If like me, you are an 80s baby, and the dulcet tone of Sir David Attenborough used to lull you to sleep in pre-pubescent years, then this is for you.

Following on from epic documentaries such as The Blue Planet (2001) and Planet Earth (2006), Attenborough embarks on a new project aiming to capture all species in action. The advancement in cinematography alone is sure to leave age-old fans gasping for more. Before you object, this is not just a programme for Natscis.

Attenborough, Britain’s best known and best loved natural history broadcaster has an inexplicable manner of engaging the scientist buried deep within us all. Whether you’re a bird or beast lover this is the place to discover weird and wonderful natural phenomena worldwide. The immense panoramic shots, captured by powerful hot air balloons, which spiral over vast expanses of ice in the Antarctic, or herds of reindeer in the Alaskan tundra, truly evoke the overwhelming sophistication of our planet. The minute slow-motion cameras reveal such marvels as a mother rufous sengi outrunning and outwitting a predatory lizard, and nine foot-long Komodo dragons tearing shreds from one another in what looks worryingly like a mating ritual. Such detailed accounts of the daily struggles our fellow creatures must endure simply to reproduce certainly brings essay crises into perspective, and is a somewhat therapeutic reminder of the big wide world waiting to be explored post-graduation (although I am dubious as to how many of us will make it to wilds of the Poles). Moreover, such descriptive delights as “Reptiles and amphibians look like hang-overs from the past” provide unexpected humour.

What remains most impressive of all, though, is the effort and patience of the television crews. Exposing themselves to very real dangers by spending days in freezing arctic conditions to capture the perfect shot of a Weddell seal pup’s first water venture, or waiting weeks for the death of a poisoned water buffalo, shows a determination and dedication to the public that demands tremendous respect.

Indeed, those of us who never ventured abroad prior to university in search of ourselves or a new perspective of the world can now benefit from Sir David’s help in filling the holes in our life experience. Who needs a gap year when you’ve got iPlayer?

 

Life is on every Monday on BBC One and is available on iPlayer.