Life on Earth

1979
Life on Earth

Seasons & Episodes

  • 1
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EP1 The Infinite Variety Jan 16, 1979

This episode explores the variety of nature as a whole, from the South American rainforest's to the shores of Australia.

EP2 Building Bodies Jan 23, 1979

This episode explores the various sea-living invertebrates, form the shores of Morocco to Delaware Bay.

EP3 The First Forests Jan 30, 1979

Over 400 million years ago, tiny plants began to invade the land, followed by the first animals - the ancestors of scorpions, millipedes and insects

EP4 The Swarming Hordes Feb 06, 1979

The role of a few of the millions of insect species, some of which have developed extremely close relationships with plants. Insects pollinate flowers and in some cases neither flower nor insect can survive without the other.

EP5 Conquest of the Waters Feb 13, 1979

A look at some of the 30,000 species of fish which exist in populations of billions. They can fly, produce electricity, survive in hot soda lakes or under the Antarctic ice. Some, like the salmon, even migrate across oceans and up waterfalls

EP6 Invasion of the Land Feb 20, 1979

Some 350 million years ago, evolution reached one of its most crucial stages when fish crawled from water onto the land and became amphibians. Today, newts, salamanders, toads and frogs still survive in great quantities, and there is even one species of frog where the male gives birth from its mouth!

EP7 Victors of the Dry Land Feb 27, 1979

A look at the history of reptiles, the first back-boned creatures to solve the problems of living high and dry on the land. Their waterproofed skin and sealed eggs enabled the mighty reptiles to rule the world

EP8 Lords of the Air Mar 06, 1979

We examine the uses and advantages of birds' unique possession - the feather. Feathers are insulators; they provide the surface of the most perfect aerofoils known - bird's wings; and they play a central role in courtship

EP9 The Rise of the Mammals Mar 13, 1979

A look at the evolution of mammals from reptiles 200 million years ago. This remarkable transition involved the development of mechanisms for regulating body temperature, for allowing the young to develop in the womb and for suckling newborns. Attenborough also explores the South American origins of marsupials and their colonization of Australia

EP10 Theme and Variations Mar 20, 1979

A look at some of the huge variety of mammals. Bats number over a thousand species, many hunt insects, some sip nectar, drink blood, and even catch fish. Contrast those which use sonar with the great whales that sing, the star-nosed mole and the giant anteater, and the potential variations become dramatically clear

EP11 The Hunters and Hunted Mar 27, 1979

Explore the eternal duel between the hunters and the hunted - one of the driving forces of evolution. As the hunters develop speed and cunning, the prey becomes increasingly fast and wary in order to stay alive. Nowhere is this seen better than on the plains of East Africa

EP12 Life in the Trees Apr 03, 1979

David Attenborough's now legendary encounter with young gorillas is featured in this episode as he looks at the history of primates, whose ancestors sought their fortune in the treetops. There they developed binocular vision for accurately judging distances, and the ability to grasp trees with a firm grip. The group includes dazzling gymnasts, deafening choristers and highly cultured monkeys

EP13 The Compulsive Communicators Apr 10, 1979

A look for crucial clues that help to explain how and why we have come to dominate life on Earth. He traces back the African origins of humans to nearly three million years ago, and along the way he goes into caves in Southern France where stone-age people created imaginative paintings of ice-age animals. He also travels to Papua New Guinea to find some hunter-gatherers who have never before set eyes on white people
9.1| 0h30m| en| More Info
Released: 16 January 1979 Ended
Producted By: BBC Studios Natural History Unit
Country: United Kingdom
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: http://bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01qjcmb
Synopsis

The story of life, from the first primitive cells to the plants and animals that now live around us.

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BBC Studios Natural History Unit

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Reviews

Sameer Sir David Attenborough is the greatest wildlife presenter and 'Life on Earth' most likely is the greatest nature documentary ever made. In the episodes, he talks about the story of life from the first primitive cells to the plants, animals and humans. Overall there are 13 episodes and the last one is for humans. I have this masterpiece documentary, i highly recommend anyone to watch it. I love the way how he ends the final episode. While he talks about humans began to learn different languages, the hands of people writing in different languages is seen in the video, then David Attenborough takes a paper and write the English language and that is 'Life on Earth'.
Jay Bowles I still remember watching the first episode of this series with my Father back in 1979. Wow, that is a long time ago! I was about twelve and sat transfixed to the television. I'd never seen anything like it and it really answered so many questions and inspired others. As mentioned elsewhere it is beautifully shot, using a great score and sound effects. Sir David's (he is now!) delivery, enthusiasm, scripting skills and knowledge shine through.Okay the sound is mono and it is not HD, but that doesn't matter. This really is a classic piece of work, like a Hitchcock. It was the first of it's kind and a must watch for all nature / evolution fans. Years later I went to University and the first episode was used as a teaching aid for year one students on the geology course; it was that good.Viewers that are students, must realise that the science of evolution has moved on and not everything is scientifically correct now. But, that adds another edge to this where you can see how our knowledge has moved on so much. For non scientists though there is much to learn and if you find yourself as visually engaged as I was at age twelve then you can then maybe settle down and work your way through the rest of the Sir David Attenborough classics! Believe me the series is well worth a watch even if you're only slightly interested in nature and evolution.
Camera Obscura Sir David Attenborough is best known for his spectacular natural history projects like "Trials of Life", "Life of Plants", "Life in the Freezer" and this one, "Life on Earth", which made him one of the most characteristic and most-loved television personalities in the history of British television. He also has one of the longest careers in television of anyone still on the air today. Joining the BBC in 1952, he first became a producer for the Talks Department, which handled all non-fiction broadcasts. Originally discouraged from appearing on camera because an administrator thought his teeth were too big, he did went on presenting "Zoo Quest", an educational program featuring animals from the London Zoo, which first aired in 1954. From 1965 to 1969 David Attenborough was the main Controller for BBC2, where he was responsible for the introduction of the first television broadcasts in colour in the UK and soon after he also initiated televised snooker. Many might loath him for the latter, but starting with "Life on Earth" he went on to produce a series of natural history documentaries of truly epic proportions. It was the first in a mammoth trilogy, together with "The Living Planet" (1985) and "Trials of Life" (1990). He showed to have a real talent for screen-writing and presenting skills combined with an expert knowledge of natural history. With his irresistible flair and talent for presentation coupled with stunning cinematic images and a beautiful music score, this was a truly groundbreaking series.Whilst having seen the individual episodes on television several times now, for reviewing I prefer the two-hour VHS-version from 1985, at that time a newly re-edited BBC video-release from the original 16 hour series. Watching this version, it plays much more like a feature film. With the featured geological and ecological time-scale, combined with a perfect integration of sound and image, it's as close a documentary - at least a nature documentary - has ever got to achieve something almost purely cinematic in expression. Still active at 80 years old, Attenborough is currently filming for his latest project, "Life in Cold Blood", a series about reptiles and amphibians, due for completion in 2008.For any (aspriring) biology teacher, show this two-hour version to a group of children in class, and you will never have to answer unnecessary questions about evolution and ecology again.Camera Obscura
Spleen The opening music - redolent of `Also Sprach Zarathustra' - still sends a shiver down my spine. One hears it and just KNOWS that this is one of THE ground-breaking television documentaries of all time. Some of the detail is bound to be outdated by now; but so far as presentation is concerned, `Life on Earth' is timeless, wearing its years far more lightly than `Cosmos' does, or than `The Civil War' will.The title says it all. Attenborough is giving us nothing less than the story of life on Earth, from the beginning to the present, but concentrating on a few key innovations (episodes bear titles like, `The Invasion of the Land', `A Watertight Skin', `Pouch and Placenta', and so on). The other emphasis is on the poetry of life on Earth. So it's not an even-handed history. What we're getting is a look at the origin of particular things alive today: so birds get much more attention than trilobites; animals get more attention than plants; mammals get more attention than insects; and we hominids have a whole episode to ourselves. This is as it should be. When cockroaches start making documentaries, they can concentrate on what interests THEM; but tough luck, they can't, so it's our show. All the same, watching the final episode (`The Compulsive Communicators'), AFTER having watched all the preceding episodes, gives us a stronger feeling of our true place in evolutionary time than any number of diagrams or Carl Sagan calendars.This gets my vote for being Attenborough's best work, the best television documentary ever made, and possibly (not that I know enough to judge) the BBC's greatest achievement. It's long overdue for a re-screening.