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Human Planet

Human Planet is a BBC documentary series narrated by John Hurt, describing the human species and its relationship with nature in the world today. The series consists of eight episodes, each of which focuses on a different human-inhabited environment: oceans, deserts, the Arctic, the tropical rainforest, mountains, grasslands, rivers, and the urban landscape. The series shows the remarkable ways that humans have adapted to life in every environment on Earth.

Episode 1 Episode 3 Episode 4 Episode 8

Episode 1 - Oceans - Into the Blue
This episode shows how people have found ways to live an almost aquatic life exploiting the sea's riches. It includes dolphin assisted fishing in Brazil, the origin of surfing in Hawaii, and shark calling in Papua New Guinea.

Episode 2 - Deserts - Life in the Furnace
This episode discovers how the eternal quest for water brings huge challenges - and ingenious solutions - in the driest places on Earth. It includes Tubu women crossing the Sahara with a camel caravan in Niger, and underground aqueducts in Algeria.

Episode 3 - Arctic - Life in the Deep Freeze
This episode tells remarkable stories of extraordinary people who make their homes in nature's deep freeze - the Arctic. It includes hunting Greenland sharks in Greenland, herding Reindeer in Norway, and removing Polar Bears in Churchill, Manitoba.

Episode 4 - Jungles - People of the Trees
This episode tells stories of people who make their home in the rainforest, including hunting Monkeys with the Matis in Brazil, hunting Tarantulas in Venezuela, and building treehouses 35 metres high with the Korowai in West Papua.

Episode 5 - Mountains - Life in Thin Air
This episode explores the extraordinary ways in which people survive at extreme altitudes where nature becomes utterly unforgiving, including hunting with Golden eagles in the Altai mountains of Mongolia and avalanche control in the Swiss Alps.

Episode 6 - Grasslands - Roots of Power
This episode tells stories of people who make their home in the grasslands on Earth, including stealing food from a lion pride in Kenya, ambushing kudu in the Kalahari, and horsemanship on the Mongolian steppe.

Episode 7 - Rivers - Friend and Foe
This episode shows the challenges and unpredictable situations faced by people living close to rivers, including traversing the Mekong's cataracts during the monsoon, a winter trek to school along the frozen Zanskar River, and fishing on the edge of Victoria Falls.

Episode 8 - Cities - Surviving the Urban Jungle
This episode looks at the one environment that has been made by humans for humans - the city. Over half of the world's population now lives in the urban jungle. The city is built to keep untamed nature out - but nature can't be pushed away.