Prehistoric Planet Is the Next Evolutionary Step in the Nature Documentary

Nature documentaries have come a long way since high school science class, and much of the reason for that is the excellent work that has been done by the BBC’s Natural History Unit to bring the natural world into our homes through engaging, high-definition footage that is as beautiful as it is educational.

Even if you don’t know it by name or reputation, you’ve likely seen its work: The studio is behind the award-winning Planet Earth franchise, as well as recent docuseries like Dynasties, which focuses on vulnerable species threatened by the human world; Seven Worlds, One Planet, which visits each continent to highlight its unique ecosystems and wildlife; and A Perfect Planet, which digs into how forces of nature like weather systems, volcanoes, ocean currents, and solar energy lead to and drive Earth’s ability to sustain diverse lifeforms. Each new series is as awe-inspiring as the last, but for a while now, I’ve found myself wondering: What is the next evolutionary step in the nature documentary? Where do we go from here? Thanks to Apple TV+, we now have an answer—but it’s one that is rather unexpected: dinosaurs.

In the new five-night event series Prehistoric Planet, the BBC’s Natural History Unit uses the latest discoveries in paleontology and photorealistic visual effects applied to concept art to recreate these magnificent creatures in all of their glory. Like so many of the documentaries produced by the studio, the series is hosted by renowned natural historian Sir David Attenborough and takes viewers throughout the prehistoric world—which is similar to our own in many ways—to introduce us to the many different types of dinosaurs that once called this planet home.

As the episodes travel through coastal waters and desert basins to the frozen tundra, we’re treated to lifelike recreations (how lifelike depends largely on the dinosaur in question and the action that’s being depicted on screen) that showcase what life was like for everything from well-known dinosaurs like the formidable Tyrannosaurus rex to lesser known varieties like mononykus and nanuqsaurus. The educational program also sets the record straight about what a velociraptor really looked like, since Jurassic Park—which starred Attenborough’s brother, Richard—got it wrong nearly 30 years ago and has continued to live a lie (they were actually much smaller and had feathers).

The structure and style of Prehistoric Planet isn’t particularly novel—anyone who’s spent any time watching the studio’s documentaries will recognize the format and the narrative beats the show uses to tell its story. In fact, it sometimes feels like producers have taken storylines from recently captured footage of the animal kingdom and overlaid the story of the dinosaurs on top. It makes perfect sense to do so, too, since many of the developments and challenges of the natural world remain unchanged today. The daily fight for survival, the search for a mate to ensure the species lives on, the threat of scarce natural resources—everything that was in play then is still in play now for much of the animal kingdom (of course, today’s animals must also deal with the added threat of humanity and its devastating effects on the environment as well).