Another "Planet" series from the Beeb means three things: the unparalleled presence of Attenborough, flawless camerawork of amazing things and a solemn acknowledgement of where it could all be going. Perfect Planet doesn't disappoint on any of these counts and shows our planet in remarkable form, focusing on five of the elemental forces that shape the realities of life all over the globe. Each one is remarkable, and alive with footage of things I've never before seen in glorious detail - frogs unfreezing, ants coalescing, hordes of newborn crabs coursing over stones. Shot across several years and many countries and assembled with flawless care during the pandemic (Sir David recorded the voiceover in his duvet-bedecked dining room) it easily matches up to the grandeur and weight of the earlier entries in the series.
A Perfect Planet is perhaps most notable for switching up the format of the show in the final "Humans" episode and becoming somewhat of an investigative piece about the stark causes and hard solutions facing the Earth - necessary and not without optimism but does lean a little hard on previously aired footage from the other episodes which makes it stick out somewhat and feel more like an "extra" than an equal installment. We live in hope that these cautionary tales seem quaint and dated in the future and our planet can edge closer to perfection.
A Perfect Planet is perhaps most notable for switching up the format of the show in the final "Humans" episode and becoming somewhat of an investigative piece about the stark causes and hard solutions facing the Earth - necessary and not without optimism but does lean a little hard on previously aired footage from the other episodes which makes it stick out somewhat and feel more like an "extra" than an equal installment. We live in hope that these cautionary tales seem quaint and dated in the future and our planet can edge closer to perfection.