Miniseries · BBC One
Human Planet
Natural born survivors.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How Human Planet actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
Human Planet reads strongest on Character Depth, Bingeability and Emotional Weight.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The story
What it's about
A cinematic experience bringing you the most amazing human stories in the world. Humans and wildlife surviving in the most extreme environments on Earth.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E06
Grasslands: Roots of Power
Grasslands feed the world. Over thousands of years, humans have learned to grow grains on the grasslands and domesticate the creatures that live there, propelling our population to almost seven billion people in the process.
S01E07
Rivers: Friend and Foe
Rivers provide the essentials of life: fresh food and fresh water. They act as natural highways and enable humans to live in just about every environment on Earth. Rivers are not to be taken for granted, however, as they freeze, flood, and sometimes dry up - disappearing entirely!
S01E05
Mountains: Life in Thin Air
From lush cloud forests to bare summits, many people make their homes in the extreme altitudes of the world's mountain ranges. Explore the extraordinary ways life is sustained in this world of thin air and few resources.
S01E08
Cities: Surviving the Urban Jungle
A look at the man-made environment: 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. From bed bugs sucking blood at night to rats in our restaurants, many animals have adapted to a life in man's creation.
S01E02
Deserts: Life in the Furnace
While man can survive for weeks without food, he can survive mere days without water. Despite this, millions of people live in parched desert environments around the world. Discover the enormous challenges presented to man in the driest corners of the earth, and marvel at the ingenious solutions he has come up with to make life sustainable.
S01E03
Arctic: Life in the Deep Freeze
Welcome to the Arctic: months of darkness, frigid temperatures, little food to be found or grown. Despite this, four million people live their lives in this environment. Meet them and witness their remarkable tales of survival in the world's harshest climate.
Recently aired
Latest Episodes
S00E11
Best of Human Planet
S01E08
Cities: Surviving the Urban Jungle
S00E08
Behind the Lens - Episode 8
S00E07
Behind the Lens - Episode 7
S01E07
Rivers: Friend and Foe
S00E06
Behind the Lens - Episode 6
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
Checking regional listings…
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Where to go from here
Watch Next
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