- Country United Kingdom
- Original language English
- Genre Documentary
- Runtime 55 minutes
- Total runtime 12 hours 50 minutes
- Status Ended
- Network BBC Two
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External links
TheTVDB page
IMDB page
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Last update
5 mai 2026 - 06:38
on 11 databases
Life on Earth
Life on Earth (1979) is an epic 13-programme series, presented by David Attenborough, offering a chronological account of the flora and fauna of planet Earth over a period of 3,500 million years. Whether recounting the first journey from the sea to the land, the development of insects and flowers, or "The First Forests" and "The Lords of the Air", Attenborough's enthusiasm is infectious. He guides us through The Infinite Variety of life from microbes to marsupials, via an unforgettable meeting with mountain gorillas, to conclude with The Compulsive Communicators, mankind itself.
Three years in the making, involving 1.5 million miles of travel and featuring some of the most beautiful, breathtaking and ambitious photography then seen on television, Life on Earth was the first natural history blockbuster. It redefined TV by showing that an epic, serious wildlife documentary could be a massive success. As such, it remains a true television landmark and paved the way for further entries in what became known as his Life series.
Comments
Somewhere I still have my original (worn out) VHS tapes of this, though now I have a digital copy on an external hard drive for safekeeping! Takes up less space even than DVDs or BlueRay. Needless to say, I love this series deeply. I've been an Attenborough fan as long as I've known he existed, sometime back in the early 70s. Of course, until the internet and streaming became real things, it wasn't so easy for an American to get hold of British programming outside of PBS, so we cherished what little of it we had. That's how this series became so beloved in my life. Oh, and it's full of beautiful animals, scenery, and highly intelligent stuff presented in a way that any layman can understand. Highly accessible. Fabulous material brilliantly presented.