PRESS RELEASES
December 21, 2020

Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, BBC Earth’s New Landmark Natural History Series, A Perfect Planet, Makes its Canadian Broadcast Debut on January 3, 2021

“This is the most important story of our times” – Sir David Attenborough.
The Broadcasting Icon Delivers a Powerful Message to TV Viewers for 2021

 

Toronto, ON The world’s most well-traveled broadcaster and naturalist, Sir David Attenborough, lends his distinctive voice to the new landmark BBC Earth series, A Perfect Planet, to draw attention to Earth’s power and fragility. A Perfect Planet offers a unique fusion of blue chip natural history and earth science that explains how our living planet operates. The five-part series gives an awe-inspiring look at how the forces of nature drive, shape and support Earth’s greatest diversity of wildlife. The first four episodes explore the power of volcanoes, sunlight, weather and oceans. The final episode in the series looks at the dramatic impact of the world’s newest force of nature: humans – and what can be done to restore our planet’s perfect balance. The Canadian broadcast premiere of A Perfect Planet airs Sunday, January 3, 2021 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, exclusively on BBC Earth in Canada.

“Oceans, sunlight, weather and volcanoes – together these powerful yet fragile forces allow life to flourish in astonishing diversity. They make Earth truly unique – a perfect planet. Our planet is one in a billion, a world teeming with life. But now, a new dominant force is changing the face of Earth: humans. To preserve our perfect planet we must ensure we become a force for good,” says Sir David Attenborough.

A Perfect Planet offers Canadian audiences of all ages the kind of inspirational and eye-opening stories they’ve come to expect from the BBC” says Jamie Schouela, President, Global Channels and Media, Blue Ant Media. “Their blockbuster natural history programming is unmatched and this series is significant as it comes at a time when a global pandemic has taught us how much we should appreciate our planet.”

Four years in the making, A Perfect Planet was filmed across 31 countries on six continents with six volcanic eruptions taking place at featured filming locations. The series takes viewers on a stunning visual journey, from lands drenched by the Indian Monsoon to slopes of fiery Hawaiian volcanoes, from the tidal islands of the Bahamas to the frozen wastes of Ellesmere Island. From Arctic wolves prowling moonlit landscapes in winter, to frozen wood frogs magically thawing back to life in spring; from the vampire finches of the Galapgos who drink the blood of seabirds to the African flamingos who gather in the thousands every year in a vast volcanic lake to breed. A Perfect Planet aims to change the way viewers see their surroundings, as they witness in the series how the lives of animals are driven and enabled by Earth’s great natural forces.

A Perfect Planet is a Silverback Films Production for BBC and Discovery, co-produced with Tencent Penguin Pictures, ZDF, China Media Group CCTV9, France Televisions and The Open University. Distributed by BBC Studios.

The Canadian broadcast premiere of A Perfect Planet airs Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/PT starting January 3, 2021, exclusively on BBC Earth in Canada. BBC Earth is also available on Amazon Prime Video with A Perfect Planet airing simultaneously on this platform from January, 3 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, with new episodes rolling out weekly. 

About A Perfect Planet

  •  Filmed in 31 countries · filmed on 6 continents · 4 years of filming · 1,113 days of filming · over 3,000 hours of footage shot · over 200 people worked on the series · 6 volcanic eruptions at featured filming locations.

Episode 1: “Volcanoes”

Sunday, January 3 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, Canadian Broadcast Premiere

Volcanoes are the planet’s most powerful force –and  the  most  dangerous.  Several  times  in earth’s history, volcanic activity has brought about a major change in our atmosphere –resulting in mass extinctions. Yet, as this episode reveals, there would be no life without them and for the last ten thousand years the amount of carbon they release has kept our planet stable and warm.

Filming Firsts:

  • Land iguanas incubating their eggs in Fernandina’s crater has only been filmed once -in the 1990s -but nobody has ever filmed this incredible event by drone before.
  • The first drone shots of a breeding flamingo spectacle on Lake Natron.
  • First filming of Aldabran giant tortoises sheltering from the sun in caves. The spectacle of over 200 giant tortoises sheltering in the shade of a single tree is also a filming first.
  • The vampire finches of Wolf Island in the Galapagos weren’t recognised as a unique species until after our filming. These extraordinary birds have only been filmed on three occasions in the last 30 years for broadcast.

For more information on A Perfect Planet, visit https://bbcearth.ca/

@BBCEarthCA @blueantmedia

BBC Earth seeks to inspire you by sharing the incredible wonders of our universe. It will take you on a thrilling journey of discovery, from the smallest creature under the microscope to the limitless expanses of space. BBC Earth will bring you face to face with heart-pounding action, mind-blowing ideas and the wonder of being human. In Canada, BBC Earth is owned and operated by Blue Ant Media in partnership with BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. bbcearth.ca