Life On Our Planet is a documentary series from Silverback Films (Our Planet II, Wild Isles) and Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television that's now streaming on Netflix.
Similar to Apple TV Plus' docuseries, Prehistoric Planet, Life On Our Planet uses cutting-edge technology to bring some of prehistory's most impressive predators and ancient creatures back to life on our screens. It's not only about the past, though, as the series brings us up close and personal with all the major animal dynasties that have roamed the Earth, right up to the present day.
Produced by Steven Spielberg, narrated by Morgan Freeman, and made in partnership with Industrial Light & Magic (yes, the VFX team behind Star Wars and plenty of the biggest blockbusters since), this is an unmissable look at the wonderful creatures that have called the planet home throughout time.
Here's everything you need to know about Life On Our Planet.
Life On Our Planet release date
All eight episodes of Life On Our Planet are now streaming on Netflix. The series premiered on Wednesday, October 25, 2023.
If you're looking for more things to watch, check out our recommendations for the best shows on Netflix and the best Netflix documentaries you should be streaming right now.
What is Life On Our Planet about?
The full Life On Our Planet synopsis reads: "Today there are 20 million species on our planet, yet what we see is just a snapshot in time — 99% of Earth's inhabitants are lost to our deep past. The four billion-year story of what happened to these dynasties — their rise and their fall — is truly remarkable.
"Life On Our Planet uses the latest science and technology to bring long-extinct creatures back to life, presenting the incredible story of life's epic battle to conquer and survive on Earth. Organized around the five mass extinction events that have forever shaped the planet, plus the sixth we're facing today, the series brings creatures known only from fossils to life in dramatic, photoreal fashion.
"These stunning scenes are presented alongside cutting-edge natural history sequences, showcasing the unique evolutionary advantages modern species have inherited from their ancestors in ways that have never been seen before. Audiences will see the story of life unfold through its most pivotal moments: from the first single-celled life form, to the first animals to move out from the sea and onto land, to the first creatures to take flight.
"Revisiting one of Earth's longest-lived dynasties, the dinosaurs, viewers will bear witness to the cataclysmic downfall that led to the age of the mammals and the rise of the most dangerous animal the earth has ever seen: us.
"As it traces our lineage across this epic journey, Life On Our Planet underscores our unique status as the only species in the four billion-year story of life to understand what is happening to our world and what is needed to put it right. But whatever future awaits, the past reminds us that life has always found a way.
"From Silverback Films in association with Amblin Television, the eight-part series features visual effects and animation by Industrial Light & Magic, and is narrated by Academy Award-winner Morgan Freeman."
Life On Our Planet episode guide
Below you'll find a short synopsis of each and every episode from this exciting nature series:
- Chapter 1: The Rules of Life - "The battle for survival has been raging for four billion years. This is the story of life's winners and losers. This is the story of Life On Our Planet."
- Chapter 2: The First Frontier - "For billions of years, much of our world was fiercely inhospitable, ravaged by the elements and the forces of nature. This is the story of what was happening beneath the waves. There, shielded from the storms, life had miraculously taken hold."
- Chapter 3: Invaders of the Land - "Life began in the oceans, but its battle to conquer the land would change our planet forever. From a barren wasteland to a green oasis, the transformation took millions of years. But where life could find a way to leave the water, it did."
- Chapter 4: In Cold Blood - "After the biggest extinction event in history, this is the story of the unexpected heroes who survived - only to then succumb to a new dynasty of reptilian giants."
- Chapter 5: In the Shadow of Giants - "Dinosaurs ruled our world for over 100 million years, but in the shadow of these giants some of the most incredible animals we know today found their footing."
- Chapter 6: Out of the Ashes - "The dramatic story of the day the dinosaurs were wiped out by a planet-killing asteroid and the ride of the most unlikely survivors in the aftermath of the apocalypse."
- Chapter 7: Inheriting the Earth - "This is the story of the rise of our dynasty: the mammals. Once bullied by the dinosaurs, the chance cataclysm caused by the asteroid gives them the chance to step out of the shadows and into the light - a chance they grabbed onto and never let go."
- Chapter 8: Age of Ice and Fire - "Two and a half million years ago, an ice age struck. With it, temperatures dropped and vast ice sheets took over much of the north. But from this frozen wilderness would rise a new force, the most dangerous animal of all."
Is there a Life On Our Planet trailer?
The full Life On Our Planet trailer is packed full of some of prehistory's most well-known creatures. Beginning with a mighty T-Rex chasing down a triceratops, the trailer quickly takes us on a tour of habitats and introduces us to the many animal dynasties that have roamed the earth from the past right up to the modern day.
You can also find the first teaser trailer for the series below:
Who narrates Life On Our Planet?
Life On Our Planet enlisted Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman to voice this new eight-part series.
Talking about their narrator with Netflix Queue, executive producer Keith Scholey said: "Freeman has become something of the voice of God. To tell the story of life, a story that is big, profound, dramatic, relevant, his voice fits perfectly."
At the Netflix premiere for Life On Our Planet, showrunner and series producer Dan Tapster discussed getting Freeman on board, and how much he enjoyed the role.
He talked about how they planned to assemble a 'dream team' of production houses with Silverback Films, ILM and Amblin and Lorne Balfe delivering the score, and Freeman was definitely part of this vision.
"For the voice, it was like, there's only one person who fits in this Hollywood kind of model that we're doing, and that is the 'Voice of God', and he nailed it, from my point of view, and he also loved doing it", Tapster said.
"One of the things we were really excited about when we went over to meet him to do the record was how passionate he was about it. He was one of those slightly annoying people; he knew the whole story, and was particularly passionate about the sixth mass extinction.
"From the first time we met him, he was saying 'are you talking about this, are you brushing it under the carpet or are you talking about it. And that is Sophie Lanfear's episode, and it is not brushed under the carpet, so he was very excited", Tapster added.
