-eye view", was filmed using time-lapse photography, to show the slow progress of plant movements. A number of technologies, including drone-mounted cameras and motion-control robotics were used to capture the slow movements, defense mechanisms and growth of plants. Two FPV racing drone pilots were hired to film parts of the series, as drones were faster and more eco-friendly than filming from helicopters. Creative director Mike Gunton explained that the racing drone pilots had "[the] dexterous skill to be able to operate those drones in the most incredibly micro-detailed way." Specialized camera rigs called "Triffids" were developed for the series. The "Triffids" were created by former military engineer Chris Field, who developed them to capture plant movements in the wild. Field had been inspired to develop timelapse camera technology by watching the BBC documentary Planet Earth. Field also developed robotic rigs which could move freely around a plant while capturing it in timelapse. It was the first documentary on plant life Attenborough had created since Plants Behaving Badly in 2013. In the fourth episode of Green Planet, Attenborough revisited a creosote bush (larrea tridentata) in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona which had previously been featured in The Living Planet, a series which he filmed in 1982. Original music was composed by Benji Merrison and Will Slater. == Premiere ==

The series premiered at the IMAX Theatre in Glasgow, Scotland on 31 October 2021. The premiere took place during the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference. English actress Maisie Williams delivered a speech introducing the first episode. Attenborough also spoke at the summit, and received a standing ovation. The series was scheduled to debut in the US on 6 July 2022 on PBS, to air weekly. == Broadcast ==

British television The series was first broadcast on 9 January 2022 on BBC One. Subsequent episodes were aired weekly on the channel. Episodes were also made available via the video-on-demand service BBC iPlayer after each broadcast. International In 2021, BBC Studios pre-sold the series to a large number of overseas networks, including Nine Network in Australia, TVNZ in New Zealand, Radio Canada, DR in Denmark, ERR in Estonia, LTV in Latvia, LRT in Lithuania, Movistar Plus+ in Spain, NRK in Norway, Friday! in Russia, and RTVS in Slovakia. It was presold to BBC Earth in Africa, Asia, Poland, MENA, Turkey, Canada and the Nordic countries. == Reception ==

Critical reception The series received widespread critical praise for its cinematography, technological advances, narration, presentation, storytelling and environmental message. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 100% based on 5 reviews. Harry Cockburn of The Independent praised the show for bringing "an incredible level of drama, insight and imaginative presentation" to its subject matter. Carol Midgley of The Times also gave the series five stars, saying that the series at times felt "like a horror flick" and at other times was "almost a plant porno." Anita Singh, in a review for The Telegraph, also compared some of the show's imagery to that of horror films, and gave the series four out of five stars. It received five-star reviews in the Financial Times and The Guardian. Natalie Bennett, writing for The House, praised the series overall, but criticized it for relying on nature documentary tropes of conflict and struggle, and not also portraying examples of interspecies cooperation. The series was also praised for raising awareness of environmental issues and climate change. Critics commented on the environmental message of the series, which encouraged the conservation and appreciation of plant life. Steve Clarke, writing for Variety, considered it to be an example of "a new willingness from TV types to put uncomfortable truths regarding environmental damage alongside feel-good shots of beautiful beasts and pristine landscapes." An editorial piece in The Guardian described the series as "[taking] aim at plant blindness" by demonstrating the importance of plant life. The series was nominated for the Cinema for Peace International Green Film Award in 2024. Audience response The first episode of the series received an average of 4.5 million viewers in the UK, peaking at 5.4 million. == Related exhibitions and initiatives ==

BBC Studios created the Green Planet AR Experience, inspired by the series, with funding from the British government's 5G Create competition. The month-long augmented reality installation opened at Piccadilly Circus on February 11, and is scheduled to remain open until March 9, 2022. It is a collaboration between BBC, 5G network provider EE Limited and Factory 42. In February 2022, the BBC Natural History Unit and the Moondance Foundation launched #OurGreenPlanet, a conservation initiative inspired by the series. == References ==