Planet Earth (2006)
Planet Earth is a 2006 documentary series. It stars David Attenborough.
David Attenborough narrates a journey across the whole living planet, from high peaks and deep caves to open ocean and bare desert, filmed over four years in sixty-four countries. Each episode takes a habitat and slows down to watch its animals do the ordinary, astonishing work of surviving there: a snow leopard on a stony slope, a bird of paradise clearing its little stage, a great white breaching in near silence. The photography is patient and unhurried, and the scale is enormous. It set a benchmark for what natural-history filmmaking can look like.
Quick answers
What is Planet Earth about?
David Attenborough narrates a journey across the whole living planet, from high peaks and deep caves to open ocean and bare desert, filmed over four years in sixty-four countries. Each episode takes a habitat and slows down to watch its animals do the ordinary, astonishing work of surviving there: a snow leopard on a stony slope, a bird of paradise clearing its little stage, a great white breaching in near silence. The photography is patient and unhurried, and the scale is enormous. It set a benchmark for what natural-history filmmaking can look like.
When was Planet Earth released?
Planet Earth was released on 5 March 2006.
How many episodes does Planet Earth have?
Planet Earth has 11 episodes across 1 seasons.
Where can I watch Planet Earth?
Planet Earth is available on Discovery+, Discovery+ (Via Amazon Prime), HBO (Via Hulu), HBO Max, MAX (Via Amazon Prime) and Philo.
Where to watch Planet Earth
Stream: Discovery+, Discovery+ (Via Amazon Prime), HBO (Via Hulu), HBO Max, MAX (Via Amazon Prime), Philo, YouTube TV
Watch free: The Roku Channel
Rent: Google Play
Buy: Amazon, AppleTV, Fandango at Home, Google Play
Official site
Cast
Similar series
Explore Planet Earth guides
A few thoughts on Planet Earth
To hear the man behind the series reflect on all he has witnessed, David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet turns the camera on David Attenborough himself and the changes he has seen across a lifetime. For the same wonder held still on the page, The first Eden traces his portrait of the wild Mediterranean and the life it holds.
More David Attenborough to watch after Planet Earth
Planet Earth set the Attenborough template of patient camerawork and a calm, knowing voice over the whole living world. These are his other films, from oceans to the story of his own life, carrying the same authority and awe. Natural start for anyone who wants to keep hearing that narration over more astonishing footage.
Blue-chip nature series to sink into
Planet Earth made the habitat-by-habitat wildlife series a genre of its own. These long-running nature shows chase the same feeling: slow, gorgeous footage of animals simply surviving, filmed across the globe. Put one on when you want to disappear into landscapes and creatures for an hour with nothing to figure out.
Coffee-table wildlife photography to leaf through
Half of Planet Earth's power is the sheer image, the animal caught mid-moment in an enormous landscape. These books hold that still: big-format wildlife and nature photography you pore over rather than stream. Good company for the series, and a way to keep the pictures once the episode ends.
Landmark science documentaries about how the world works
Planet Earth pairs its beauty with real science about how habitats hang together. These documentaries lean into that explaining impulse, from deep-time nature to the climate pressures reshaping it now. Watch them when the wonder leaves you wanting to understand the systems behind everything Planet Earth shows you.