Natural World (1983)
Natural World is a nature documentary television series broadcast annually on BBC Two and regarded by the BBC as its flagship natural history brand. It is currently the longest-running series in its genre on British television, with more than 400 episodes broadcast since its inception in 1983. Natural World is produced by the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol, but individual programmes can be in-house productions, collaborative productions with other broadcasters or films made and distributed by independent production companies and purchased by the BBC. Natural World programmes are often broadcast as PBS Nature episodes in the USA. Since 2008, most Natural World programmes have been shot and broadcast in high definition.
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Episode 1 - Puma: Lion of the Andes
Release Date: 1997-10-19 -
Episode 2 - The Temple Troop
Release Date: 1997-10-26In Sri Lanka's ruined city of Polonnaruwa lives the Temple Troop, the unruliest gang of monkeys around. This film follows an extraordinary year in the life of the troop.
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Episode 3 - Denali: the Great Alaskan Wilderness
Release Date: 1997-11-02An examination of the wildlife living around Mt McKinley, North America's highest peak.
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Episode 4 - Jungle Nights
Release Date: 1997-11-09Set in the tropical rainforests of Central America, this film reveals the unseen behaviour of jaguars, vampires, margays, kinkajous and other strange animals that spring to life after dark. The documentary was filmed in Belize, over the course of a year, by resident film-makers Richard Foster and Carol Farneti Foster. They used infra-red cameras and powerful software which converts the ultrasonic calls of bats into distinctive visual patterns on a computer screen.
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Episode 5 - Paracas and the Billion Dollar Bird
Release Date: 1997-11-16Along the shores of the Paracas National Park on the coast of Peru, two very different worlds collide - the barren Atacama desert and the seas teeming with wildlife such as sea lions, penguins and pelicans as well as guanay cormorants, a bird that once created fortunes for the local people through the sale of their droppings, an excellent natural fertiliser.
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Episode 6 - Komodo Dragon
Release Date: 1997-11-23A study of the world's largest lizard, the man-eating Komodo dragon of Indonesia, revealing the dinosaur-like creature to be far more than just a cold-blooded killer.
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Episode 7 - At the Edge of the Sea
Release Date: 1997-11-30An absorbing exploration of coastal British Columbia, At the Edge of the Sea provides an insight into the diverse life that thrives within the ever-changing landscape of the Pacific shoreline. A vivid portrait of life amongst the violent surf, impressive time-lapse photography reveals the clever adaptations of the area's inhabitants. Acorn barnacles 'glue' themselves to rocks, while mussels produce strong threads to anchor themselves to the ocean floor and anemones develop adhesive undersides.
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Episode 8 - Beyond the Naked Eye
Release Date: 1997-12-07The hidden world of microscopic bugs, microbes, fungi and plants is revealed using special filming techniques. These tiny organisms can cause deadly diseases, but they also help to provide food and control the climate.
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Episode 9 - On the Path of the Reindeer
Release Date: 1997-12-21This edition follows thousands of reindeer as they undertake a 400km migration through Lapland, guided by the Saami, the reindeer people. On the journey the reindeer give birth, evade predators, struggle over mountains and even swim across the sea to reach the lush summer pastures of the Arctic coast.
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Episode 10 - The Secret Garden
Release Date: 1997-12-27Timelapse and close-up photography reveals the natural lives of the plants and animals that inhabit an English garden.
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Episode 11 - The Dragons of Galapagos
Release Date: 1998-01-18A look at the iguanas of the Galapagos.
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Episode 12 - Three Monkeys
Release Date: 1998-01-25How three species of monkey - howlers, red spiders and white-faced - use their different skills to fight for survival deep in the unpredictable and unforgiving tropical forests of Costa Rica.
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Episode 13 - Borneo: Island in the Clouds
Release Date: 1998-02-01The wildlife of Borneo, home to a diverse array of creatures, including proboscis monkeys, forest elephants, rhinos and orang-utans. The island boasts the tallest peak in South-East Asia, Mount Kinabalu, and some of the world's largest cave systems, as well as mangrove swamps and a coral reef teeming with life.
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Episode 14 - Oman: Jewel of Arabia
Release Date: 1998-02-15Documenatary film looking at the geography, wildlife and peoples of Oman.
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Episode 15 - The Lost Lands of Scilly
Release Date: 1998-02-22Sharks, palm trees, shipwrecks and sandy shores are all vital ingredients for a sub-tropical paradise. Add sunken treasure, colourful corals, nectar sipping birds and exotic flowers and it sounds a long way from Britain. But the exotic Isles of Scilly are just beyond Land's End. Here Britain's biggest predator, the grey Atlantic seal, basks on the rocks and raucous colonies of nocturnal birds fill the midnight air.
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Episode 16 - Fire and Ice: an Icelandic Saga
Release Date: 1998-03-01During filming in Iceland, a huge volcano exploded under Europe's largest icecap, melting billions of tons of ice. But foxes, skuas, puffins and other wildlife have learnt to turn such natural disasters to their advantage.
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Episode 17 - Metropolis
Release Date: 1998-03-08New York's concrete and steel plays host to fascinating wildlife, including falcons, raccoons and horseshoe crabs.
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Episode 18 - The Otters of Yellowstone
Release Date: 1998-03-15Spanning three states, Yellowstone is America's most famous national park, with a cast of charming inhabitants set against stunning scenery. This film follows a family of river otters through the year as they learn to fish, fend off attacking coyotes and travel great distances around the beautiful park.
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Episode 19 - The Forbidden Fruit
Release Date: 1998-03-22Following the success of David Attenborough's PRIVATE LIFE OF PLANTS, a further chance to see flora from unusual perspectives. Time-lapse technology and high-speed cameras show how plants use animals, humans and the elements to spread seeds.