Seasons & episodes

Documentary on the wildlife found through the four seasons in the estuary of the River Ythan in north-east Scotland, a five-mile stretch of marshes, mud flats and sand banks situated some ten miles north of Aberdeen. The waters of the estuary are home to waders, wildfowl, shellfish, small crustaceans, fish and otters. The estuary is a nature reserve and, since the 1950s, the University of Aberdeen has been running a research project to examine its complex ecosystem.

Delving deep into the tropical waters of the Caribbean Sea, this Emmy award-winning production celebrates the region’s bountiful life and impressive diversity. World-famous marine photographers Howard and Michele Hall explore this vast underwater world, their stunning cinematography bringing to light both the area’s radiant beauty, and that of its abundant wildlife population.

Looks at the aspects of nature with which sportsman come into contact.

Looks at some of the unusual fauna found on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, including pig-like creatures which have curled tusks growing through their cheeks, punk-crested primates, the world's largest snake and birds that incubate their eggs in volcanic soil.

Filming in South Africa's Kruger National Park, looking at the lives of small creatures e.g dung beetle, ticks, termites etc.

A deeply moving account of elephant family life, The Next Generation is the sequel to the BBC Natural History Unit's award-winning Echo of the Elephants. The award-winning cameraman Martyn Colbeck returns to direct and photograph this piece, his stunning cinematography bringing to life the touching intimacy, brutal fights and amazing perseverance of these magnificent animals. Filmed over four years, elephant expert, leading conservationist and world-renowned research zoologist Cynthia Moss continues her research into the ageing matriarch Echo and her rapidly expanding clan.

In the depths of the world’s oceans, biologist and award-winning wildlife photographer Mike deGruy explores the multi-sensory world of the cephalopods. Stunning underwater photography provides an incredible glimpse into these enigmatic invertebrates, recording species never before captured on film. Impressive footage from a remote-controlled submersible provides the first ever glimpse of two rare creatures in their natural habitat, the living fossil nautilus and the intimidating vampire squid.

An investigation into the inhabitants of the Arctic who have adapted to extreme conditions, looks at the polar bear, narwhal and guillemots.

Updated film portrait of Fifi a chimpanzee that naturalist Jane Goodall first studied in 1960. This programme follows her and her six offspring, studying their individual characters and behaviour.

An enthralling exploration of the 1991 South African drought, Last Feast of the Crocodiles focuses on the receding waters of the Limpopo River and the extraordinary social alterations this lack of water brought about. An incredible portrait of nature at its harshest, award-winning wildlife filmmakers David and Carol Hughes captured behaviour never before seen on film. Surprising counter attacks on crocodiles are launched by baboons as they avenge the death of their young, and an odd alliance sees the young of these reptilian predators calmly basking on the backs of tolerant hippos.

Uses computer simulation and time-lapse photography to chart the effect of the rhythms of the sun, moon and earth on life forms.

The King of Beasts, the lion, has an image of noble magnificence - a deadly hunter, red in both tooth and claw, to which all creatures defer. And yet, behind this facade, every lion has a personal history of drama, intrigue and tragedy. For seven months, award-winning film-maker Owen Newman followed the lions of the Tokitok pride in Tanzania's breath-taking Ngorongoro Crater. What started out as an intimate story of lions in their full glory evolved into a record of a pride which had fallen on hard times. David Attenborough relates the demise of the Tokitok lionesses, and their two guardian males as they strive to retain their 'kingdom' and protect their cubs among the more powerful prides that inhabit the Crater.

Examines the Indian Monsoon and the effect it has on the wildlife of the region.

Explores the battle for survival in Nancite, a small stretch of beach and forest on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, between animal species from both continents. Featured animals include monkeys, coyotes and turtles.

Documentary on the wildlife in Australia's Lamington National Park in Queensland, focusing on the bowerbird, the scrub turkey and the spiny echidna.

Captures the private life of the wild life that inhabits the Cairngorm mountains in the north of Scotland. Filmed over a twelve month period, features such animals as wild deer, hare and ptarmigans.

David Attenborough fulfilsan ambition to travel to the rainforests of New Guinea to film the birds of paradise.

S15 · E1Sperm Whales: Back From the Abyss 1996-10-06＋

Wildlife film about sperm whales, revealing the secret lives led by these often misunderstood ocean giants. Scientists all over the world are now learning about the secret lives of sperm whales, the world's largest hunters that spawned the legendy of Moby Dick. Although Mellville painted them as fearsome beasts of the sea, they are actually shy creatures, and cameraman Rick Rosenthal needed patience and persistence to film them at close quarters. They turn out to be efficient hunters with a close family network involving sophisticated and vocal social lives.

The first ever production to record animal behaviour at night without the use of lights, Mara Nights is an intriguing insight into a whole host of unseen nocturnal antics in Kenya's Masai Mara National Park. The normally astute hunting techniques of the lion are replaced by complete reliance on scent and sound, and in the words of the filmmaker Martin Dohrn "bumping into things then jumping on them".

Documentary on penguins- not looking at their traditionally viewed habitat Antartica, but at those penguins who have adapted to life in the deserts of Peru, and the cities of New Zealand.

A look at the complex social behaviour of a mandrill troop in Gabon, West Africa and associated rainforest species - many of which are relatively unknown.

Documentary investigating beetles - which account for a quarter of all animals on earth.

An investigation into Wytham Wood outside Oxford, which has been studied by biologists for more than fifty years to examine the dependence between plants and animals.

S15 · E7Himalaya 1996-11-17＋

Documentary about the geological and natural history of the Himalayas, the highest and youngest mountain range in the world. The landscape is home to a remarkable diversity of wildlife, including red pandas, snow leopards and iridescent pheasants.