# Planet Earth II (2016)

> David Attenborough narrates a six-episode tour of how animals survive the world's most iconic habitats, from ocean depths to desert heat.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/60188

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 6
- Episode runtime: 50 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: documentary
- Network: BBC One
- Cast: David Attenborough
- TMDB rating: 9.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5491994/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: mild
- Tone: awe-inspiring, wondrous, tense, warm, reflective

## What critics say

Critics and audiences broadly agree that the series is a visually stunning, awe-inspiring natural history achievement, with David Attenborough's narration and the cinematography setting a new standard for the genre.

## Synopsis

Planet Earth II (2016) is a British natural history documentary series created by the BBC Natural History Unit and broadcast on BBC One, presented by naturalist David Attenborough as narrator. Across six episodes of roughly fifty minutes each, the series follows animals as they meet the demands of the planet's most iconic habitats, including oceans, mountains, islands, forests, savannahs, jungles and deserts. Rather than a single protagonist, its engine is the struggle for food, shelter and survival, with each episode built around a cast of wild creatures whose daily routines turn into tense, high-stakes sequences. Its photography is the main attraction, with extreme slow motion, long patient observation and sweeping aerial shots that make familiar landscapes feel newly strange. Attenborough's measured, warm narration gives the footage a reflective, wondrous register, and a thread of climate pressure runs quietly beneath the spectacle. Fans of Planet Earth, Blue Planet II and Our Planet will find the same blend of awe, gentle drama and natural history craft. It is a single limited season, a self-contained event series that suits family viewing and anyone drawn to nature films.

## Shows like Planet Earth II

- [Planet Earth (2006)](https://ember.film/tv/981)
- [Parenthood (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/162609)
- [The Hunt (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/56925)
- [Our Planet (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/71512)
- [Frozen Planet (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/8082)
- [Seven Worlds, One Planet (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/76945)
- [Life Story (2014)](https://ember.film/tv/55128)
- [Planet Earth III (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/96739)
- [Africa (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/42279)
- [Life in the Freezer (1993)](https://ember.film/tv/8858)

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