Human Planet

Human Planet
Series title card from the BBC broadcast
Narrated by	John Hurt
Composer	Nitin Sawhney
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No.of episodes	8
Production
Executive producers	Brian Leith, Dale Templar
Producers	Nicolas Brown, Mark Flowers, Tom-Hugh Jones, Tuppence Stone
Cinematography	Pete Haynes, Matt Norman, Toby Strong, Robin Cox, Timothy Allen
Running time	60 minutes
Production companies	BBC Natural History Unit BBC Cymru Wales Discovery Channel France Télévisions
Original release
Network	BBC One BBC HD
Release	13 January(2011-01-13)– 3 March 2011(2011-03-03)

Human Planetis an 8-part British television documentary series. It is produced by theBBCwith co-production fromFrance TelevisionsDiscoveryandBBC Worldwide.It describes the human species and its relationship with the natural world by showing the remarkable ways humans have adapted to life in every environment on Earth.The show drew attention for alleged fakery and the BBC eventually acknowledged that a number of scenes were inaccurately depicted or misleading and withdrew the series from distribution.

Human Planetwas originally screened in the UK onBBC Oneeach Thursday at 8pm over eight weeks, starting from 13 January 2011. Domestic repeats have been seen onEden,with all 8 episodes aired over one week in April 2012.BBC Worldwide has since announced they have sold the broadcast rights to 22 international markets.

Production

Announced in 2007,the production teams based at theBBC Natural History Unitin Bristol andBBC Walesspent three years shooting over 70 stories in some of the most remote locations on Earth spanning about 40 countries. Each episode of the series focuses on a different human-inhabited environment, including deserts, jungles, theArctic,grasslands, rivers, mountains, oceans, and the urban landscape.

For the first time on a BBC landmark series, the production had a dedicated stills photographer,Timothy Allen,who documented the project photographically for the books and multimedia that accompany the series.

Broadcast

Country/Region	Channel	Narrator
Australia	ABC1
New Zealand	Prime
United Kingdom	BBC One Eden	John Hurt
United States	Discovery Channel Discovery en Español	Mike Rowe(English) Gael Garcia Bernal(Spanish)

Episodes

Only one creature has carved a life for itself in every habitat on Earth. That creature is us. All over the world we still use our ingenuity to survive in the wild places far from the city lights - face to face with raw nature. This is the Human Planet.

— John Hurt's opening narration

Episode	Title	Original air date
1	"Oceans – Into the Blue"	13 January 2011(2011-01-13)
The beginning of the episode contrasts the richness and dangers of the oceans with the adaptability and endeavour of the people attracted to it, and their reliance on oceanic resources with its exploitation. Topics include:goose barnaclecollection in coastalGaliciain northernSpain;sperm whalehunting off theIndonesianarchipelagoisland ofLembata;bottlenose dolphinassisted fishing atLagunainBrazil;the spiritual origins and modern aspects ofsurfinginHawaii;shark calling inPapua New Guinea;the dangers ofcompressor divingaroundPalawanin thePhilippines;and the transient stateless houseboatBajau peopleliving in theCoral SeanearBorneo. The "Behind the Lens" end-section looks on the dangers of compressor diving in thePhilippines.
2	"Deserts – Life in the Furnace"	20 January 2011(2011-01-20)
The second instalment deals with the lifestyles and adaptations of people existing in the unforgiving arid regions of the Earth. Topics include:cattle herdersracingAfrican elephantsto Lake Banzena for scarce water resources inMali;sacred Antogofishingby theDogon peoplein a drought shrunken Mali lake;Tubuwomen inNigernavigating their way across theSaharawith acamel caravanon the way to market; the struggle between wolves andcameland sheep herders in the wintryGobi Desert;moisture farmingfor agriculture in theAtacama Desert;mining and networking underground aqueducts in ruralAlgeria;details of extravagant water usage inLas Vegas;and the annualGuérewolfertility dance of theWodaabeFula peopleinNiger. The "Behind the Lens" end-section the crew follow on Tubu women inNiger,and the challenges of filming them with a cinebulle.
3	"Arctic – Life in the Deep Freeze"	27 January 2011(2011-01-27)
The third episode looks at the hunting season of some of the 4 millionpeopleeking out a living within the hostileArctic Circle.Topics include:InuithuntingGreenland sharksas food for theirhuskies;using aneap tideto gathermusselsunder sea ice in North-eastern Canada; huntingnarwhals(prized as a source ofVitamin C) using traditional methods in Greenland; in July, using nets to harvestauksinSiorapaluk,Greenland; preparingkiviak,made by fermenting auks in a seal skin; in September, herding and driving ofreindeerbySami peopleonArnøyain Norway; and in October, removing migratingpolar bearsinChurchill, ManitobaCanada. The "Behind the Lens" end-section reveals on the difficulties of locating narwhals on the unpredictable ice-floes.
4	"Jungles – People of the Trees"	3 February 2011(2011-02-03)
This episode examines how people survive in tropical forests, where there is often less protein available than in the deserts. Topics include:blowgunhunting canopymonkeyswith theMatisin Brazil; huntinggoliath tarantulawith thePiaroa peoplein Venezuela; breastfeeding orphaned monkey pets by theAwá Guajápeople of the eastern Amazon; huntingbirds-of-paradisefor plumage used to crown costumes at theMount Hagen sing-singinPapua New Guinea;gatheringhoneycombwith theBayakain theCongo jungle;logging timber usingAsian elephantsinAssam,India; gathering evidence ofuncontacted peoplesin Brazil; and building atree house35 metres high with theKorowaiinWest Papua,Indonesia.This was later revealed to have been faked. The "Behind the Lens" end-section follows the camera team's attempts on the challenges of filming in the trees.
5	"Mountains – Life in Thin Air"	10 February 2011(2011-02-10)
This show highlights the attraction of mountains for people, such as security or rare resource exploitation. Topics include: ethnicKazakhshunting withgolden eaglesin theAltai MountainsofMongolia;cliff-farmers battlinggeladamonkeys in theSemien MountainsofEthiopia;mining rocksulphurin the activeIjencrater on the Indonesian island ofJava;Yangoru-boiken tribe members huntinggiant batsin theNew Guinea Highlands;avalanche control using dynamite on mountains nearGrindelwaldin theSwiss Alps;cataractsdue to high-UV rates, and free eye surgery provided by Dr.Sanduk Ruitin remote areas of theHimalayas,Nepal;and aTibetansky burialusing vultures high in the rural mountainside. The "Behind the Lens" end-section focus on the challenges of finding prey for the golden eagles.
6	"Grasslands – Roots of Power"	17 February 2011(2011-02-17)
The sixth instalment shows humanity's reliance on grass species and the animals they support. Topics include:Dorobo peopleusing guile to stealwildebeestmeat from a lion pride inKenya;bushmentracking and ambushingkuduin theKalahari;nettingwater snakesfor food and for market inCambodia's floodedTonlé Sapgrasslands;Maasaiboys and ahoneyguideworking collaboratively to locate and then harvestAfrican beehoney; protecting rice crops inTanzaniafrom massive swarms ofquelea;musteringhorses on theMongolian steppein order to makeairag(a traditional fermented horse-milk yoghurt); traditional Donga stick-fights ofEthiopia'sSuritribesmen; mustering beef cattle by helicopter in the northernAustralian outback. The "Behind the Lens" end-section reveal on the difficulties and real-life dangers of stealing from a lion pride.
7	"Rivers – Friend and Foe"	24 February 2011(2011-02-24)
This episode documents people's attraction to the rich yet unpredictable river systems around the world. Topics include: fishermen traversing theMekong's cataracts inSi Phan Don,Laos,during the monsoon floods; a 100 kilometre 6-day winter trek to school along the frozenZanskar Riverin Ladakh, India; flood control through ice-breaking with dynamite along theRideau RiverinOttawa;moving houses threatened by a collapsing riverbank along theGangesinBangladesh;preparing for the annual flood onBrazil'sRio Negroby harvesting baby turtles; fishing in the rapids on the edge ofVictoria Falls;Samburucamel herders trackingelephantsto locate water below the dryMilgisriverbed in northernKenya;plastering themud-walled mosqueofDjenné;and the naturalliving bridgesofMeghalayain northern India. The "Behind the Lens" end-section focus on the challenging conditions of the Mekong'sKhone Falls.
8	"Cities – Surviving the Urban Jungle"	3 March 2011(2011-03-03)
The final episode concludes the series with an exploration of humans attempts to control urban nature. Topics include: usingfalconryinDubaito control the feralpigeonpopulation; local police onSegway scooterscontrolling wildelkstags inEstes Park, Colorado;the dilemma of selling food in arhesus macaque-infested market inJaipur;catching ratsand controlling other pests in New York City; dealing with abedbug infestationin London with asniffer dog;attracting feral pigeons inFesin order to harvest droppings for leathertanning;living with and profiting fromfree-tailed batsinAustin, Texas;Bishnoisrescuing and caring for orphaned fawns inRajasthan;the availability of non-seasonal or non-local foods all over the world;scavengingon alandfillinMombasa,Kenya; building the green city ofMasdarinAbu Dhabi;and urbanapiaryin New York City. The "Behind the Lens" end-section explores on a range of filming experiences from all habitats.

Reception

Human Planetwas nominated for 7BAFTATelevision Craft awards, the most for any programme in 2011, and it won 2 of them, both for the Arctic episode, where Jason Savage won the factual editing prize, and Will Edwards,Doug Allanand Matt Norman won the photography (cinematography) prize.

Controversy and inaccuracies

The BBC has issued multiple statements about inaccuracies within the series. A first statement admitted that "the portrayal of the [Korowai] tribe moving into the treehouse as a real home is not accurate. "In fact, the tribe built the treehouse on commission for the programme.A second statement stated that a scene depicting "a Lamaleran whale hunter named Benjamin Blikololong shown supposedly harpooning a whale" is also inaccurate.

The BBC also later disclosed that a scene from the "Deserts" episode, which supposedly showed a wild wolf being shot at by Mongolian herders, actually showed a semi-domesticated wolf running to its handler, who was kept out of frame. The wolf was not shot at.Another scene depicting Venezuelan children hunting tarantulas, while implied to be taking place in the jungle, actually was shot in a television studio.

As a result, the BBC withdrewHuman Planetfrom distribution pending a full editorial review.

Merchandise

The Region 2 DVD and Blu-ray three-disc set was released on 21 February 2011.

The Region 1 DVD and Blu-ray three-disc set was released on 26 April 2011.

The Region 4 DVD and Blu-ray three-disc set was released on 5 May 2011.

The accompanying hardcover book was released on 20 January 2011:Templar, Dale (2011).Human Planet.BBC Books.ISBN978-1-84607-956-6.

External links

• Human PlanetatBBC Online
• Human PlanetatBBC Earth
• Human PlanetatIMDb
• Human Planet Audio Slideshow– BBC interview with Human Planet photographer Timothy Allen
• Human Planet web exclusives– Behind the scenes and extra footage
• Human Planetblog
• Timothy Allen'sHuman Planetphotography blog
• Daily Telegraph Review
• Human Planet on Eden