Dynasties II — release date, what it’s about and everything we know

By Caren Clark
published

Sir David Attenborough’s new show Dynasties II looks at four incredible animal families.

The line-up for Dynasties II.
A cheetah, a hyena, an elephant and a puma come under the spotlight in Dynasties II. (Image credit: BBC)

Dynasties II will take an in-depth peek at the struggles faced by four very different animals across the globe.

The four-part BBC One wildlife show is narrated by Sir David Attenborough and is a follow-up to the acclaimed 2018 documentary Dynasties.

Here’s everything we know about Dynasties II…

Dynasties II — release date

The show will air on Sunday, March 20 at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. 

Dynasties II will air on BBC America at a later date.

Dynasties II — what is it about?

While the first season looked at David the chimpanzee in Senegal, Charm the lioness in the Masai Mara, a colony of Emperor penguins in the Antarctic, Rahj Bera the tiger in India, and Blacktip the painted wolf in Zimbabwe, the new run will focus on the trials of four other animal families, all led by powerful females, as they try to protect their relatives and secure their line.

The groups face life and death struggles as they experience extreme weather, predators and rivals in order to ensure that their family survives. Along the way, they have to learn to adapt as they battle it out for vital resources.

A puma in Dynasties II.

A puma fights for survival in Dynasties II. (Image credit: BBC)

The opening episode follows a puma family led by the indomitable Rupestre, while later installments will look at an elephant herd who are guided by their matriarch Angelina, a group of cheetahs with formidable Kali at the helm, and a clan of hyenas supported by intrepid Suma. 

"Dynasties II will be a gripping look at the lives of four remarkable wild animals as they struggle to build a family against the odds," explains Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Science and Natural History at the BBC. 

"With characters you fall in love with and genuine life-and-death stakes, this will be a series every bit as thrilling as the greatest drama."

An elephant in Dynasties II.

An elephant leads her herd in Dynasties II. (Image credit: BBC)

Where was Dynasties II filmed?

A cheetah in Dynasties II.

A cheetah faces challenges to keep her family safe in Dynasties II. (Image credit: BBC)

The documentary was shot in the snowy Andes in South America as well as in the heat of Africa including the plains beneath Mount Kilimanjaro and the wetlands close to the Zambezi River.

"Being able to tell these stories is a wildlife film-maker's dream and just like in series one, they are going to be a gripping rollercoaster ride," says executive producer Mike Gunton.

A hyena in Dynasties II.

A hyena tries to secure her line in Dynasties II. (Image credit: BBC)

Is there a trailer?

Not yet but we will add it here when it is released.

Where can I watch the first season of Dynasties?

The five-part show is on BBC iPlayer as well as Amazon and Google.

Caren Clark
Caren Clark

Caren has been a journalist specializing in TV for almost two decades and is a Senior Features Writer for TV Times, TV & Satellite Week and What’s On TV magazines and she also writes for What to Watch.


Over the years, she has spent many a day in a muddy field or an on-set catering bus chatting to numerous stars on location including the likes of Olivia Colman, David Tennant, Suranne Jones, Jamie Dornan, Dame Judi Dench and Sir Derek Jacobi as well as Hollywood actors such as Glenn Close and Kiefer Sutherland.


Caren will happily sit down and watch any kind of telly (well, maybe not sci-fi!), but she particularly loves period dramas like Call the Midwife, Downton Abbey and The Crown and she’s also a big fan of juicy crime thrillers from Line of Duty to Poirot.


In her spare time, Caren enjoys going to the cinema and theatre or curling up with a good book.