Planet Earth 2: How a decade changes the face of technology and the natural world
The BBC’s director-general Tony Hall has pledged its passion for the natural world will endure the massive overhaul it is going through as the broadcaster gets ready to launch the follow-up to its popular Planet Earth show.
The BBC has been undergoing a mass shift as pressures from the Government and the taxpayer force it to slimline its operations and shave fringe businesses that are not deemed essential. But Hall this month promised the public that its commitment to natural history, and to Sir David Attenborough, will absolutely remain “for now and in the future”, as evidenced by the much anticipated revival of British gem Planet Earth.
It’s been ten years since Planet Earth first hit TV screens, and the BBC believes the way technology and the natural world has progressed (or regressed for the latter) in that decade means now more than ever is the perfect time to revive one of its most popular brands.
Planet Earth went down in history in 2006 as the first natural history series to be filmed in high definition, giving viewers a view of the world they had never seen before. The format was a success from the outset, reaching a global audience of over half a billion people.
It’s a tough act to follow, but ten years has seen the adoption of 4K resolution, ultra-lightweight and portable stabilisation technology, high quality camera traps, and drones, adding a new realm to the series.
Where Planet Earth took an “awe inspiring” perspective on the planet, looking down on the Earth “as god does” in the words of executive producer Mike Gunton by filming much of it via helicopters, the revived format takes a wholly undiscovered view by putting the audience in the eyes of the animal.
Animals get so close to the camera the audience is able to make out the most intricate details that make each creature unique. This not only gives the audience unparalleled access to nature, but has unearthed mating habits, survival techniques, behaviours and aesthetics never before known by scientists.
This includes the first glimpse of Araguaia dolphins in the wild, the fighting techniques of the desert bat against the death stalker scorpion, and the scramble for safety by hatching marine iguanas as racer snakes descend from the rocky shores of the Galapagos island Fernandina.
Also new to the series is the exploration of the city as a habitat for animals as the world becomes increasingly urbanised. In fact, according to the United Nations, over half of the human population live in urban areas.
Planet Earth's ‘Cities’ takes viewers into Rome, Jaipur, Jodpur, Mumbai, New York and Harar to track how the spread of urbanisation has forced many habitats and animals to adapt to some of the most unforgiving cities . While for the most part series producer Tom Hugh-Jones claimed it is a “celebration” of how animals can change, many can’t and it sends a “tragic” message of the destruction humans are causing.
“More people are out of touch with natural world, but we depend on the natural world so understanding it is absolutely paramount,” said Sir David at the Planet Earth II screening, “TV can provide that link better than ever before in some ways. It can give you a greater comprehensive view of what the world is about. It is remarkable and it is valuable.”
Planet Earth II comprises a total of 117 shoots across 40 countries. As part of the revival, the BBC has launched an app with hundreds of Sir David's favourite moments from the many years of shooting.
Hanz Zimmer, composer of blockbuster scores for Pirates of the Caribbean, Gladiator and Inception among others, has produced the music for the series.
“When I look to nature I hear David’s voice,” Zimmer said, and the two producers Gunton and Hugh-Jones, together with the entire audience at the screening agreed.
When asked if his understanding of the world changed as a result of working on the Planet Earth II project, the composer replied “constantly”: “All fiction pales in comparison to the reality you have shown us; the secret lives that we can never touch.”
In a final bid to make the case for the BBC, which has seen its spending decisions come under increasing scrutiny from both the government and the media, Sir David asserted that there is “no other broadcasting organisation” that is prepared to do what the organisation does - devoting three years of time and resources to produce just six episodes of content.
“It is very important that TV which seems so transient, so daily, so boring, can every now and again take an in-depth view of something that is important. There is nothing more important from where I am concerned than this earth on which we live. They are stories that take time, devotion and money to do. The BBC is prepared to do those things,” he asserted.