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The Green Planet (TV series)

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The Green Planet
GenreNature documentary
Creative directorMike Gunton
Presented byDavid Attenborough
Music byBenji Merrison, Will Slater
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes5
Production
Running time292 min
Production companyBBC Studios Natural History Unit
Original release
NetworkBBC One, PBS
Release9 January (2022-01-09) –
6 February 2022 (2022-02-06)

The Green Planet is a 2022 nature documentary series on plants and their relationship with animals, humans and the environment. It was produced by BBC Studios Natural History Unit and narrated and presented by David Attenborough.[1] Original music was composed by Benji Merrison and Will Slater.

The series first aired on BBC One on 9 January 2022, and consisted of 5 episodes. It was subsequently made available on demand on BBC iPlayer and was aired internationally on other networks. The Green Planet was a ratings success in the United Kingdom, with its first episode drawing 5.4 million viewers. It also received positive reviews from critics, who noted its production quality, storytelling, and environmentalist themes.

Episodes

The series consists of five episodes, each based on a different theme and environment.[2] Each episode ends with a segment on the methods and equipment used to capture the episode.[3]

No.TitleOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
1"Tropical Worlds"9 January 2022 (2022-01-09)5.4 million[4]
The first episode reveals the fiercely competitively lives of tropical plants.
2"Water Worlds"16 January 2022 (2022-01-16)N/A
The second instalment focuses on aquatic plants and their impact on marine environments.
3"Seasonal Worlds"23 January 2022 (2022-01-23)[5]N/A
The third episode explores how different plant species adapt to seasonal changes in their environment.
4"Desert Worlds"30 January 2022 (2022-01-30)N/A
The fourth episode is centered on desert plants, and their adaptations to harsh environments.
5"Human World"6 February 2022 (2022-02-06)N/A
The fifth and final episode is focused on the relationship between humans and plants. The negative environmental impact of human development, and the ways in which plants have adapted to these changes, is examined. The episode also looks at efforts to create urban green spaces and promote environmental responsibility.

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.[6] The series was a collaboration between PBS and BBC Studios Natural History Unit. It was co-produced by Open University, bilibili, ZDF, France Télévisions and NHK.[7] The series was considered to be a "passion project" for Attenborough.[8] 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."[9]

Filming began in early 2019 and took over three years to complete.[10] Filming took place in 27 countries,[11][12] including Japan, Croatia, Costa Rica, and the United States.[13][14] The series, which was presented from a "plant's eye view",[15] was filmed using time-lapse photography, to show the slow progress of plant movements.[16] One cactus was filmed continuously in time-lapse for three years, making it the longest time-lapse study undertaken by the BBC.[17] 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.[18] 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.[19] 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."[20]

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.[21] 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.[10] Producer Paul Williams discovered Fields' camera work by seeing a timelapse of Venus flytraps he had made that was linked on Kickstarter. Based on that video, Williams hired him to develop new technologies for The Green Planet. Williams stated that the name of the rigs came from John Wyndham's 1951 science fiction novel The Day of the Triffids, about a species of mobile, carnivorous plants.[22]

It was the first documentary on plant life Attenborough had created since The Private Life of Plants in 1995.[16] In the third 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.[23] The bush had grown only a quarter of an inch in the intervening forty years.[24][23]

Original music was composed by Benji Merrison and Will Slater.[25]

Premiere

The series premiered at the IMAX Theatre in Glasgow, Scotland on October 31, 2021. The premiere took place during the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference. English actress Maisie Williams delivered a speech introducing the first episode.[26] Attenborough also spoke at the summit, and received a standing ovation.[27]

Broadcast

British television

The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2022 on BBC One. Subsequent episodes were aired weekly on the channel.[28] Episodes were also made available via the video on demand service BBC iPlayer after each broadcast.[28][29]

International

In 2021, BBC Studios pre-sold the series to a large number of overseas networks,[30] 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.[7]

On January 18, 2022, it was announced that the series would be broadcast weekly in the United States on PBS, from July 6, 2022 to August 3, 2022.[6]

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.[31]

Harry Cockburn of The Independent praised the show for bringing "an incredible level of drama, insight and imaginative presentation" to its subject matter.[32] 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."[33] 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.[34] It received five star reviews in the Financial Times and The Guardian.[35][36] 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.[37]

The series was also praised for raising awareness of environmental issues and climate change.[38] Critics commented on the environmental message of the series, which encouraged the conservation and appreciation of plant life.[39][40][41] 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."[42] An editorial piece in The Guardian described the series as "[taking] aim at plant blindness" by demonstrating the importance of plant life.[43]

Audience response

The first episode of the series received an average of 4.5 million viewers in the UK, peaking at 5.4 million.[4]

BBC Studios created the Green Planet AR Experience, inspired by the series, with funding from the British government's 5G Create competition.[44] 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.[45]

In February 2022, the BBC Natural History Unit and the Moondance Foundation launched #OurGreenPlanet, a conservation initiative inspired by the series.[46]

See also

References

  1. ^ Himelfield, Dave (2022-01-09). "David Attenborough's life from BBC snub and famous brother to wife's death". YorkshireLive. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
  2. ^ Kevin Lynch (2022-01-28). "How to watch The Green Planet online: watch David Attenborough's latest show from anywhere, episode 4". TechRadar. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  3. ^ "'The Green Planet' is David Attenborough at his very best". The National. 2022-01-07. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  4. ^ a b Goldbart, Max (2022-01-10). "Kidscreen Live Delayed Due To Omicron; Max Verstappen Partners With Viaplay; UK TV Ratings: David Attenborough's 'The Green Planet' – Global Briefs". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  5. ^ "Green Planet: Cambridge University Botanic Garden to feature on TV show". BBC News. 2022-01-22. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  6. ^ a b "PBS Announces THE GREEN PLANET". About PBS - Main. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  7. ^ a b "BBC Studios pre-sells "The Green Planet" to array of international broadcasters". RealScreen. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  8. ^ "Sir David Attenborough's passion project, 'The Green Planet' set to premiere on BBC Earth". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  9. ^ de Wolfe, Danielle (2022-01-08). "Sir David Attenborough on filming new BBC nature series The Green Planet". The Irish News. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  10. ^ a b Purves, Robbie (2022-02-01). "The Green Planet: Secrets behind new Sir David Attenborough series". BirminghamLive. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  11. ^ "Sir David Attenborough sounds fresh call to save plant life with BBC production 'The Green Planet' TV series". Arab News. 2022-01-04. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  12. ^ "When was The Green Planet filmed?". HELLO!. 2022-01-16. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  13. ^ "The Green Planet: behind the scenes of Episode 2: Water Worlds". Discover Wildlife. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  14. ^ "Plants - they're just like us, says Sir David Attenborough in The Green Planet". Stuff. 2022-02-02. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  15. ^ "The making of David Attenborough's series The Green Planet". Creative Review. 2022-02-09. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  16. ^ a b Ferreira, Thinus. "David Attenborough waited 25 years for this – now his The Green Planet takes us into world of plants". Channel. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  17. ^ "Sir David Attenborough on "hypnotic appeal" of nature docs like The Green Planet". Radio Times. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  18. ^ "How The Green Planet will show plants from a never-before-seen perspective". www.nine.com.au. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  19. ^ "Sir David Attenborough on The Green Planet and why plants may save us". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  20. ^ "David Attenborough's Unending Mission to Save Our Planet". Wired UK. ISSN 1357-0978. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  21. ^ "BBC One - The Green Planet - The technology that captured The Green Planet". BBC. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  22. ^ "How a Triffid captured The Green Planet - TVBEurope". TVBEurope. 2022-01-06. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  23. ^ a b Torre, Berny. "Attenborough revisits desert bush 40 years on in The Green Planet". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  24. ^ Clarke, Naomi (2022-01-28). "David Attenborough spiked by 'vicious spines' of cactus in The Green Planet". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  25. ^ Rennie, Nick (7 January 2022). "It's a privilege to work on a TV show millions of people will be watching". Melton Times. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  26. ^ "Sir David Attenborough's new series Green Planet premieres in Glasgow amid Cop26". The Irish News. 2021-11-01. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  27. ^ Martin, Emily (2022-01-10). "BBC's The Green Planet is Attenborough's most important doc yet". WalesOnline. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  28. ^ a b "The Green Planet: When is Attenborough's new BBC series released and how was it made". www.nationalworld.com. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  29. ^ Sunner, Amber (2022-01-09). "Sir David Attenborough's new series explained". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  30. ^ Goldbart, Max (2021-10-07). "BBC Studios Sells Sir David Attenborough's 'Green Planet' To Multiple Global Networks". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  31. ^ The Green Planet, retrieved 2022-02-15
  32. ^ "The Green Planet: A soaring blend of horror and beauty alongside awful human hubris". The Independent. 2022-02-06. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  33. ^ Midgley, Carol. "The Green Planet review — Attenborough unearths a botanical horror flick". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  34. ^ Singh, Anita (2022-01-09). "The Green Planet, review: don't look now - this is the world's deadliest flower". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  35. ^ Einav, Dan (2022-01-05). "David Attenborough's The Green Planet explores the fascinating world of flora". Financial Times. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  36. ^ "The Green Planet review – David Attenborough's gobsmacking, awe-inspiring return". the Guardian. 2022-01-09. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  37. ^ "'Glorious yet frustrating': Baroness Bennett reviews 'The Green Planet'". Politics Home. 2022-01-09. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  38. ^ "Green Planet: 5 mind-blowing facts we learned from the show". Greenpeace UK. 2022-01-31. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  39. ^ "The Green Planet: Time is running out for David Attenborough to save the world". The Independent. 2022-01-10. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  40. ^ Hunt, Elle (January 5, 2022). "The Green Planet review: Plants as you have never seen them before". New Scientist. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  41. ^ "David Attenborough's Green Planet is a necessary watch this January". New Statesman. 2022-01-12. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  42. ^ Clarke, Steve (2021-10-08). "From 'The Green Planet' to 'The Mating Game,' Climate Change Affects Tone of Nature Docs". Variety. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  43. ^ "The Guardian view on The Green Planet: verdant and necessary | Editorial". the Guardian. 2022-01-14. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  44. ^ "BBC Studios' The Green Planet inspires 5G powered Augmented Reality Experience". www.bbcstudios.com. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  45. ^ Pocket-lint (2022-02-11). "London's Green Planet AR Experience debuts". www.pocket-lint.com. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  46. ^ Yossman, K. J. (2022-02-01). "BBC Natural History Unit Launches 'The Green Planet'-Inspired Content Initiative, Philanthropic Campaign (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
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