Planet Earth's wonders set to dazzle

Line producer Bronwen Thomas said the challenges posed by the pandemic had ended up turning into opportunities for 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 explained. "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 unrivalled trust and admiration in the UK. After decades of travelling 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 are 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."