Planet Earth II: the anticipated BBC sequel premieres in the US

Capturing Planet Earth is a three-part video series from Vox Observatory about the evolution of the BBC’s wildlife films. Click here for part one and part two.

One of the oldest challenges faced by wildlife filmmakers is the battle against darkness. Plenty of animals avoid light, but cameras need light to form an image. For decades, that left the BBC’s natural history producers with few options.

Capturing Planet Earth is a three-part video series from Vox Observatory about the evolution of the BBC’s wildlife films. Click here to see part one.

Slow motion is ubiquitous in our culture today. It sells dog food, decorates music videos, and makes skateboarders look like superheroes. It’s also become a staple of wildlife films.

Capturing Planet Earth is a three-part video series from Vox Observatory about the evolution of the BBC’s wildlife films.

When the BBC launched its Natural History Unit in 1957 to produce radio and TV programs about wildlife, its wind-up film cameras could only run for 20 seconds at a time. There was no way to schedule multi-destination airplane trips, and once a crew arrived at their remote location, they couldn’t communicate with Bristol for weeks or review their footage.

Anyone who’s ever found themselves captivated by a scene from Planet Earth — the BBC’s landmark 11-part documentary that awed viewers with its stunning presentation of animal life all over the globe — should be looking forward to Planet Earth II. A decade after the original 2006 series wowed audiences with its artfully filmed, high-definition footage of elusive snow leopards and hyrdoplaning dolphins and adorable polar bear cubs, the highly anticipated six-part follow-up promises an even more stunning adventure, albeit one that comes with a grave warning.

The spirit of the series remains the same: Planet Earth II travels from deserts to swamplands to even the nooks and crannies of towering skyscrapers to showcase the wonders of the animal kingdom as few people have ever seen them. And thanks to the technology advancements of the past 10 years, the picture definition is higher than ever. But so are the stakes of the stories.

When the gorgeous Planet Earth II premiered in the UK in November, one clip in particular turned heads. As it begins, a baby iguana, newly hatched from an egg buried in sand, tentatively pokes its head out above the surface — and then launches itself into one of the most thrilling chase sequences ever to grace television, courtesy of the iguana’s desire to live and a truly terrifying army of snakes.

The drama of “Snake Island” — as the Vox Culture team calls it — would not be denied. The clip raced around the internet quicker than the baby iguana fleeing certain peril, proving the power of combining life-and-death stakes with keen filmmaking and a tight edit.

When humans are born, our first tasks include opening our eyes and trusting our instinct to breathe. For iguanas, those first tasks might involve evading death.

This harsh truth has come to light in a new teaser clip for Planet Earth II, the BBC’s upcoming sequel to its legendary documentary series narrated by Sir David Attenborough. It features one of the most amazing documentary shots ever: a hatchling iguana dodging death on what appears to be an island full of snakes.

At long last, we have our first look at the highly anticipated sequel to one of pop culture’s greatest franchises: Planet Earth.

Picking up where its predecessor left off a full decade ago, BBC America’s Planet Earth II — a six-episode docuseries set to debut sometime before the end of the year — reunites some of the series’ classic characters, from burrowing insects to galloping giraffes to a variety of big cats lurking and prowling in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to strike.