Our Planet (2019) is the acclaimed Netflix nature documentary series that blends stunning wildlife cinematography with urgent environmental and climate-change themes. Directed by Alastair Fothergill and Keith Scholey, and narrated by Sir David Attenborough, this English-language series premiered on April 5, 2019 and quickly became one of the most talked-about natural history releases of the year. Combining breathtaking visuals, a global scope, and a clear conservation message, Our Planet is both a celebration of biodiversity and a call to action for protecting the Earth.
Movie Overview[]
Our Planet is a landmark nature documentary series produced for Netflix by Silverback Films in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Across its eight episodes, the series travels through diverse ecosystems — from the frozen Arctic and the deep ocean to dense rainforests and arid deserts — presenting rare footage of animal behaviour, seasonal migrations, and fragile habitats. The series is distinguished by its combination of cinematic wildlife filmmaking (including advanced aerial and underwater photography) and an explicit focus on how human activity and climate change threaten the planet’s species and ecosystems.
Narration by Sir David Attenborough provides authoritative context, while the cinematography and editing emphasize both wonder and urgency. Each episode focuses on a particular habitat or theme, using striking sequences and close-up animal moments to illustrate broader ecological processes. The production also features sequences filmed over multiple years to capture rare natural events and behaviours that are seldom documented at this scale.
The series achieved broad international attention for its visual quality and message. It was released simultaneously worldwide on Netflix, making it readily accessible to a global audience and helping drive public conversation about biodiversity loss and climate resilience. The show also spawned educational materials and partnerships aimed at bolstering conservation efforts and public awareness.
Attribute Details[]
- Title[title]: Our Planet
- Genre[genre]: Documentary, Nature, Environmental
- Language[language]: English (original); multiple dubbed/subtitled versions available on Netflix
- Release Date[release date]: April 5, 2019
- Director[director]: Alastair Fothergill, Keith Scholey (series directors / lead creative directors)
- Writer [Writer]: (documentary series format — editorial and writing credits include the series’ creative team and subject-matter contributors; narration/scripted segments written/adapted for Sir David Attenborough’s narration by the production writers and editorial team)
Key Features & Why Our Planet Matters
Cinematic scale and technical craft. The cinematography in Our Planet uses cutting-edge filming techniques: drone and aerial cinematography, stabilized long-lens captures, time-lapse sequences and advanced underwater cameras. These approaches allow the series to show well-known animal behaviours in new and intimate ways, and to reveal large-scale phenomena such as migrations and seasonal transformations.
A global conservation message. Unlike some classic nature documentaries that focus primarily on spectacle, Our Planet ties each visual story explicitly to conservation issues. Episodes frame animal stories within the broader context of habitat loss, overfishing, warming oceans, and human-driven environmental change. This makes the series particularly relevant for educators, activists, and general audiences trying to understand why biodiversity matters and what’s at stake.
Accessible worldwide via Netflix. Releasing the series globally on a major streaming platform meant that the show reached audiences across continents simultaneously — an important factor in spreading awareness about ecological crises and engaging a wide demographic with conservation messaging.
Episode Structure & Highlights
The original eight-episode structure covers: (1) polar and frozen regions, (2) mountains and highlands, (3) freshwater and rivers, (4) forests and jungles, (5) grasslands and savannahs, (6) coasts, (7) deserts, and (8) the impact of human-induced climate change across ecosystems. Each episode intersperses intimate animal stories (rare births, predator-prey interactions, parental care) with sweeping sequences that show migrations, storms, and the changing seasons.
Highlights include rare footage of large-scale migrations, in-depth looks at keystone species, underwater sequences that show coral reefs and deep-ocean life, and several sequences that were filmed over multiple years to capture rare events. The series uses these sequences intentionally to connect emotional storytelling with scientific facts about species decline and ecosystem vulnerability.
Cast & Key Production Credits
- Narrator: Sir David Attenborough
- Series Directors / Creative Leads: Alastair Fothergill, Keith Scholey
- Production Company: Silverback Films (in association with Netflix and production partners)
- Conservation Partner: World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
SEO & Audience Keywords (for discovery)
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Critical Reception & Impact
Upon release, Our Planet received strong praise for its cinematography, narrative ambition, and conservation messaging. Critics and viewers highlighted the emotional power of the sequences and the clarity of the series’ call to protect biodiversity. The partnership with conservation organizations amplified the series’ reach beyond entertainment into education and advocacy — schools, environmental NGOs, and policy discussions used the series as a conversation starter about biodiversity, sustainable practices, and the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions and protect habitats.
How to Watch
Our Planet premiered and is available on Netflix worldwide. The series is available with multiple language dubs and subtitles to maximize accessibility. Because it is streamed, educators and viewers can access high-quality 4K video (where available in their Netflix plan) and choose episodes relevant to their interests (e.g., ocean science, polar ecology, or human impacts on ecosystems).
Educational Uses & Conservation Tie-ins
The producers collaborated with conservation organizations to create resources and campaigns linked to the series. Teachers and environmental educators can pair episode screenings with lesson plans about ecosystem dynamics, food webs, climate science, and conservation policy. The series’ emphasis on human influence and solutions makes it especially useful for framing student research projects, community outreach, and calls-to-action at a local level.
Final Notes
Our Planet (2019) stands as a modern example of nature filmmaking that aims not only to astonish viewers with wildlife imagery but also to inform and motivate change. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough and directed by seasoned natural-history filmmakers Alastair Fothergill and Keith Scholey, the series is an essential watch for anyone interested in wildlife, ecosystems, and the real-world implications of climate change. Whether you’re optimizing a page for search, preparing a lesson plan, or simply looking for a profound documentary, Our Planet remains an authoritative and visually powerful series that connects people to the natural world on a global scale.
Note: I attempted to fetch the IMDb page but the browsing tool failed, so the article above is composed from authoritative, widely reported details about Our Planet (Netflix, April 5, 2019; directors Alastair Fothergill & Keith Scholey; narrator David Attenborough). If you’d like, I can now (a) pull exact IMDb credit lines and episode titles and add precise writer credits and production crew using a live web lookup, or (b) convert this HTML into a downloadable file (PDF/HTML) for you. Which would you prefer?
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