Wildlife Specials

Season 11995

The BBC Wildlife Specials are a series of nature documentary programmes commissioned by BBC Television. The Wildlife Specials began with a pilot episode in 1995. 20 programmes have been made to date, with three of the recent ones being in multi parts. The earlier programmes were produced in-house by the BBC's specialist Natural History Unit, but the more recent Spy in the... titles were made by the independent John Downer Productions. The first 18 programmes, up to 2008, were narrated by David Attenborough. The most recent two were narrated by David Tennant. "The world's leading natural history filmmakers meet the world's most charismatic animals" — BBC tagline

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30 Episodes

E01 Great White Shark: The True Story of Jaws

The first title from the exciting series made up from the BBC's natural history output. Just the sight of a shark's fin breaking the surface spells terror, but is this Hollywood-delivered image fair? Underwater filming of these awesome, two ton, 19 foot fish in their natural unbaited environments exposes the Great White as a paradox: a shy and cautious creature existing within a highly structured social order, but also a terrific killing machine striking with total surprise and devatating speed from the murky depths.

April 14, 1995

E02 Polar Bear: The Arctic Warrior

The great white bear of the arctic - includes a film first of polar bears hunting underwater and life inside their dens.

November 26, 1997

E03 Crocodile: The Smiling Predator

Only now, by exploring their complete world, above and below water, by day and night, can we fully appreciate how sophisticated crocodiles are.

December 3, 1997

E04 Leopard: The Agent of Darkness

This episode ventures into the night, and follows the lives of two leopards in Zambia's Luangwa Valley, to reveal the night-time secrets of the cat that walks on its own.

December 10, 1997

E05 Eagle: The Master of the Skies

Few birds have captured the human imagination as deeply as the eagle and in this remarkable film, aerial photography captures the dramatic life of eagles as never seen before.

December 17, 1997

E06 Humpback Whale: The Giant of the Oceans

From the Arctic to the Antarctic, amazing underwater footage reveals for the first time the successful hunting and spectacular social behaviour of the world's largest predator.

December 24, 1997

E07 Wolf: The Legendary Outlaw

The definitive story of this much-maligned animal - filmed in habitats ranging from the high Arctic to the hill farms of Europe and monsoon-sodden India.

December 31, 1997

E08 Tiger: The Elusive Princess

After 25 years of the Project Tiger Scheme operating in the Madhya Pradesh, these magnificent animals have become more trusting, permitting an extraordinary intimate film which follows them from sunrise to sunset, in monsoon rains and in shimmering heat.

April 4, 1999

E09 Lions: Spy in the Den

Edited from more than 3000 hours of footage, this documentary uses a remote camera disguised as a rock to observe cubs growing up into adult lions. It features their futile attempts to climb trees, the mayhem caused when they surround a hippo, and various encounters with other animals such as cobras, buffalos and elephants.

December 3, 2000

E10 Grizzly: Face to Face

Grizzly - a powerful predator and an animal to fear. But not for Jeff Turner, a Canadian photographer who has spent fifteen years getting face to face with bears. In this film he uses his unique skills to get closer than ever before, and uncovers the true nature of this magnificent beast. Few other people could stalk a hunting grizzly across the tundra of Alaska or film them underwater diving for fish. Jeff reveals an animal that is complex, intelligent and adaptable, one which is just as good at prizing barnacles from rocks and digging for clams, as it is pursuing elk and swimming for salmon.

April 8, 2001

E11 Gorillas: On the Trail of King Kong

Over a century ago, the first explorers in the Congo forests sent back terrifying accounts of an aggressive ape, "half man, half beast," which inspired the myth of King Kong. Ever since then, we have had little contact with these lowland gorillas — they have remained a mystery to us. We have come to know the mountain gorillas of Rwanda intimately, but what are King Kong's wild lowland cousins really like? GORILLAS: ON THE TRAIL OF KING KONG follows Sir David Attenborough and intrepid cameraman Gavin Thurston on the trail deep into the heart of three gorilla sanctuaries in northern Congo: Ndoki, Odzala and Lossi, in search of the true nature of the lowland gorilla.

February 3, 2002

E12 Serpent: Through the Eyes of the Snake

One of the most successful species on earth is also one of the least documented. Miniaturised cameras reveal the snakes' world for the first time from their point of view. Head-mounted cameras capture gripping images of the world's most dangerous snakes hunting and overcoming their prey. Using high-speed photography, x-ray imaging and state-of-the-art computer graphics, this is the most ambitious TV study of snakes yet attempted.

April 10, 2002

E13 Killer Whale

April 9, 2003

E14 Elephants: Spy in the Herd

Elephants: Spy In The Herd provides the most intimate portrayal of the everyday life of an elephant herd. Narrated by David Attenborough and filmed over a year, throughout the program the elephant herd exhibits many human similarities: their life span, social structure, wisdom of age and emotional bonds. The idea of using "character-cameras" is developed even further and the spy-cams help unravel the elephants' intimate story. Three different types of cameras were created: "Dungcam", "Poopcam" and "Plopcam"! By using radical techniques, the disguised cameras capture each dramatic moment of elephant life from extraordinary proximity. Witness two males clashing over territory, the birth and slow development of a calf and jealous rivalries between herd members. A real sense of these animals' incredible flexibility and intimacy is shown as they bathe in mineral salts, mud and dust, while their astonishing sensory perceptions are also revealed.

July 20, 2003

E15 Smart Sharks: Swimming With Roboshark

Attempts at charting shark behaviour using a 6ft, lifelike animatronic robot, complete with on-board camera and pre-programmed swimming patterns. In the waters around Bikini Atoll the creation is able to mingle safely with man-eating reef sharks, while in the Philippines it spies on deep-sea threshers and joins great whites as they hunt seals. Narrated by David Attenborough.

August 3, 2003

E16 Bears: Spy in the Woods

Sir David Attenborough narrates this look at bears from across the globe through the use of spycams, camoflaged in a variety of disguises from logs, boulders, fish and dustbins.

November 30, 2004

E17 Trek: Spy on the Wildebeest part 1

"The Journey" - A wildebeest calf makes spectacular year-long journey, an arduous 3,000km round trip across Tanzania's Serengeti and Kenya's Masai Mara. Filmed using Dungcam, Bouldercam, Croccam, Skullcam, Tortoisecam and other spycams. (Part one of a two-part documentary.

January 14, 2007

E18 Trek: Spy on the Wildebeest part 2

"The Crossing" - A wildebeest calf makes spectacular year-long journey, an arduous 3,000km round trip across Tanzania's Serengeti and Kenya's Masai Mara. In part two, the migration reaches the Masai Mara where, for the calf, the river presents his greatest challenge yet.

January 21, 2007

E19 Tiger: Spy in the Jungle part 1

Elephants carrying Trunkcam, Tuskcam and other spy cameras tell the story of four cubs growing up in the Indian jungle. In the first programme, the elephants come upon the four 10-day-old tiger cubs. This is their mother's first litter and she has her paws full.

March 30, 2008

E20 Tiger: Spy in the Jungle part 2

The cubs are now half-grown and very playful, learning the skills they'll need as adults.

April 6, 2008

E21 Tiger: Spy in the Jungle part 3

The cubs are now a year-and-a-half old and learning to hunt for themselves.

April 13, 2008

E22 Polar Bear: Spy on the Ice part 1

Part 1 of this fantastic documentary. Spycams sneak within a paw’s swipe of the world’s largest land predators – Polar bears. Polar Bear Spy on the Ice gets closer than ever before to these charismatic bears and reveals their astonishing intelligence and curiosity.

December 29, 2010

E23 Polar Bear: Spy on the Ice part 2

Part 2 of this fantastic documentary. Spycams sneak within a paw’s swipe of the world’s largest land predators – Polar bears. Polar Bear Spy on the Ice gets closer than ever before to these charismatic bears and reveals their astonishing intelligence and curiosity.

December 29, 2010

E24 Penguins: Spy in the Huddle part 1

"The Journey" - Emperor penguins cross a treacherous frozen sea to reach their breeding grounds.

February 11, 2013

E25 Penguins: Spy in the Huddle part 2

"First Steps" - Newborn penguins are caught taking their first unsteady steps.

February 18, 2013

E26 Penguins: Spy in the Huddle part 3

"Growing Up" - As the chicks become increasingly independent, their parents continue to protect them.

February 25, 2013

E27 Dolphins - Spy in the Pod (1)

The award-winning team behind Penguins - Spy in the Huddle use hidden cameras to go into the heart of the dolphins' world, offering the chance to encounter dolphins up-close. The camera eyes of thirteen different 'Spy Creatures', including Spy Dolphin, Spy Nautilus and Spy Turtle, allow behaviour to be captured that has never been filmed before, including a vast superpod of spinner dolphins hunting huge shoals of lanternfish while dodging the gaping mouths of giant rays. In Mozambique, a newborn bottlenose dolphin learns from his mother as they follow a mysterious gathering of stingrays and then hunt huge kingfish. He practices his sonar, plays with bubbles and also discovers ways to dislodge pesky suckerfish. Nearby, the males live a playboy lifestyle as they play chicken with supertankers, visit a coral health spa and surf the waves. When they try to woo the females their direct approach threatens the baby, but eventually bouquets of seaweed have the desired effect. Other astonishing sights include dolphins using rings of mud to catch fish and the spectacular highspeed leaps and corkscrews of spinner dolphins. There is humour too, when Spy Turtle encounters real amorous turtles and Spy Squid has a near miss with a hungry potato bass.

January 2, 2014

E28 Dolphins - Spy in the Pod (2)

Remote-controlled Spy Creatures reveal dolphins as never before. Meet the orca, king of the dolphins, and discover the intimacy of its remarkable family life. Find dolphins that wear sponges on their noses, and race with the fastest dolphin in the world - the Dall's porpoise. Discover a real dolphin secret agent that carries a camera into the pod to uncover their mysteries of communication and interactions. Elsewhere, a young bottlenose begins a life on his own joined by Spy Puffer and Spy Baby - a cute camera dolphin that has bubble conversations with real dolphins! The youngster makes friends with a rare humpback dolphin, joins a gang and takes part in a bizarre initiation ceremony. He also becomes intoxicated on the secretions of strange fish and finally woos a female with gifts and charm. Most of the behaviour is filmed for the first time. Other spectacles include superpods of common dolphins feeding among sharks; and orcas using their cleverness to catch dolphins and seals. Spy Dolphin joins a pod as it strands itself to catch fish and it's curtains for one Spy Creature as he himself becomes a meal. Never before has the extraordinary intelligence of dolphins been so intimately revealed.

January 9, 2014

E29 Attenborough's Paradise Birds

Sir David Attenborough's new documentary traces his lifelong passion for birds of paradise. For five centuries "birds from paradise" have captivated explorers, naturalists, artists, film-makers and even royalty. They are also one of David Attenborough's lifelong passions. He was the first to film many of their beautiful and often bizarre displays and has spent a lifetime tracking them all over the jungles of New Guinea. Here, David reflects on his first attempt to film the birds of paradise, their bizarre and exotic courtship rituals, his experience at a state-of-the-art breeding facility in Qatar, and how there are always wonderful things to discover.

January 29, 2015

E30 Kea - The Smartest Parrot

Nature Documentary hosted by David Attenborough and published by BBC broadcasted as part of BBC Wildlife series in 2004

January 1, 2004

Wildlife Specials