Earth's wonders set to awe in series

Nature lovers around the world will be taken on "an extraordinary magic carpet ride to the four corners of the globe" in the latest landmark BBC natural history series, Planet Earth III, which hit screens across China on Sunday.

Viewers in China can watch the series via Shanghai Media Group's DocuChina channel on TV, and through online platforms such as iQiyi, BesTV, Bilibili, Tencent Video, Youku and Migu Video.

The eight-episode third installment in the award-winning series, which took five years to make, rather than the scheduled four, comprised 1,904 days of filming on 134 shoots in 43 countries across six continents, according to its organizers.

"With amazing stories of animal drama, whether it's 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) down at the bottom of the ocean or being 60 feet (18.3 meters) up in a tree in Africa with a leopard waiting for its prey, it's all extraordinary," said series executive producer Mike Gunton.

The eight episodes, introduced by veteran wildlife broadcaster David Attenborough, who is still actively working at the age of 97, are titled Coasts, Ocean, Deserts and Grasslands, Freshwater, Forests, Extremes, Human and Heroes. Gunton said this reflected the obvious way in which the natural world has changed in recent years.

"The program does, of course, have the DNA of Planet Earth I and II, but Planet Earth III looks at the world through a different prism," he said.

"The context is that humanity is now such a powerful force that it, we, impact nature in extra profound and surprising ways. … I think (the series) will amaze you and be thought-provoking."

Planet Earth II was made in 2016, and Gunton admitted that when it won a top prize from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, the first thing journalists said to him, rather than congratulating him, was to ask when the third installment would happen.

Humanity impact

"Now feels like the right time," said series producer Matt Brandon. "The impact of humanity can be felt in every habitat across the world, and it's fair to say the planet has changed more in the last few decades than in any time observed in human history. It's the perfect time to show the new challenges wildlife faces in the modern world — some animals simply can't keep up with the pace of change, but many adapt in the most incredible ways."

Line producer Bronwen Thomas said the challenges posed by the pandemic had ended up turning into opportunities for the project.

"The pandemic struck just as we went into our first filming year, so a four-year series became a five-year one, but the silver lining was that we used a lot of local contacts instead," she said. "Out of 134 filming trips, 50 were directed remotely from back in the UK, so we made new connections, and also we were more sustainable, as we weren't flying, so something good came out of it."

Presiding over it all is the unmistakable face and voice of Attenborough, a public figure of almost unrivaled trust and admiration in the UK. After decades of traveling the world to highlight the wonders of nature, he is still as busy as ever — but unsurprisingly, at 97, staying closer to home.

"You couldn't make the series without him, he brings all the wisdom and storytelling familiarity — you feel like your hand is being held by a great authority," said Gunton.

"He doesn't want to travel overseas anymore, so finding a way to film him that would intrigue him and be relevant was interesting.

"Eventually, we found a preserved area of countryside that the public is kept away from, where 200 years ago, Charles Darwin used to go walking while working on the Origin of Species theory. We took David there and filmed his pieces there, so he's literally walking in the footsteps of Darwin as he talks about how the natural world is continuing to evolve."