BBC Natural History Unit

The BBC Natural History Unit, founded in 1957, is the branch of the BBC linked to the creation of natural history and wildlife programming. Including both serialised and standalone programming, the BBC NHU has produced over 500 individual programmes.

In terms of Dorling Kindersley Vision, the Unit holds particular relevance because stock footage from its programmes is used heavily in both the Eyewitness and Creatures Fantastic series.

## BBC NHU programming linked to Dorling Kindersley Vision

The programmes, together with the specific episodes, are included here along with the Dorling Kindersley Vision episodes where stock footage from that programme is used. This list is not exhaustive, with much stock footage still to be identified.

### The World About Us (1967-1986)

This series ran for well over 400 episodes, and was in a similar style to Natural World that later came to replace it. While the programmes were mainly based on natural history, it also included episodes about human history. The episodes could have narrators or presenters, including Jacque Cousteau, Desmond Morris and Jane Goodall.

* The Great Turtle Mystery (1976) – Reptile
* The Rotten World About Us (1980) - Life
* Flight of the Condor: Down the Amazon (1982) – Jungle

### Web of Life (1973)

This series of seven episodes, sponsored by BP, was made to showcase the ecology of different habitats (one episode, The Living Woodland, was never aired on television). Each episode was a standalone, with each having its own narrator.

* The Living River – Horse, Pond and River

### Wildlife on One (1977-2005)

This series ran for a total of 33 seasons, with 253 episodes altogether. Each half-hour episode is a standalone programme, often taking an in-depth look at a species or group of animals. All of the episodes were narrated by David Attenborough.

* Scorpion (1979) – Shell, Monster
* The Impossible Bird (1980) – Bird
* Amorous Amphibians (1980) – Amphibian, Pond and River
* The Water Walkers (1981) – Insect, Pond and River
* Ambush at Masai Mara (1982) – Survival
* The Great Hedgehog Mystery (1982) – Mammal
* Sulawesi – Island of Discovery (1985) – Reptile, Skeleton
* Marmot Mountain (1985) - Butterfly and Moth
* Meerkats United (1987) – Mammal
* Serpents, Swiftlets and the Chasm of Gloom (1987) - Bird
* Kingdom of the Crabs (1988) – Island
* Trivial Pursuit – The Natural Mystery of Play (1988) – Dog, Elephant, Mammal, Bear, Survival
* Blubber Lovers (1989) – Elephant, Mammal
* The Haunted Huntress (1991) – Mammal, Survival
* Enter the Dragons (1991) – Dinosaur, Survival, Monster, Dragons
* The Transformers (1991) - Jungle, Insect
* Flying Foresters (1992) – Jungle, Mammal, Flight
* When the Fish Come In (1992) – Fish, Mammal
* Barrels of Crude and Wallaroos (1992) - Rock and Mineral
* Pandas Aren’t Always Cuddly (1992) – Volcano, Bear
* The Swarm (1993) – Monster
* Shadow of the Hare (1993) – Sight, Survival
* Orangutans: Out on a Limb (1994) – Ape
* Gremlins of the Night (1994) – Ape, Monster
* A Graze with Danger (1994) – Dragons
* The Tale of the Big Bad Fox (1995) – Survival
* Rainbow Warriors (1995) – Monster

### Life on Earth (1979)

This thirteen-part series by David Attenborough travelled through the evolutionary tree, tracking the progression from the earliest life through plants and animals before finally ending on the human species.

* The Infinite Variety – Prehistoric Life, Aliens
* The Swarming Hordes – Aliens
* Conquest of the Waters – Shark, Prehistoric Life
* Invasion of the Land – Prehistoric Life, Monster
* The Rise of the Mammals – Desert, Mammal, Island
* The Hunters and the Hunted – Cat, Horse
* Life in the Trees – Jungle, Ape, Mammal

### The Edge of Extinction (1980)

This standalone fifty-minute special was narrated and presented by Gerald Durrell, conservationist and founder of Jersey Zoo. It focuses on conservation at Jersey Zoo, San Diego Wild Animal Park and the collection of volcano rabbits from Mexico.

* Volcano

### Natural World (1983-2020)

This series ran for a total of 38 seasons, with 493 episodes altogether. Generally, each episode is a standalone exploration of an animal, region or general theme, although a few two or three-episode series are included within some seasons. Each episode has its own narrator, with DK Vision narrators Andrew Sachs, John Shrapnel and Zoë Wanamaker all narrating episodes.

* Secret Weapons (1983) – Insect
* Birds of Paradox (1983) - Arctic and Antarctic
* Amate – The Great Fig Tree (1984) – Tree
* Fragments of Eden (1984) – Reptile
* The Lost World of Medusa (1984) – Shell
* Kinabalu, Summit of Borneo (1985) – Jungle
* Through Animal Eyes (1985) – Fish, Reptile, Ape, Sight
* Kingdom of the Ice Bear: The Frozen Ocean (1985) – Mammal
* Masked Monkeys (1986) – Ape
* A Wilderness Like Eden (1987) – Desert
* Spirits of the Forest (1987) – Jungle
* Lions of the African Night (1987) - Insect
* Islands of the Fire Goddess (1987) – Fish, Survival
* Okavango, Jewel of the Kalahari: Search for the Jewel (1987) – Reptile
* Okavango, Jewel of the Kalahari: The Living Jewel (1987) – Bird, Skeleton, Life
* Search for the Yeti (1988) - Ape, Mountain, Monster
* Atlantic Realm: Into the Abyss (1989) - Creatures of the Deep
* Amazon – The Flooded Forest (1989) – Fish, Jungle, Pond and River, Sight
* Amazon – The Flooded Forest part II (1989) – Pond and River
* The Sisterhood (1990) – Monster
* The Serpent’s Embrace (1990) – Reptile, Monster, Dragons
* The Cat that Came in from the Cold (1991) - Dog
* The Great Karoo – A Secret Africa (1991) – Amphibian, Desert
* Vietnam – the Country, not the War (1991) – Cat
* The Wonderful World of Dung (1991) – Elephant, Skeleton, Tree
* Sharks on their Best Behaviour (1992) – Shark
* New Guinea, An Island Apart: Beyond the Unknown Shore (1992) – Fish, Reptile, Skeleton, Tree, Monster, The Underworld
* New Guinea, An Island Apart: Other Worlds (1992) – Jungle
* Echo of the Elephants (1993) – Mammal
* Toadskin Spell (1994) - Pond and River, Survival
* Pandas of the Sleeping Dragon (1994) - Bear
* The Witness Was a Fly (1994) – Life

### The Living Planet (1984)

This twelve-part series by David Attenborough explores the different habitats of the world, starting by showing the life associated with volcanoes. Each episode is linked in to the next in the series.

* Jungle - Jungle, Flight
* Sweet Fresh Water – Pond and River

### The Living Isles (1986)

This ten-part series, narrated and presented by Julian Pettifer, looks at the wildlife of different habitats in the British Isles. The first five episodes are about more natural environments, with the latter five looking more at human-made habitats.

* After the Ice – Survival
* Streams of Life – Pond and River
* Island Waters – Fish, Bird, Dinosaur

### The First Eden (1987)

This four-part series by David Attenborough looks at both the natural and cultural history of the Mediterranean Basin, looking at both the sea itself and the surrounding land areas.

* The Wastes of War – Horse, Insect, Shell, Mythical Horses

### The Nature of Australia (1988)

This six-part series, narrated by Robyn Williams, looks at the different ecosystems of Australia and the wildlife that inhabits the continent.

* The Making of the Bush – Jungle

### The Great Rift (1988)

This three-part series looks at the creation and wildlife of the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, while also examining areas affected by it such as Arabia, Madagascar and the Red Sea. This series was initially narrated by John Carson, with a later re-release narrated by Andrew Sachs.

* Footprints in the Valley – Cat, Jungle, Monster
* Out of the Ashes – Skeleton, Pond and River

### Supersense (1989)

This six-part series explores how animals may perceive the world around them using their senses. This series was narrated by Andrew Sachs.

* Sound Sense – Fish, Insect
* Sense of Timing – Elephant

### Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives (1989)

This four-part series by David Attenborough explores the variety and study of prehistoric life.

* Magic in the Rocks – Rock and Mineral, Prehistoric Life
* Putting Flesh on Bone – Prehistoric Life
* Dinosaur - Dinosaur

### Pets in the Wild (1989-1991)

This four-part set of films was created by animal behaviouralist Desmond Morris to explore the behaviour of domesticated animals and compare them to wild counterparts (some sources include a fifth episode, The Incredible Edible Dormouse, but this episode has a different narrator and production team involved).

* Tiger on the Tiles (1988) – Cat, Mythical Cats
* The Wolf in Your Living Room (1988) – Dog, Werewolves
* Beasts of the Field (1989) – Dinosaur
* The Zebra in Your Stable (1991) – Horse, Mythical Horses

### The Trials of Life (1990)

This twelve-part series by David Attenborough looks at animal behaviour, with each episode looking at a different behaviour and how different animals approach the challenges involved.

* Arriving – Bird, Amphibian, Survival
* Growing Up – Mammal, Survival
* Finding Food – Bird, Insect, Tree, Ape, Life
* Hunting and Escaping – Jungle, Amphibian, Reptile, Seashore, Island, Survival, Monster
* Finding the Way – Bird, Insect, Volcano, Shell, Life
* Courting – Bird, Jungle
* Continuing the Line – Seashore

### Land of the Eagle (1990)

This eight-part series, narrated by Alan Ereira, is a comprehensive exploration of both the human and natural history of North America.

* The Great Encounter – Fish, Skeleton, Shell, Dragons
* Confronting the Wilderness – Pond and River
* Across the Sea of Grass - Natural Disasters
* Living on the Edge – Desert, Monster

### Lifesense (1991)

This six-part series explores how animals and humans interact and shows how animals might view the human world. This series was narrated by Andrew Sachs.

* Home Life – Human Machine, The Underworld
* Seed of Life – Jungle
* Partners for Life – Dog, Plant
* Human Life – Insect, Survival, Monster

### The Velvet Claw (1992)

This seven-part series, narrated by Derek Jacobi, explored the evolution and diversity of groups of terrestrial carnivores. Most of the carnivore families were the focus of a single episode.

* The Carnassial Connection - Mythical Cats
* Sharpening the Tooth – Cat
* The Rich Man’s Table – Monster
* Jacks of all Trades – Bear

### Realms of the Russian Bear (1992)

This six-part series explores the wildlife and landscapes of six different regions within the former Soviet Union. This series was narrated and presented by Russian biologist Nikolay Drozdov.

* The Celestial Mountains – Mammal, Survival, Mountain
* The Red Desert – Desert
* Siberia: The Frozen Forest – Mammal, Arctic and Antarctic
* Born of Fire – Fish, Amphibian, Mammal

### Life in the Freezer (1993)

This six-part series by David Attenborough looks at the wildlife throughout the seasons in Antarctica, with the closing episode looking at the history of human exploration on the continent.

* The Bountiful Sea – Arctic and Antarctic

### Killing for a Living (1993)

This thirteen-part series showcases different kinds of predators and how they catch their prey. The first three episodes were narrated by Anthony Hopkins, with the remaining ten narrated by John Shrapnel.

* Dressing for Dinner – Amphibian, Insect, Reptile, Monster
* Killers of the Dark – Monster
* Sharks! Sharks! – Monster

### The Human Animal (1994)

This six-part series, narrated and presented by Desmond Morris, looked at various facets of human behaviour and documented them in the format of a wildlife documentary.

* The Hunting Ape – Human Machine
* The Biology of Love – Human Machine
* The Immortal Genes – Human Machine

### Nomads of the Wind (1994)

This five-part series, narrated by Tim Pigott-Smith, looks at the different cultures and natural history from various South Pacific islands.

* The Faraway Heaven – Island, Dragons
* Crossroads of the Pacific - Island

### The Private Life of Plants (1995)

This six-part series by David Attenborough looks at how plants survive and overcome the various challenges that come with being a plant, including their relationship with animals.

* Travelling - Plant
* Growing - Plant
* Flowering - Plant
* The Social Struggle - Spirits of the Forest
* Living Together - Plant
* Surviving - Plant

### Spirits of the Jaguar (1996)

This four-part series explored the ancient civilisations of Central America and the Caribbean, as well as showing the relationships they had with different animals.

* Forests of the Maya – Aliens
* Hunters of the Caribbean Sea – The Underworld, Aliens

### Alien Empire (1996)

This six-part series explores the world of insects, looking at different parts of their biology and how different insects survive. The series was narrated by John Shrapnel.

* Replicators – Aliens
* Battlezone – Aliens
* Metropolis – Creatures of the Night, The Apocalypse

### Land of the Tiger (1997)

This six-part series, narrated and presented by Indian naturalist Valmik Thapar, explores different regions of the Indian subcontinent and its wildlife.

* Sacred Waters – Dragons