As soon as it arrived, it's gone: Shark Week 2025 kicked off with a full night of fin-tastic programming on Discovery Channel this past Sunday and tonight, Saturday 26, is the big, toothy finale to the 37th annual television event, with the premiere of the documentary special Attack of the Devil Shark at 8 pm Eastern Time.

"A rogue tiger shark kills two people in the Caribbean, sparking fear that it’s the legendary Devil Shark," a massive tiger shark known as Jabwei that has haunted their shores for decades, reads the official logline of the new wildlife special. "A team tracks the shark behind the attacks and uncovers a seismic force driving sharks to aggression in these waters."

Shark expert Kinga Philipps, who became the first solo woman host of a Shark Week program back in 2020 with Tiger Queen, told Assignment X that she takes offense with the doc's narration calling the legendary tiger shark "evil" and full of "hate": “I have qualms about that. I don’t love that language,” she told the outlet. However, she also praised Discovery's overall shark-related programming and Attack of the Devil Shark as "such a fun show."

“Discovery is great in the sense that some of our shows are entertainment. They’re fun, they’re drama, we’re creating a scenario. And then some are pure education," Philipps said. "Attack of the Devil Shark, as dramatic as the title is, and as dramatic as the intro is, it’s still such a fun show, and at the end of the day, we are working with scientists, we are conservationists, we are getting samples of these sharks.

To watch tonight's premiere of Attack of the Devil Shark, you're going to need access to the Discovery Channel. Helpfully, the network is included in most cable packages and can also be accessed via live TV streaming services like Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, Philo TV, DirecTV Stream and YouTube TV. The special will also be available to stream on Discovery's proprietary streaming service, Discovery Plus. Currently, Discovery Plus features two plans: an ad-supported option for $4.99 per month and a commercial-free plan for $8.99 per month.

It's that time of year again, fin fans: Shark Week is back. The 37th annual installment of jaw-snapping, air-breaching fun returns to the Discovery Channel beginning tonight, July 20th for seven nights of shark-related programming. And to kick things off, the wildlife-loving network is premiering three brand-new shark specials this evening starting at 8pm Eastern Time.

The first of the trio is Dancing With Sharks, hosted by Emmy-winning Dancing With the Stars emcee Tom Bergeron—described as an "unprecedented underwater dance competition," the show sees five expert divers use bait and choreography to interact with sharks, including hammerheads and tiger sharks.
"Each routine is unique, with signature underwater moves; a winner will be crowned, but can all the competitors make it that far?" reads the special's official logline.

"Needless to say, no one had ever come up with this topic before," Bergeron tells USA TODAY. "But it tickled me. And it also incorporates something we should've tried in my 15 years hosting 'Dancing With the Stars'; bringing in another species."

After Dancing With Sharks, Discovery will premiere Air Jaws: The Hunt for Colossus at 9pm Eastern Time. After a 20-foot great white breaches in New Zealand, a hunt launches for "Colossus," the legendary high-flying shark that may lead to a hidden colony of great whites.

And rounding things out at 10pm is Great White Assassins, which sees shark biologist Alison Towner and marine conservationist Dickie Chivell investigate how killer whales hunt great whites, with Dickie diving disguised as an orca in New Zealand.

To watch tonight's three Shark Week premieres, you're going to need access to the Discovery Channel. Helpfully, the network is included in most cable packages and can also be accessed via live TV streaming services like Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, Philo TV, DirecTV Stream and YouTube TV. The specials will also be available to stream on Discovery's proprietary streaming service, Discovery Plus. Currently, Discovery Plus features two plans: an ad-supported option for $4.99 per month and a commercial-free plan for $8.99 per month.

Check out a sneak peek of Air Jaws: The Hunt for Colossus before tuning into that and tonight's other Shark Week specials on the Discovery Channel.

Get up close and personal with some of the world's most endangered species in the new Apple TV+ adventure series The Wild Ones, which premiered on the streaming service on Friday, July 11.

The six-part series lets viewers explore hidden corners of the Earth with a trio of elite wildlife experts-slash-filmmakers—ex-Royal Marine Commando Aldo Kane, camera-trap expert Declan Burley and wildlife cinematographer Vianet Djenguet— as they embark on a high-stakes mission to race, record and protect six of the most endangered species from extinction, using crafty camerawork and classic survival skills. The nature pros traverse six countries—including Malaysia, Mongolia, Armenia, Indonesia, Canada and Gabon—to track leopards, rhinos, gorillas and more.

Episode one takes you through remote Malaysian rainforests as "Declan, Vianet and Aldo look for the world’s rarest tigers in hopes of defending them from ruthless poacher," per the streamer; another takes you to the dense jungles of Gabon as the filmmakers try to track down a troop of wild silverback gorillas, while another brings you to the island of Java, where "the crew dodges crocodiles to try and find the world’s rarest rhinos in a bid to help them breed again."

"By deploying over 350 custom-built remote cameras, thermal drones, wearable underwater tags and AI-powered imaging technology, the team is breaking new ground in wildlife filmmaking, capturing intimate animal behavior never seen before while supporting active conservation missions on the ground," per Apple TV+. "The team’s discoveries have already contributed to identifying a new individual rhino, protecting a new tiger cub litter and advancing anti-poaching efforts."

The series description continues: "Joining forces with local experts, the trio uses cutting-edge camera technology to uncover the secrets of these rare creatures, including the first-ever footage of the world’s most endangered wild tiger to be filmed in Malaysia’s Royal Tiger Reserve."

To tune into The Wild Ones this weekend and beyond, you're going to need access to Apple TV+. Current subscription plans include a single monthly subscription plan for $9.99, with a 7-day free trial, and Apple One bundles, which start at $19.95 per month.

Check out the official trailer before tuning into The Wild Ones this weekend on Apple TV+.

From Netflix's new marine-themed game show All the Sharks (where photographers are tasked with snapping as many sharks as possible) to ITV's new reality competition SHARK! Celebrity Infested Water (where ocean-fearing famous folks come face-to-face with sharks) to the big 50th anniversary of that fin-focused classic Jaws, sharks are having quite the summer. And that will continue with National Geographic's seasonal shark programming, including tonight's premiere of Sharks Gone Viral: Fact Frenzy.

Sharks aren't just one of nature's most iconic and formidable predators—they're also social-media stars, a fact that the new hourlong Sharks Gone Viral: Fact Frenzy special explores during its premiere tonight, Saturday, July 12 at 9pm Eastern Time on Nat Geo. "It’s a social media feed frenzy as comedians Helen Hong, Keon Polee and the Sklar Brothers deep dive into the internet’s wildest shark videos—from lightning-fast shark attacks to sharks living on a golf course —while a panel of experts explore the science behind social media’s most influential fish," reads the special's official description, per the network.

The special is part of National Geographic's annual Sharkfest, which returns this summer with "over 25 hours of hair-raising, shark-infested programming that brings viewers closer than ever to the ocean’s fiercest fish," including Sharks Up Close (where wildlife filmmaker Bertie Gregory "embarks on a daring cage-free dive to capture the raw power and beauty of great whites on film") and Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story, the authorized documentary marking the 50th anniversary of the ultimate summer blockbuster that "helped spark a global movement in shark conservation."

To watch tonight's premiere of Sharks Gone Viral: Fact Frenzy, you're going to need access to National Geographic. If you don't have a cable plan that offers Nat Geo, then the popular cable channel is available on several live TV streaming services too, if you're a cord cutter or just prefer these apps. Sling TV, Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, DirecTV (on its Ultimate plan) or YouTube TV will all let you stream the Nat Geo channel over the internet. The special is also available to stream on both Disney Plus and Hulu.

Bertie Gregory (Animals Up Close, Secrets of the Penguins), the Emmy-winning British wildlife filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer, has taken nature TV fans through some of the most remote places on earth, from tracking emperor penguins in Antartica to chronicling pumas in Patagonia and following marine iguanas in the Galápagos. And now the nature expert is gearing up for one of his most audacious missions yet: jumping into the wild waters of South Africa—a hotspot for great white sharks—cage-free.

Spotlighting one of the ocean’s most famous and feared predators, Sharks Up Close with Bertie Gregory premieres tonight, July 5 at 8pm Eastern Time on National Geographic. (It will also be available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu beginning tomorrow, July 6.) "Diving in the shallows without a cage, Bertie will attempt to film these huge sharks hunting seals," reads the official series description, per Nat Geo. "By entering their domain, he discovers the challenges they face on our rapidly changing planet."

“Everyone thinks that when you are trying to film a big, dangerous, scary predator, that you are constantly on the edge of running away,” Gregory told TV Insider ahead of tonight's premiere. “That’s not true, especially with many species of sharks. You’ve got to sneak up on them and do everything on their terms.” The TV star added: “I want the viewer to feel like they’re on my shoulder."

To tune into Sharks Up Close with Bertie Gregory, you're going to need access to National Geographic. The Nat Geo cable channel is available through plenty of cable providers, so if you already have a plan, then you may already be able to watch it. If you've cut the cord, however, you can check the docuseries out via a live TV streaming service — Hulu with Live TV, Fubo, Sling TV (on its Blue plan), DirecTV and YouTube TV all offer Nat Geo in their channel line-ups, with Sling being the cheapest option. (Sling Blue starts at $45.99 per month or bundle it with Sling Orange for $60.99 per month.)

Check out the official trailer for Sharks Up Close with Bertie Gregory before tuning into the new National Geographic series tonight at 8pm ET.

National Geographic is getting weird tonight—literally. Across six episodes, National Geographic's new show Planet Weird is celebrating some of the planet's most extraordinary wild characters, each more delightfully strange than the last.

Debuting tonight, June 20 at 7pm Eastern Time on National Geographic WILD, Planet Weird will detail Earth's oddest creatures and their wild survival tricks: "From dancing flame bowerbirds seeking love to flying draco lizards escaping snakes and venomous water spiders, see how nature's weirdest species adapt," reads the official series description.

"In the wild, having a big attitude is a survival strategy. From the camouflaging coconut octopus to finches with a strange taste for blood and even bats with breath that can erode a cavern wall, these animal gangsters are the definition of grit," the description reads. "For some, it’s about strength in numbers, while others enjoy a solo existence, but no matter the species’ preference, one fact remains: Only the weird can survive."

The two-episode premiere kicks off with "Origin Stories," which centers on the wildest and weirdest ways that animals like the Christmas Island crab create new life. That debut will be immediately followed up by episode 2, entitled "Superpower," at 8pm, chronicling strange species who've pulled out a bag of evolutionary tricks to not only survive but thrive, "from the aquatic spider that surfs a water web, to the saltwater crocodile equipped with pressure-dome sensors and the tarsier with its incredible night vision."

To watch tonight's premiere of Planet Weird, you're going to need access to National Geographic. If you don't have a cable plan that offers Nat Geo, then the popular cable channel is available on several live TV streaming services too, if you're a cord cutter or just prefer these apps. Sling TV, Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, DirecTV (on its Ultimate plan) or YouTube TV will all let you stream the Nat Geo channel over the internet. And if you miss tonight's two-episode premiere of Planet Weird live, don't free: the docuseries will also stream next day on both Disney Plus and Hulu.

National Geographic WILD is on a roll with new animal docuseries lately, what with the recent premieres of last week's Animals, They’re Just Like Us! and last month's Fur Babies. And tonight, March 29, the network keeps up that momentum with its latest nature documentary series, Wildlife Rehab.

Debuting at 10pm Eastern Time on Saturday, March 29, on Nat Geo WILD, Wildlife Rehab is a six-part nature series centered on the Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, a Canadian wildlife rescue service in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where "chaos is the norm," per the series synopsis. "Led by Jan, Saskatchewan’s first registered wildlife rehabilitator, the team works tirelessly to save injured and orphaned animals. Every decision, from treatment plans to heartbreaking calls, is critical. Wildlife Rehab reveals the human drama and relentless dedication behind the mission to return every rescued animal to the wild."

Tonight's premiere will actually be a two-episode drop, with the first episode, entitled "Baby Boom," chronicling the rehabilitative journeys of orphaned animals, sick foxes, and baby geese; episode 2 sees Avian influenza test Jan and the team as they protect the center's birds. The unscripted series will drop two episodes per week, with the second batch arriving on Saturday, April 5 and the final two installments airing on Nat Geo WILD on Saturday, April 12.

To tune into the two-episode premiere of Wildlife Rehab tonight, you're going to need access to National Geographic WILD. If you don't have a cable plan that offers Nat Geo WILD, then the popular cable channel is available on several live TV streaming services too, if you're a cord cutter or just prefer these apps. Sling TV, Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, DirecTV (on its Ultimate plan) or YouTube TV will all let you stream the Nat Geo WILD channel over the internet.

Episodes will also be available to stream on Hulu. Current Hulu subscription offerings include the ad-supported plan for $9.99 per month (or $99.99 per year), or the commercial-free option for $18.99. Or you can get access to both Hulu and Disney+ with a Bundle Basic package for $10.99 per month or a Bundle Premium option for $19.99 per month.

He's famously lent his voice to classic kids' movies like Cars, The Polar Express and the Toy Story franchise — now you'll hear Tom Hanks' warmly familiar cadence in a new wildlife series, The Americas, kicking off tonight on NBC.

Showcasing "the wonders, secrets and fragilities of the Americas," the 10-part television event will feature the two-time Academy Award winner as our guide as the series takes viewers "on a breathtaking journey across the supercontinent, full of never-before-seen wonders and awe-inspiring moments experienced alongside the creatures that call it home," per NBC. Production on the new series reportedly took five years and over 180 expeditions in both North and South America to reveal "the spectacular landscapes of Earth’s most varied landmass — the only one to stretch between both poles." Adding an extra dose of epicness? Music will come courtesy of legendary Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer.

Executive producer and nature documentarian Mike Gunton discussed with NBC Insider about bringing Hanks onto the project, saying the acclaimed actor “is one of the great storytellers… the voice of America. He's a great equalizer and a great connector. One of the things that we wanted to do — and I think he absolutely loved — was this idea that nature doesn't see national boundaries, or country boundaries. It's all interconnected.”

In keeping with the communal and conservationist ethos behind the nature docuseries, the network noted that the production team was mindful to limit their impact on the environment, including by tracking animals on foot, using solar energy to recharge batteries for tech, cutting down on travel wherever possible by hiring locally and even opting to camp out instead of staying at hotels. Those eco-conscious efforts earned them a Gold Seal from the Environmental Media Association.

The Americas debuts on Sunday, February 23 on NBC with a special two-hour premiere beginning at 7pm Eastern Time. To watch the premiere live, you'll need access to your local NBC station, either through a traditional pay-TV provider or a live TV streaming service (i.e. Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV or YouTube TV). The docuseries will also be available to stream next day on Peacock, with the premiere episode hitting the streaming service on Monday, February 24.

Take a first look at The Americas with this teaser trailer above before tuning into the two-hour premiere tonight on NBC.

Watch The Americas for a ten-part journey from pole to pole, stunningly capturing the supercontinent’s natural world. The series will premiere on NBC in the US on February 23 before streaming on Peacock. Episodes will be available to stream for FREE on BBC iPlayer in the UK later in the Spring. Don't worry if you’re away from home, because you can watch The Americas from anywhere with a VPN.

Shot over 5 years and involving a staggering 180 expeditions, The Americas takes viewers from the Arctic Circle down to the Southern tip of Chile on a journey spanning 8700 miles. The series will take in epic landscapes and geological features as well as giving a glimpse into the plants, animals and people that call the Americas home. The journey will begin on the Atlantic Coast, moving down to Mexico before heading to the Wild West. The series will then explore the Amazon, the Frozen North of the Arctic, the Gulf Coast and the Andes; head to the sunny shores of the Carribbean and the West Coast and finish in the wind swept climes of Patagonia.

Produced in association with BBC Studios Natural History, the show is a must for fans of Planet Earth, Blue Planet and Frozen Planet, with the filmmakers settling on Tom Hanks as a narrator with similar US national treasure status to the UK’s David Attenborough. And, like previous BBC nature documentaries, listen out for an epic score from Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer.

For those interested in the behind the scenes efforts required to mount such an incredible portrait of the natural world, the series will be followed by a bonus making-of episode. And in the meantime, don’t miss our article detailing everything we know about the series featuring behind the scenes info, animals and more.

Ready for a stunning journey across the continent? Here's how to watch The Americas from anywhere in the world.

How to watch The Americas online in the US

The Americas will air on NBC in the US starting with the double bill premiere set for 7pm ET/PT on Sunday, February 23. Subsequent episodes will go out every Sunday at 8pm ET/PT.

Cord cutters can access NBC via a cable replacement service, such as Fubo, which offers a 7-day free trial, or Sling TV which offers NBC in select cities and starts at $45.99 a month.

Peacock subscribers will be able to stream episodes the day after they air, starting February 24. New users can sign up from $7.99 per month.

If you're trying to access Peacock while traveling outside the US, you might want to use a VPN to allow you to watch from anywhere.

How to watch The Americas online in the UK for free

Viewers in the UK will be able to watch The Americas on BBC One and stream for FREE on BBC iPlayer from March 2, so a week after the US premiere. The first episode is scheduled for 6.30pm GMT. iPlayer is totally free to use, as long as you have a valid TV licence.

If you're out of the UK when the show airs, you can use a VPN to still watch The Americas for free. We've got all the details you need for that below.

How to watch The Americas online in Canada

The Americas will arrive in Canada on Bravo, releasing on the same schedule as the US, so the first episodes will land at 7pm ET/PT on Sunday, February 23.

Anyone traveling outside of Canada who still wants to use their Bravo account can use a VPN to do so. We've got all the details you need for that below.

Can I watch The Americas online in Australia?

NBC/Peacock programming usually streams on Binge in Australia, but there's no word on when/where The Americas might arrive just yet.

That means that US viewers abroad looking to stream The Americas will want to look into purchasing VPN. You’ll find all the details on how to do that here.

How to watch The Americas from anywhere with a VPN

If you're traveling outside of your home country, you can still watch The Americas on your chosen streaming service by using a VPN – no matter where you are in the world!

Normally a streaming service will know where you are trying to tune in from and block you if you're not in the right country but a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an app that hides your location. That means you can access your usual sports and entertainment services even while you're traveling abroad.

Our favorite VPN is NordVPN, which is the no. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar.

How to use a VPN to watch any stream

• Download the app at NordVPN
• Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch – in this case, the US for Peacock, or the UK for BBC iPlayer
• Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

It's been a really busy year for Apple TV Plus, with a pretty unrelenting release schedule for most of the year, but that's over now because the streamer has released its final series of 2024 in the form of The Secret Lives of Animals.

As you can probably tell from the name, The Secret Lives of Animals isn't a period drama or sci-fi series like many other of the best Apple TV Plus shows of 2024. Instead it's a nature documentary, narrated by Hugh Bonneville, with each episode looking at a different stage or component of life from lots of of different animals' perspectives.

For example the first episode is about leaving the nest, while others are about building homes, locating food and finding mates. In each episode we jump between different animals around the world as we see what their species does.

It feels natural to compare any nature documentary to the fare from legend David Attenborough, but The Secret Lives does things a bit differently. In fact, after watching several episodes of the ten-episode season, I realized that I preferred Apple's show to the likes of Our Planet or Planet Earth for a few reasons.

My first reason is about how refreshing the structure is. Almost every nature doc that I can recall seeing recently centers each episode around a different biome: you'll have the desert week, the ocean week, the rainforest week and so on. There's nothing wrong with this format but I'm personally not as interested in insects or sea creatures so often find myself skipping weeks.

Plus, by putting disparate animals from around the world into episodes side-by-side, it makes some interesting connections that you wouldn't see if the selection of creatures was limited by geography.

In the first episode our first three animals are a fur seal pup trying to survive the sea, a basilisk lizard which escapes danger by running on water and a killifish which can leap over land to change streams by flicking its strong tail. Without the script having to say a word about it, we see the different ways that bodies of water can be life or death for different creatures.

A second, more subjective reason that I like The Secret Lives is that the ratio of cute animals to non-cute ones is heavily weighted towards the former. I see so many nature shows which cause me to keep thinking "wow, that's ugly" and I didn't have that in The Secret Lives of Animals. Instead I kept falling in love with the different creatures like the aforementioned fur seal or a mob of meerkat pups or even ducks living in Iceland. The way the animals were filmed (and color graded, I noticed) really helped!

But the most important reason I preferred The Secret Lives of Animals is that it's simply a gentler show. Titles like Our Planet or Planet Earth feel a bit too much like Game of Thrones for my liking — it seems that, at any moment, nature might take a brutal course and murder something cute and fluffy. I'm aware that this is how the animal kingdom functions in reality, but this isn't reality — it's TV.

Watching The Secret Lives, I can be safe in the knowledge that the mouse I've been learning about, isn't about to become dinner for a hungry owl. (Like I said, I'm only part way in, and I hope this doesn't change! Maybe I'll skip the last episode, about old age...)

Maybe I've just seen too many murders and killings on screen through 2024, but a nice worry-free show about the wonders of the world is just what I needed ahead of Christmas.

I'm not going to stop watching other animal shows because I'm squeamish about the fates of these creatures, but these three reasons made The Secret Lives of Animals a nice breath of fresh air compared to many other nature shows you can watch right now. I'd recommend it!

This Blue Lights season 2 episode 4 recap contains spoilers... Tommy is deeply concerned when his partner, Shane really pushes the boundaries while questioning a suspect, as the malign influence of DS Murray Canning at Blackthorn Station continues to grow. 

Lee Thompson is in the police station trying to get his £30,000 back, claiming the cash was raised by people in the area for a local community centre. Of course it was Lee. He has some official paperwork to support his claim, but Jonty and McNally still don’t believe him. “It looks pretty bad, seizing money that belongs from the community,” he says. “Not exactly winning back hearts and minds.”

Out on the street, Grace and Annie are cruising the neighbourhood when a picture pops up on Annie’s phone of her and Shane in bed. It seems he’s shared it on a WhatsApp group, yet despite Grace urging her young colleague to report him, Annie says she won’t. 

They’re soon called to a domestic disturbance, where a man is burning his partner's clothes, claiming she’s left him. However his wife Marolyn then walks back in and tells them he’s been on a drinking binge. When Annie suggests she leave him, she tells her she “doesn’t have a clue”. 

However as they drive away, Grace changes her mind and goes back to urge Marolyn to make a statement so they can arrest her husband. “Someday someone’s going to get seriously hurt,” she says. A shell shocked Marolyn agrees. 

Back at the station, while Stevie and Sandra are waiting to book a suspect into custody, she asks him about his late partner Sarah, but he can’t bring himself to talk about it. It’s a heartbreaking moment between two people who know the agony of losing the most precious person in the world, but they both agree the time they spent with their beloved was worth all the pain and they'd do it all again. 

At the end of the day, Stevie and Grace share a farewell that’s bursting with unspoken emotion. You could literally cut the chemistry with a knife. Please let these two get together soon!

'That was taking the gloves off...' 

Meanwhile, Shane is on patrol with Tommy when he gets a call from Murray Canning, who tells him about Lee Thompson’s arrival on the scene. He wants Shane to “put the squeeze” on a mid-level dealer called Sandy to find out more. Tommy’s not happy about being sent off on intel work as they’re response officers, but it seems he has little choice.

When they get to Sandy's address, Shane barges in and starts rooting around, telling the woman inside he doesn’t need a warrant, which is deeply concerning for Tommy. However upstairs he discovers a bag of drugs under the bed. “This isn’t admissible as evidence,” says Tommy. “No, it’s leverage,” comes the reply.

When they eventually find Sandy, Shane breaks into his flat and gives him a right going over, before letting Tommy in the front door. Shane then proceeds to lock Sandy’s companion under the stairs, before putting the heat on him to find out who he’s buying drugs from. “The Factory Faithful Nightclub,” he says. “It’s a nightclub.”

As they leave, Tommy is shocked by his colleague’s behaviour. “That was taking the gloves off,” he replies. “We’ve just got hold of the first piece of decent intelligence in months.”

Later on Canning congratulates them and asks McNally to sanction the pair for overtime, but she refuses unless he explains what they’ll be up to. It’s the first sign of the pair’s simmering antipathy bubbling over, as a by-the-book copper comes up against a man who’s quite happy to break the rules to get results.

'Wait and see what I do with this place..' 

Constable Aisling Byrne arrives at Blackthorn Station ready to go, but McNally wants her to complete her online safety course before she heads out on the street. Yet soon afterwards Jonty walks in and asks her to verify one of Lee’s letters. “That woman loves an online safety course,” he says of McNally. 

Jonty then sets off to see Rab to talk to him about the letter he wrote promising that Lee’s money was for the community centre. However Rab tells him about the incident where Shane stopped him and Henry and tells him where to go. It seems Shane’s making quite the impression on the Mount Eden Estate. 

At The Loyal Pub, Davy Hamill tells Lee Thompson that Tina McIntyre’s cut him off. He pleads to be allowed to stay in Mount Eden, but Lee tells him he doesn’t deserve anything after what he’s done to this community and that if he doesn’t leave he’ll go the same way as Dixie. 

If Lee’s acting like a man who’s got a private army behind him, that’s because he has, as Aisling discovers when she does a bit of digging and discovers that all the cabbies in his firm are ex-military. 

After briefing his men, Craig tells Lee he’s not comfortable using the same set up that Dixie used. However when Mags hears that Lee has banished Davy Hamill from the estate, she’s furious. “What and see what I do with this place,” he tells her. “It’s going to be better, it’s going to be cleaner, it’s going to be safer.” 

Meanwhile Jen Robinson pays Robin Graham a visit. He tells her he took documents with him when he left the RUC Special Branch, as he might need something to bargain with. “You can take notes, but the documents stay here,” he says. 

Across town, the dealers arrive at the Factory Faithful, while Canning tells Tommy and Shane to do a walk through at the nightclub to see what’s going on. “It’s okay I’ve cleared it,” he tells Tommy, although we know that’s not true. Aisling, who’s waiting with Tommy, isn’t keen, especially after Stevie told her exactly what he thought of Canning earlier that day. 

At the club, the Dubliner - who has the worst haircut we’ve ever seen btw - asks Lee why he’s only buying half the product he should be. “It’s the difference between tactics and strategy,” says Lee, explaining that by turning down the supply, they get the police off their backs and start looking at other markets and start moving outside Belfast. “Are you a drug dealer or a CEO?” says the Dubliner. 

Outside, Canning sends Tommy into the club for a drink, while back at the station Annie tells McNally what the trio are up to. However while drug dealers depart at the back of the building in a string of taxis, at the bar Tommy is recognised by the chap he arrested a few days before and given a terrible beating. 

When Annie and McNally arrive on the scene, blue lights blaring, Canning abandons Tommy despite Shane’s protestations, while inside the young Constable lies unconscious on the floor. Is he alive? 

Fans of National Geographic nature documentaries have another series to sink their teeth into — if you'll pardon the pun — when Queens comes out, with the show set to debut on Monday, March 4.

Queens is a nature show about queens in the wild: the show takes us to different corners of the animal kingdom to show us species and communities that live with matriarchs. We'll see how these leaders control their herds, packs or prides, using various traits or skills.

Golden Globe and Emmy-winning actress Angela Bassett provides narration for the show, as we jet about the world to see the animal kingdom through this new lens.

Interested in this new nature show? Here's how to watch Queens, with options for streaming online or watching on TV if it's available.

How to watch Queens in the US

There are a few different options for watching Queens.

If you want to watch on TV you can do so using the National Geographic channel, which will air the first three episodes from 8 pm ET/PT on Monday, March 4 (and sporadically through the next week), then the other four from 7 pm ET/PT on Monday, March 11 (and then sporadically through the next week).

You can watch National Geographic's channel using NatGeoTV.com, but a few live TV streaming services offer the channel too. These include Sling TV, DirecTV, Hulu with Live TV, Fubo and YouTube TV.

Alternatively, you can watch the entire run of Queens online from Tuesday, March 5, because that's when the show will be added to streaming: both Hulu and Disney Plus will play host to the series.

Both streaming services start at $7.99 per month for their ad-enabled tiers, though using the Disney Bundle you can sign up to both for $9.99 monthly. Ad-free plans, be they individual ones or as part of the Disney Bundle, will cost you more.

How to watch Queens in the UK

In the UK, you're looking to Disney Plus to watch Queens, as the show will land exclusively on the streaming service on Tuesday, March 5.

Usually, Disney Plus costs £4.99 per month for its ad-supported tier or £7.99 for the ad-free one, but there's currently a limited-time offer saving you money on that cheaper plan. Until Thursday, March 14, you can sign up and the ad plan will cost £1.99 for your first three months, and you can find more details here.

How to watch Queens in Australia

As in the UK, Australia will get Queens on Disney Plus, where it'll join many other National Geographic documentaries.

There's only one Disney Plus plan available: it's $13.99 per month or $139.99 per year, and won't make you sit through adverts.

Our Changing Planet on BBC1 is a two-part nature special that took quite a few years to make! Various presenters with an interest in wildlife conservation visit diverse habitats around the world to take a deep dive look into the ecological issues threatening our planet and its amazing wild animals.

Viewers can follows Steve Backshall who's in the Maldives, Chris Packham in Iceland, while Ella Al-Shamah heads for Cambodia in the first episode. The following week you can see Liz Bonnin in California, Ade Adepitan heading for Kenya and Gordon Buchanan in the Brazilian rainforest.

So here's all you need to know about what happens in Our Changing Planet on BBC1...

Our Changing Planet release date

Our Changing Planet launches on BBC1 on Sunday April 24 at 7pm with the concluding episode a week later on Sunday May 1 at 7pm. Both episodes will become available on BBCiPlayer. We will update here if an international air date is revealed.

Our Changing Planet — what happens in episode 1

The first episode of Our Changing Planet on Sunday April 4 2022 sees Chris Packham kayaking in Iceland to observe how whales are struggling with warming waters, Steve Backshall in The Maldives for the lowdown on manta rays and Ella Al-Shamah is in Cambodia to meet fishing communities along the Mekong river and Tonle Sap Lake where biodiversity is being lost. Can anything be done?

The Maldives with Steve Backshall
The Maldives are famous for white sands, the blue waters of the Indian Ocean and colourful coral reefs. But Steve Backshall discovers there is trouble in paradise.  "Ocean warming is killing coral reefs at an astonishing rate," he explains. ‘And the reefs around the Maldives are set to see dramatic changes."
Manta rays are a barometer on how ocean warming is affecting life beneath the waves. They feed on plankton and, if a rise in sea temperature causes plankton to decline, it will have a devastating impact on these gentle giants. Steve joins researchers as they collect samples of the mantas’ food to see how rich in nutrients it is. He also helps give one manta mum-to-be an ultrasound underwater!
"The reefs are producing enough food to sustain mothers and their young", Steve reveals. "But if plankton concentrations halve, as predicted, our manta mother and baby could be in trouble..."

Chris Packham in Iceland
Chris Packham heads to Iceland where snow and ice are melting at alarming levels because of global warming. "celandic culture is so connected to glacial ice that each of the 269 glaciers has a name,’ says Chris. ‘But these iconic glaciers are fast disappearing."
As he tracks how vanishing glaciers are changing the landscape, Chris also observes how melting sea ice is opening up the Arctic to shipping. "Less ice means more boats and the race is on to exploit newly accessible waters for global trade," he explains. 
But marine scientists are concerned about the impact of heavy ocean traffic on humpback whales, particularly in spring when mothers and calves travel around 5,000 miles from the Caribbean to Iceland.
Chris says: ‘If the scientists show a link between boat encounters and increased stress levels in whales, they can protect the whales against increased shipping traffic across the wider Arctic."

Cambodia with Ella Al-Shamahi
In Cambodia in Southeast Asia, Ella Al-Shamahi learns how the country has become one of the world’s fastest growing economies, which has brought a huge cost to nature. The trade in trafficking endangered wildlife is thriving and valued at £17 billion yearly. Pangolins are the world’s most trafficked animals, while sun bears are also trafficked for supposed medicinal benefits.
"The economic boom has resulted in more people with more money to spend on rare animal delicacies and traditional medicines that were previously out of reach," explains Ella, who also investigates how the construction of dams along the Mekong River has a catastrophic effect on floating fishing communities on the Tonlé Sap Lake. "Experts predict that the Mekong River system could collapse in the next three to five years. It needs all six countries that the Mekong flows through to come together and find a solution."

Our Changing Planet —what happens in episode 2

This final episode of Our Changing Planet on Sunday May 1 2022 sees Liz Bonnin travel to California while Gordon Buchanan heads to Brazil and Ade Adepitan visits Kenya to see first-hand the effects climate change is having on landscapes and wildlife. Liz hears how wildfires are threatening the survival of bears and mountain lions, while Ade visits a project fighting to save African elephants. In Brazil, Gordon joins conservationists trying to help endangered jaguars.  

California with Liz Bonnin
Liz is in California where nutrient-rich waters off the Pacific Coast support over 1000 different species. But warming seas have brought in great white sharks. And with each shark consuming up to 18 kilos of prey at a time, scientists are concerned about their impact on the area’s complex marine ecosystem. "In 2014, a predatory sea star that lived in these waters for centuries began to die," says Liz. "The repercussions were catastrophic. Without the sea star to control them, sea urchin numbers increased 60-fold."
Liz also meets vets and volunteers at The Wildlife Disaster Network who use revolutionary techniques, such as fish skins as bandages, to treat thousands of animals, including bobcats, racoons and bears, injured in last year’s California wildfires, another sign of climate change. "You despair of the human race and then you meet people like that and you’re like, “Where did you come from?”’ saysLiz. "It’s extraordinary, absolutely mind-blowing."

Kenya with Ade Adepitan
The African nation of Kenya is enduring one of the worst droughts on record. Ade Adepitan reveals how if, as feared, severe droughts become the norm, parts of Kenya may soon be uninhabitable to people and wildlife. To discover what the lack of rainfall means for African elephants, Ade visits the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, whose keepers give round-the-clock care to baby elephants orphaned in last year’s drought. "The dedicated team provides a secure, loving environment to support infants through the loss of their mothers and the trauma they suffered,’ says Ade. 
Droughts also have disastrous effects on local communities  But Ade hears about a possible solution, sand dams, which are built across a dried-up river bed before the rains arrive. "There is evidence of sand dams being used in Roman times,’ Ade explains. "They could prove life-saving, not just for people, but for Kenya’s struggling wildlife." 

Brazil with Gordon Buchanan
Gordon is visiting Brazil where deforestation in the Amazon is threatening the planet’s largest tropical wetland, the Pantanal. Billions of tons of water vapour have been removed from the atmosphere contributing to a 40 per cent drop in rainfall, resulting in more fires. "In 2020, wildfires are estimated to have killed around 17 million animals," shares Gordon. "And the Pantanal’s jaguars have been directly impacted."
The big cat is also killed by ranchers desperate to protect their cattle. But Gordon visits a project working to change ranchers’ attitude by showing them that money from ecotourism means the predators are more valuable to them alive. "Placing a price tag on jaguars can help protect them," says Gordon. "Things are tough for jaguars across Brazil, but this project could offer them a ray of hope."

Is there an Our Changing Planet trailer?

The BBC is yet to release a trailer for Our Changing Planet but we will post one as soon as it arrives.

Winterwatch 2022 is extra special this year because it's the first time the show will be broadcast live from three of our home nations in the winter months.

Over the next two weeks, the BBC2 show will see Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan back at  Wild Ken Hill in West Norfolk. Meanwhile, Iolo Williams will be on the Isle of Mull in Scotland and Chris' step-daughter, Megan McCubbin will be based at Castle Espie Wetland Centre in Northern Ireland. 

Here in an exclusive interview Chris, 60, tells us what wonderful wildlife we can expect to see from the team's respective bases, what topical issues they'll be covering, and which species to be looking out for this winter...

Are you pleased that 'Winterwatch' 2022 will be broadcast live from three different nations this year?

Chris: "Yes, we’re all really excited about that. Castle Espie in Northern Ireland is  a fantastic reserve and because of its location gets different birds migrating from places like Greenland and Canada. Scotland has so many what we call ‘specialised’ species like pine martens, wildcats and golden eagles. And Norfolk is another wildlife hotspot with winter migrants, like huge flocks of geese, coming in from Scandinavia and Russia."

What wildlife will you be keeping an eye out for? 

"I’ll be honest and say Winterwatch is the hardest of all the watches because we are broadcasting after dark so for the live element of the show we’re principally looking at nocturnal animals. To take the pressure off,  we’ve had cameras out since before Christmas recording animals in various locations gathering a library of material. Those cameras will continue to pick up activity from the day and night which we can then show viewers in our live shows." 

Tell us about the cameras and what footage you're hoping to capture? 

"In Northern Ireland we’ve got a camera on an egret roost so we’ll be able to show people the activity occurring there. We’ve also put a camera up close to an otter holt. Otters are not the most reliable creatures so we get very excited when we see them. In Scotland we’ve got cameras on carcasses, ’Carcass cams’, where we put roadkill out to attract birds like ravens, buzzards and eagles." 

What topical issues will you be covering in the show?

"One of them will be bird flu. We’ve seen it ravaging our wild bird populations and causing problems for poultry too. We’ll be getting the up to date science on why it’s been such a devastating year for that. We’ll also be looking at how climate change and the warmer winters are impacting our wildlife.  We all know just how warm December was, it broke records. We all comment on it but nature has to actually deal with it."

Which animals are you excited about seeing on 'Winterwatch' 2022? 

"Michaela and I will be taking a look at a group of polecats that live down the coast from our base in Norfolk. Polecats are quite cute looking. They have lovely white spectacles around their eyes but you wouldn't want to take one on if you were a rat or a mouse. They are really important in our ecosystem for managing rodent populations which is their principal food."

"Where Iolo is going to be on the Isle Of Mull there is so much amazing wildlife to see. There are two species of eagle, the golden eagle and the white-tailed eagle and people travel  to Scotland from all over the world to see them."

"We're also looking forward to seeing some owls too. For tawny owls this is the busiest time of the year. They're very vocal now because they're pairing up before they start to breed. Barn owls will nest any time of the year so they're constantly active and you see them hunting in the daylight in winter."

What are some of the special features you're going to be running this 'Winterwatch' 2022? 

"One of them will be looking at rockpools. Rockpools are great because you can see a whole range of species, everything from crustaceans, to fish, anemones, sponges, sea slugs, and algae as well. They're a real hive of activity in the winter. When the tide goes out it's like a game of hide and seek for all the birds that want to take advantage of them. You see birds like turnstones looking for shrimps and small crabs. You've got oyster catchers taking mussels and curlews looking for worms and larger crabs."

"Crows are particularly smart. They'll go down on the beach, find mussels, fly up into the air with them and then drop them back down on the stones to break them open. Sometimes they even put them in the road and wait for a car to drive over it to crack them open, then they'll dash back out and eat them."

Winterwatch 2022 starts on Tuesday 18 January on BBC2 at 8pm. 

Live cameras will be streaming for 12 hours a day from Norfolk, the Isle of Mull and WWT Castle Espie in Northern Ireland. 

You can tune in on BBC YouTube, iPlayer or at www.bbc.co.uk/winterwatch to see lots of additional content. 

Here are the best BBC nature documentaries you can enjoy right now!

There's plenty of great nature documentaries to watch on BBC iPlayer, many narrated by celebrated broadcaster and natural historian Sir David Attenborough. From the depths of the ocean to frozen tundras, there's plenty of fascinating topics to explore as we follow an array of animals and plants in their natural habitats.

Here's our recommendations for the best nature documentaries to watch on BBC iPlayer right now...

What are the best BBC nature documentaries to stream right now?

Frozen Planet

Frozen Planet is a remarkable series that chronicles the ecosystems and animals of the Arctic and Antarctic. There are episodes dedicated to all four seasons of the year, and we learn more about how the animals living there survive in these harsh climates.

The series focuses on animals such as polar bears, killer whales, Adelie penguins, Emperor penguins, Weddell seals and more. To bring the documentary to life, filmmakers spent more than 2,300 days in the field and 18 months at sea.

Episodes: 7

Average episode length: 59 minutes

What the critics say: The Hollywood Reporter said: "The camerawork here is phenomenal. On the ground, in the air, underwater — the viewer consistently gets the sense that a very dedicated group of people made this come together."

A Perfect Planet

In A Perfect Planet we see how the various natural processes of the planet that work in tandem to ensure that every corner of Earth can sustain life. Each episode focuses on a different elements: volcanoes, the sun, weather, oceans and finally, humans. Filming took place over four years, across 31 countries, so there's plenty of incredible footage to enjoy.

The first week of 2021 saw A Perfect Planet becoming one of BBC iPlayer's most popular programmes, keeping the nation entertained during lockdown and beyond.

Episodes: 5

Average episode length: 58 minutes

What the critics say:  New Scientist said: "A Perfect Planet is a great blend of natural history and earth science, making it one of Attenborough’s best projects. This unique experience is sure to make us think more about how natural forces have shaped the planet to allow life to flourish and to make us question the scale of human impact on it."

The Blue Planet

Go exploring under the ocean thanks to The Blue Planet, a series that travels from various coasts to the poles examining the depths of the water. Although two-thirds of the world's surface is covered with water, scientists know less about the oceans than they do about the surface of the moon, so it's a fascinating place to research and learn more about.

Each episode of the documentary focuses on a different area from the deep ocean to frozen seas, where David Attenborough provides insight into the fascinating creatures who call it home. There's also a sequel to the documentary called Blue Planet II for even more footage.

Episodes: 8

Average episode length: 58 minutes

What the critics say:  UCL PI Media said: "These documentaries do an incredible amount to elevate public interest in the natural world, as well as to raise awareness of our relationship with it. They are a credit to the BBC, and almost worth the TV licence alone; may they continue for many years to come."

Seven Worlds, One Planet

This series explores the continents of the world with episodes focusing on Antarctica, Africa, North and South America, Asia, Australia and Europe. Over 1,500 people worked on the series, which was filmed over 1,794 days, with 92 shoots across 41 countries, and features music from celebrated composer Hans Zimmer.

In Seven Worlds, One Planet you'll see an array of animals such as penguins, pumas,  lizards, sharks, fish, polar bears, and more.

Episodes: 8

Average episode length: 58 minutes

What the critics say: NY Times said: "Seven Worlds is full of the usual beauty and spectacle: a forest full of fireflies that could have been painted by Seurat; a thrillingly close shot of an anaconda thundering along a riverbed; a dingo in relentless pursuit of a kangaroo that can’t afford a single stumble."

Life On Earth

Life On Earth was originally broadcast in 1979, but it's still available to watch on-demand via iPlayer. In this classic series, David Attenborough travels the globe in order to trace the story of the evolution of life on the planet. The series was a huge international success.

Episodes: 13

Average episode length: 55 minutes 

What the critics say: The Atlantic praised the 12th episode in particular, saying: "The gorilla sequence has become synonymous with Attenborough’s name, and an icon of British television. It speaks to our deep connection with other animals, and the joy we can find among them."

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Life, they say, is a series of contrasts. Same goes for art. (Disclosure: I have no idea if they say that, or who "they" are in the first place.) You don't even have to get halfway through the first eight episodes of Sweet Tooth on Netflix before you see that in action.

The series — based on a 2009 D.C. comic by Jeff Lemire — goes something like this: A deadly virus decimated the globe some 10 years ago. Nearly simultaneously, babies began being born as human/animal hybrids, and nobody knows why. That could be the start of some The Walking Dead-esque spinoff. But instead what we get — and we're pretty much greeted with this out of the gate — is one of the more touching and gentile shows of late.

There are no zombies. Civilization has fallen (presumably worldwide), but there are still pockets of normalcy. The linear timeline means the hybrid children are just that — still children. And with children comes innocence, and the help of those who are able to see the good in change. But widespread death and destruction also tends to bring out the worst in many of us.

That sets the table for a compelling series that will bring you to tears as often as it's going to turn your stomach. 

Sweet Tooth is an odd name for a series about the apocalypse. But there's that whole contrast thing again. It actually is referring to a young deer/boy named Gus (Christian Convery), who has spent the last 10 years living in the middle of the woods, alone, with his father, who he calls Pubba (Will Forte). Pubba seems simple, but learned. You can't quite tell if that's because he's trying to teach and protect a kid who's part human and part animal, and very obviously in danger should the outside world find him, or if it's just who Pubba is. Pubba recreates children's books. He tells Gus stories. He does his best to raise this little deer child alone in the woods as best he can.

We also meet Dr. Aditya Singh (Adeel Akhtar) and his wife, Rani (Aliza Vellani). When "The Great Crumble" went down (a childish name for the end of the world, no?) Singh and his hospital went through something that we actually have far more context for today than we might have had Sweet Tooth had been released two years ago. (The pilot episode was shot in 2019 in New Zealand, pre-actual pandemic.)

The experience was so bad, that it led him to hang up his stethoscope and care for Rani full-time. It turns out she's got "The Sick," too — but he's been able to keep it at bay with some sort of secret, experimental treatment. Good thing, too. Because we find out what happens if your pinky finger starts to tremble, which is the telltale sign that you're infected. The Singhs' neighbors are quick to act when one of their own starts to shake at house party. They strap poor Doug to a chair using cellophane cling. Wrap, and set his house on fire. All while singing "Auld Lang Syne" from the front yard. 

But instead of saying goodbye to the previous year, they're saying goodbye to their friend, whom they're burning alive. It's absolutely civilized incivility. Because contrasts.

Dr. Singh ends up being recruited to take over the medical practice that in addition to just keeping the surviving population healthy as possible also happens to make the secret treatments that are keeping his wife alive and symptom free. And he quickly learns that the secret treatment has an extremely high price.

Meanwhile, Gus and Pubba can't stay hidden in the woods forever. They're eventually found by Tommy Jepperd (Nonso Anozie), who Gus, in his limited vocabulary and experience, calls "Big Man." Jep is just trying to do his thing on his own. He doesn't want any part of Gus. And to be fair, Gus initially tried to do what he'd been taught by Pubba should strangers show up. "If I hear a voice, I will run. If I see a human, I will hide." But the call of life outside the fence is strong, especially because Gus believes he can find his mother in a place called Colorado. He's maybe naive, but he's also smarter than he lets on.

That leads to a fairly epic great train adventure, as well as them meeting the Animal Army. They're a bunch of orphaned teens and young adults who have dedicated their post-apocalyptic lives to protecting the hybrid children. They train in virtual reality but also have a definitely Lord of the Flies feel to them, which ultimately leads to the ouster of the leader, Bear (Stefania LaVie Owen). She's as hopeful as she is realistic — more example of contrast — but ultimately becomes an integral part of the Sweet Tooth/Big Man/Bear triad.

Two other faces we need to introduce — Amiee Eden (Dania Ramirez), who was a former therapist when The Great Crumble happened. She founded The Preserve, which becomes a sanctuary for orphaned hybrids. Obviously The Preserve (and Amiee) are a pretty big target of the "Last Men," who are set on eradicating all the hybrids. That means attracting the attention of General Abbot (Neil Sandilands), who's a sort of Nazi throwback who will let absolutely nothing stop him or his beard from accumulating power while killing who needs to be killed.

All of these characters and their backstories (at times explored via flashback) begin to weave together as we close in on what obviously is the first of multiple seasons. (At least it better be, with the multiple cliffhangers.) We start to get some answers. We start to get more questions about those answers. We learn that the same thing that created The Sick also created the hybrids. (We still don't quite know how, though. Or why.)

And we get all that with that same underlying theme of light and dark, good and evil. A gentle touch vs. unspeakable violence. And that it's all done with an elegance and grace that belies the fact that that it's all happening in the transition between the end of the world and the start of a new one. It's not The Walking Dead. There's not blood for blood's sake. You won't find a severed head anywhere. But you know it's out there, and it's not that far away.

The question at this point is whether it'll catch up with the intrepid travelers in Season 2, and who it might reach out and take. Regardless, it'll make you feel a few things along the way.

Nobody showcases the wonders of nature quite like Sir David Attenborough. Now, the veteran broadcaster is back with an epic new BBC1 series Attenborough’s Life in Colour, exploring the impact of colour on the animal kingdom.

Here’s everything you need to know about Attenborough's Life in Colour…

Where can we watch Attenborough’s Life in Colour?

Attenborough’s Life in Colour, which is two parts, starts on Sunday February 28 on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer at 7pm.

What is Attenborough’s Life in Colour about?

The series see Sir David Attenborough examine how colour is vital within the natural world. He looks at how many creatures’ pigmentations and patterns help them attract a mate, beat a rival, hunt their prey or avoid predators.

“For us, colour is a source of beauty and wonder but for animals, it’s a tool for survival,” says Attenborough. “Colours attract attention, blend beautifully with their background and create extraordinary displays.”

Attenborough's Life in Colour also uses state-of-the-art technology to uncover how a variety of creatures can see a wider colour spectrum than humans.

“With new cameras, some developed especially for this series, we can reveal a world which has long been hidden from our eyes and that only some animals can see,” explains Attenborough.

Which animals are featured?

A host of creatures from across the globe come under the spotlight, including several birds who are seen displaying their gorgeous colours in a courtship dance to win a mate such as the hummingbird, peacock, bird-of-paradise and flamingo.

Attenborough also profiles mammals such as the Bengal tiger, whose orange fur is nearly invisible to its prey, while the black and white stripes of a zebra are a clever optical illusion to confuse its predators. Footage of male mandrill monkeys shows how their vibrant faces and rumps display their status to their peers. And the presenter also reveals how the iridescent peacock mantis shrimp reflects polarised light to signal to mates and rivals.

Is there a trailer?

There certainly is and it's a delight! It sees Attenborough demonstrate the startling difference between how we see a flower or a butterfly and how they are seen through an insect’s eyes. The brightly hued poison-dart frog and the fiddler crab also appear and a camouflaged tiger is shown lying in wait for a deer. A colourful toucan and a dazzling zebra are featured too. “There’s more to this story than meets the eye,” says Attenborough.

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Springwatch presenter Gillian Burke will be broadcasting from her home turf of Cornwall as the BBC2 series returns. Here she tells us why this season's show will be very different....

Springwatch presenter Gillian Burke reveals how this season's show is going to be a little different due to lockdown because unlike all previous series the presenters won't be venturing far from their homes. Presenter and biologist Gillian will be broadcasting from Cornwall where she lives, while fellow presenters Chris Packham and Iolo Williams will also be sticking to their home turfs; Chris will be in the New Forest while Iolo will be in Mid-Wales.

Meanwhile there will be guest presenters joining the show from their respective bases including wildlife presenter Steve Backshall, ecologist Ellie Harrison, wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan and Chris Packham's step-daughter, Megan McCubbin.

We spoke to Gillian to find out what wildlife she's hoping to show us from the rugged Cornish coastline and which creatures she's been missing most during lockdown....

We speak to Springwatch presenter Gillian Burke

You can't all be in the usual Springwatch hub this year but will be working from your own bases. How different will the show be this season?

Gillian Burke: "I think of this as an incredibly unique spring. There hasn't been one like it and for obvious reasons let's hope there's never one like it again. We've been handed the mother of all curveballs. It’s meant that we have to find new ways of delivering these stories from the natural world that right now, judging by all the social media feeds and online, people are really hungry for. This year’s Springwatch will be unlike any previous years, we’ll be doing things differently but we’re also going to bring that sense of community and find a way to connect with other people and with the natural world."

Are you going to be broadcasting Springwatch from your garden in Cornwall?

GB: "Well this might come as a shock to people especially as I’m a wildlife presenter, but unlike Chris and Iolo I don’t actually have a garden. I live in the middle of town and I’ve only got a tiny 2m by 2m space outside with a few pots and plants so I really can’t broadcast from there. Instead I’m going to be based a short distance from here at the Cornwall Beaver Project which is a site we featured a couple of years back on Autumnwatch. By the time we go live there’s every chance some of the restrictions could be lifted and we might be able to widen the net and go elsewhere. I’m very lucky to live where I do in terms of having access to really rugged coastlines and beautiful places, so I’m really hoping to bring a lot of that to viewers."

Do you think wildlife has benefited during lockdown?

GB: "In the first week of lockdown I could almost sense the birds looking around and going ‘What do they know that we don’t know? Something’s happened!’ It was just so quiet here in town. The local heron gulls are really missing out on people dropping their pasties everywhere! In terms of our coastline, beaches that would normally be covered in people have been really quiet. I’ve seen so many more birds foraging than I would normally see."

What wildlife have you been missing during lockdown?

GB: "What I miss most is not being able to get in the water and snorkel and free dive in what I think is some of the most stunning habitat of any coastal or marine habitat with the kelp beds and the sea grass meadows. But having said that, I’ve noticed grey seals coming up regularly in areas where I wouldn’t normally expect to see them so they might be making an appearance on Springwatch. It’s interesting seeing which animals are making the most of having a lot less people around.

MORE: "It's going to be emotional" Chris Packham on this year's Springwatch

Have there been some positives then?

GB: "I’ve actually quite enjoyed the slower pace of life and having to stick to my own patch for the last couple of months. Every year I like watching about eight or nine nesting pairs of fulmars that return to a very unassuming little stretch of coastline. They returned again this spring and because I’ve been around I’ve been able to check on them daily unlike previous years."

What has lockdown been like generally in Cornwall?

GB: "We’ve been taking it very seriously on the Cornish Peninsula because there’s only one major hospital which serves all of Cornwall which is based in Truro. Even before lockdown I had started looking at the commitments I had and was cancelling things. I don’t think it’s responsible to be travelling to talks and events which really aren’t essential, especially as a biologist when I understand the mechanisms of how epidemics and pandemics are created. My family in Kenya are in lockdown so I don’t know when I will see them and there are family members I’m concerned about. For now everyone is ok in my little circle, and I’m grateful for that."

Michaela Strachan is in lockdown in South Africa so won’t be able to join the Springwatch presenting line-up this year. Are you going to miss her?

GB: "Definitely! I’m going to miss her a lot. No disrespect to my colleagues Chris and Iolo but the sisterhood is strong. I really love having Michaela to talk to and I've had a few chats with her from South Africa over the last few weeks. She always brings this amazing energy and passion to the show. It’s going to be really weird, not having around."

Springwatch begins on BBC2 on Tuesday 26 May, BBC2

Pix: (C) BBC - Photographer: Jo Charlesworth

Eden’s new documentary Tall & Tiny: Nature’s Extremes looks at the very big and the very small living and naturally formed things on Earth

From the giant blue whale feeding off tiny krill, to delicate little hummingbirds and huge harpy eagles, Eden’s one-off documentary Tall & Tiny: Nature’s Extremes travels around the world to capture wildlife at both ends of the size scale.

It begins in the Great Barrier Reef with minute seahorses hiding in the coral, before leaping to the Amazon rainforest to capture a family of giant river otters and the largest rodent in the world, the capybara.

In Africa, as ostriches two-and-a-half metres tall spirit across the sand, a lofty giraffe stretches his magnificent neck, while tiny antelope called dik-diks hang out with a herd of elephants.

For full listings, see our TV Guide.

TV Times rating: ***

The natural historian - seen here in previous series Seven Worlds, One Planet - will be returning to our screens for a brand new five-part series...

The BBC has revealed that Sir David Attenbrough will present a major new natural history series called A Perfect Planet, which will focus on how humans can become a "force for good".

Teasing the five-part epic, 93-year-old Sir David says: "Oceans, sunlight, weather and volcanoes - together these powerful yet fragile forces allow life to flourish in astonishing diversity. They make Earth truly unique - a perfect planet.

"Our planet is one in a billion, a world teeming with life. But now, a new dominant force is changing the face of Earth: humans. To preserve our perfect planet we must ensure we become a force for good."

BBC's Director of Content Charlotte Moore said that BBC1 is continuing to lead the way in natural history programming.

She added, "I’m thrilled that Sir David Attenborough will be our trusted guide to A Perfect Planet. It will be a breathtaking series celebrating the intricate systems that allow our planet to thrive, bringing together a unique perspective with groundbreaking camera technology."

https://www.facebook.com/bbcearth/photos/perfect-planet-will-be-a-unique-fusion-of-blue-chip-natural-history-and-earth-sc/2375640532469489/

A Perfect Planet is a "unique fushion of blue chip natural history and Earth Sciences". The series will explain how the living planet operates, by showing how the forces of nature support the Earth's great diversity of life.

MORE: Take Me Out axed after 11 years by ITV

Viewers will get to see locations such as Ellesemere Island, the Galapagos, China, Hawaii, the Bahamas and more, as the series reveals how animals are perfectly adapted to whatever the environment throws their way.

Perfect Planet is a Silverback Films Production for BBC and Discovery, and will be available on BBC1 and Discovery Channel.

Sir David's recent BBC series have included Seven Worlds, One Planet and Planet Earth II.

A start date has not yet been confirmed, althought A Perfect Planet - fronted by David Attenborough - is expected later this year.

Eden’s new three-part series Earth: The Nature of Our Planet looks at the importance of air, land and water for Earth’s survival

Eden’s new three-part documentary Earth: The Nature of Our Planet looks at how life is determined by the elements – air, earth and water.

Shown on consecutive nights, and beginning with air, this episode reveals everything from the weather (some spectacular footage of tornadoes) to how air carries sound, ultrasonic waves, light and smell essential for animal survival.

Highlights are seeing a flying lizard escaping a flying snake and South American coati cubs (pictured top) who use air to help sniff out a venomous spider.

Geography students might find this a useful revision tool if not a welcome distraction from their books.

For full listings, see our TV Guide.

TV Times rating: ****