Planet Earth II (mini-series) - A Popular Seller Shows a 'Planet Earth I & II Giftset' is Coming to Blu-ray Amazon.com says to expect this title at the end October
Posted by David Lambert	8/24/2017
Here's an item that will be interesting for the holidays! Amazon.com has added a pre-order listing for a Planet Earth I & II Giftset on Blu-ray Disc, with both the original 2006 documentary mini-series Planet Earth and the 2016 follow-up mini-series Planet Earth II (both were hosted by Sir David Attenborough). The big e-tailer's entry shows an 8-disc set for $64.99 SRP, coming out on October 31st. The artwork shown there appears to be a placeholder image, with no Blu-ray logo or studio logo for either BBC Home Entertainment or for the BBC Earth division. Which makes sense, since the BBC hasn't formally announced this title yet. Stay tuned, though, and we'll keep you updated, as more info becomes available!

BBC AMERICA DEBUTS THREE-PART DOCUMENTARY WILD WEST SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, 9/8c

BBC AMERICA DEBUTS THREE-PART DOCUMENTARY WILD WEST SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, 9/8c

NETWORK TO PRESENT EXTENDED VERSION MARATHONS OF 10-TIME EMMY-NOMINATED SERIES PLANET EARTH II, EMMY-WINNING SERIES PLANET EARTH AND WILD ALASKA

New York – July 20, 2017 – Canyonlands, high country and sprawling shores take center-stage in BBC AMERICA’s Wild West. Explore this fascinating area of North America in the networks three-part natural history program premiering Saturday, August 19 at 9/8c. The all-new series anchors a look back at some of BBC AMERICA’s groundbreaking, Emmy^®- nominated natural history events including, Planet Earth II, Planet Earth and Wild Alaska.

Welcome to America’s Wild West. A picturesque land with a litany of characters including the shrewd coyote, the feisty hummingbird, the mighty blue whale and the spirited mustang. The documentary explores this fascinating area of the continent, revealing how three radically different worlds were formed, the forces that shape them today and how life has found brave and enterprising ways to survive. Discover the gritty, tough deserts, the cool grand mountains and the dynamic and changeable coasts.

Home to a vibrant cast of tricksters, pioneers and outlaws, the series also finds out how people have survived in this harsh environment over the years. Beginning with the examination of Native American cave art, the documentary moves through the ghost towns of past pioneers and on to today – where the land is used for both business and pleasure. Produced by BBC Studios, Executive Produced by Emmy^® -winner, Michael Gunton (Planet Earth II, Life), with Patrick Morris (Galapagos, Wild Africa) serving as Series Producer, Wild West will shine a light on the landscapes, wildlife and people of this vibrant world in new and compelling ways.  

BBC AMERICA’s landmark natural history programming was recently recognized by the Television Academy with a record-setting ten Emmy^® nominations for Planet Earth II.  Catch an encore of the beloved series with an extended look at Planet Earth II August 19^th beginning at 1/2c, an extended look at the original Planet Earth on August 26^th at 10:30a/11:30c and Wild Alaska September 2^nd at 6/7c.

PART ONE – DESERT HEARTLANDS SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, 9/8c

Travel from the cold deserts of Nevada to the giant cactus-studded lands of Arizona and the scorching Mojave Desert in California. Discover how some of America’s most iconic animals like mustangs and coyotes have learned to survive.

PART TWO – THE HIGH COUNTRY SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 9/8c

America’s High Country is the land of grizzly bears and giant trees, of frigid winters and scorching summers, of tough ranchers and gold-rush fever. From the Rockies to the Sierra Nevada, in this land of extreme seasons, survival demands endurance. It’s all about taking what you need to stay alive by whatever means, from parasitic plants to thieving black bears, and tenacious pikas to battling bison.

PART THREE – RESTLESS SHORES SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 9/8c

Tectonic forces shape all life here, creating stunning landscapes like the San Andreas Fault, reaching all the way north to the Pacific coast. Meanwhile elephant seals battle it out for mates, grey whales form a unique friendship with a small community of people and gulf grunion fish race ashore to spawn in their millions.

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BBC AMERICA is a hub of innovative, culturally contagious programming including the worldwide phenomenon and critical darling Planet Earth II, top-rated science-fiction phenomenon Doctor Who, fan favorite Orphan Black, groundbreaking unscripted series Top Gear, buzzy and wildly bizarre Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency starring Elijah Wood, as well as the upcoming series Killing Eve from Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Blue Planet II, the next chapter in the epic story of our planet.  A joint venture between BBC Worldwide (the commercial arm of the BBC) and AMC Networks, BBCA’s influential shows have attracted critical acclaim and earned Emmy^® Awards, Peabody Awards, Critics’ Choice Awards and Golden Globes®. Created in 1998, the irrepressible network has garnered one of cable’s most curious, educated and affluent audiences, with many properties boasting super-fan levels of engagement. Available through cable, satellite TV and streaming services, BBC AMERICA broadcasts in both standard and high-definition. Get caught up, BBCA offers full episodes On Demand across all major digital platforms, BBC AMERICA app and bbcamerica.com.

TOPS ORIGINAL PLANET EARTH, EARNING MULTIPLE NODS IN THREE CATEGORIES

TOPS ORIGINAL PLANET EARTH, EARNING MULTIPLE NODS IN THREE CATEGORIES 

OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY OR NONFICTION SERIES
ISLANDS
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING
ISLANDS & CITIES
OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING
ISLANDS & CITIES
OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING
ISLANDS & CITIES
OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING
OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING
OUTSTANDING MUSIC COMPOSITION FOR A SERIES

New York – July 13, 2017 – Announced this morning by the Television Academy, BBC AMERICA earned a record ten Emmy^® nominations for the groundbreaking documentary series Planet Earth II. This morning’s nominations bested the original Planet Earth series and earned BBC AMERICA its most nominations ever.

Executive Producer, Planet Earth II, Michael Gunton said, “It is such an extraordinary and humbling honor to be recognized in this way by the Television Academy.  What a wonderful surprise to have received this unbelievable and quite frankly, surreal news on a Thursday evening here in the UK. We’re all fiendishly booking flights as we speak!”

Producer and Director, Islands, Elizabeth White added, “I’m gobsmacked!!”
Sarah Barnett, BBC AMERICA President, commented, “BBCA is over the moon about Planet Earth II’s ten Emmy nominations. The team of artists behind this extraordinary program - the producers, the technical team, the composers and beyond - are earth shatteringly talented. We want to extend our deepest gratitude to the Television Academy for recognizing this brilliant and substantial show that has captivated audiences around the world and has brought us together in shared love for our planet.”

An extraordinary television event – the groundbreaking series Planet Earth II, brought audiences a vivid and unexpected exploration of the joy, wonder, and drama of the natural world. Over three years in the making and encompassing a total of 2089 shooting days across 117 filming trips in 40 different countries, BBC AMERICA's Planet Earth II captivated viewers across the world.  The jaw-dropping landmark event captured the natural world in ways that were impossible a decade ago.
Captured in stunning Ultra-high definition detail, BBCA’s Planet Earth II was an immersive exploration of the islands, mountains, jungles, grasslands, deserts, and cities of the world. Journey to the four corners of the globe to discover the extreme forces that shape life in each of these iconic landscapes and the remarkable ways animals manage to overcome the challenges of surviving in the wildest places on Earth. From eye-to-eye encounters with incredible creatures to epic journeys through breathtaking wildernesses, experience the wonder of the natural world as never before.
Planet Earth II is a BBC Studios Natural History Unit production, co-produced with BBC AMERICA.

Created in 1998, BBC AMERICA is a hub of innovative, culturally contagious programming like the ground-breaking un-scripted series Top Gear, the top-rated science-fiction phenomenon Doctor Who, and the fan-favorite Orphan Black. The influential network has been the launch pad for talent including Ricky Gervais, Gordon Ramsay, and Graham Norton — all adopted as American pop culture icons. A joint venture between BBC Worldwide (the commercial arm of the BBC) and AMC Networks, BBCA has attracted both critical acclaim and major awards including four Emmy® Awards, five Golden Globes® and 12 Peabody Awards. The irrepressible network has garnered one of cable’s most curious, educated and affluent audiences, with many properties boasting super-fan levels of engagement. Available on cable and satellite TV, BBC America broadcasts in both standard and high-definition, is available On Demand across all major digital platforms and offers full episodes online at bbcamerica.com.

Planet Earth II (mini-series) - BBC Press Release for the Acclaimed Mini-Series on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K UHD-BD Coming to stores in all three disc-based formats this March 28th
Posted by David Lambert	3/15/2017
For Immediate Release The First Ever Natural History Television Series Released on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray BBC AMERICA's PLANET EARTH II In the U.S. and Canada on March 28, 2017 Narrated by Sir David Attenborough "Nature photography has rarely been as spectacular as it is in Planet Earth II..." - The New York Times "...Planet Earth II is on another level. The BBC Natural History Unit has really outdone itself. This documentary is a truly sublime accomplishment, an epic achievement that everyone should watch." - The Hollywood Reporter "It's a uniquely dichotomous achievement, one that combines our expanding technologies and cinematic skills with the remote wildness of habitats without humans." - Variety New York; March 14, 2017 - For the first time ever, BBC Home Entertainment is making a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray natural history television series available to fans of BBC AMERCA's landmark series, PLANET EARTH II. Experience the beauty, wonder, and extraordinary magic of animal behaviors...so elusive that they were considered almost impossible to capture. This special collector's item, narrated by the legendary Sir David Attenborough, will be available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD on March 28, 2017 in the U.S. and Canada. Bonus content includes Planet Earth Diaries, a look behind the scenes with each episode's production team, revealing the astounding challenges they encountered and their incredible experiences while filming PLANET EARTH II. For DVD and Blu-ray, these are 10-minute bonus clips at the end of each episode and for the 4K UHD, it will be a 54 minute disc accompanying the series. The highest-rated U.S. nature show among adults 25-54 in five years, and the most watched unscripted telecast ever in total viewers on BBC AMERICA, PLANET EARTH II showcases 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and a wider color spectrum, offering brighter, deeper, and more lifelike colors, plus 5.1 DTS-HD master audio for a home viewing experience like never before. A decade after the groundbreaking, Emmy Award-winning natural history series PLANET EARTH Blu-ray was released - which is still the number one selling non-theatrical home video release to date with over five million copies sold worldwide - PLANET EARTH II goes further, gets closer, and captures behavior and places that would have been impossible 10 years ago. Over three years in the making, filmed in 40 different countries on 117 filming trips and a total of 2,089 shooting days, PLANET EARTH II delivers a whole new view of our planet. "This DVD is the one to get...I thought PLANET EARTH II looked pretty amazing on my HD TV, but on this 4K Ultra HD our series looks so good its almost otherworldly! And for us to be the first out of the blocks with a 4K DVD is really icing on the cake!" said series Executive Producer, Mike Gunton. Captured in stunning 4K Ultra HD detail, PLANET EARTH II is an immersive exploration of the islands, mountains, jungles, grasslands, deserts, and cities of the world. Journey to the four corners of the globe to discover the extreme forces that shape life in each of these iconic landscapes, and the remarkable ways animals manage to overcome the challenges of surviving in the wildest places on Earth. From eye-to-eye encounters with incredible creatures, to epic journeys through breathtaking wildernesses, experience the wonder of the natural world as never before. PLANET EARTH II premiered Saturday, February 18, 2017 simultaneously on BBC AMERICA in the U.S. and on BBC Earth in Canada. PLANET EARTH II is a BBC Studios Natural History Unit production, co-produced with BBC AMERICA, ZDF, Tencent and France Télévisions. BBC AMERICA's PLANET EARTH II Street Date: March 28, 2017 Suggested Retail Price: UHD $59.99 ($74.98 in Canada) Suggested Retail Price: Blu-ray $44.95 ($55.98 in Canada) Suggested Retail Price: DVD $35.99 ($44.98 in Canada) Length: Approx. 360 mins + bonus content 3-disc set (UHD) / 2-disc set (DVD/BD) About BBC Worldwide North America BBC Worldwide North America is the main commercial arm and wholly-owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) operating in the U.S. and Canada. The company exists to maximize the value of the BBC's assets for the benefit of the UK license payer and invests in public service programming in return for rights. The company operates four businesses in the territory - linear and digital content sales and co-productions, consumer products, BBC.com, and two studios based in Los Angeles - BBC Worldwide Productions, responsible for the smash hit Dancing with the Stars and the limited series The Night Of; and Adjacent Productions, producers of Life Below Zero and Ladies of London, among others. The company also owns a 50.1% share in cable channel BBC AMERICA through a joint venture with AMC Networks.

WATCHING NATURE PROGRAMS MAKES YOU HAPPIER NEW BBC RESEARCH REVEALS

WATCHING NATURE PROGRAMS MAKES YOU HAPPIER NEW BBC RESEARCH REVEALS

Global audience mood significantly lifted by viewing landmark natural history hit BBC AMERICA’s Planet Earth II

Study results prompt BBC Worldwide to launch The Real Happiness Project which aims to promote the benefits of connectivity with nature that can begin with just a laptop, TV or smartphone

BBC Earth, the BBC’s global factual brand, has today published findings of an international study titled The Real Happiness Project showing nature programming’s direct impact on the mood and wellbeing of its viewers.

The research, conducted with Professor Dacher Keltner, an expert in the science of emotion at the University of California, Berkeley, confirms that even short engagement with such shows leads to significant increases in positive emotions including awe, contentedness, joy and amusement. The study also found substantial decreases in emotions such as nervousness, anxiety, fear, stress and tiredness.

BBC Worldwide’s in-house research team collaborated with Professor Keltner, who oversees Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley on a two-phased study. A global quantitative research project of over 7500 nationally representative participants from the U.S., UK, Singapore, India, South Africa and Australia and a literature review of over 150 scientific studies that have explored the link between a connection with nature and human happiness and wellbeing. To further enrich the study, the research team worked with Crowd Emotion, a pioneering tech start-up that specialises in emotion recognition, using cutting edge facial mapping technology to understand how viewers respond to video footage.

The research was commissioned to mark the launch of one of the BBC’s most ambitious landmark nature series in ten years Planet Earth II, which recently premiered in the U.S. on BBC AMERICA to universal acclaim and strong viewership. The BBC natural history juggernaut has also taken Australia, South Africa and France by storm, having debuted in those territories during the last three weeks.

A decade ago, Planet Earth inspired an unprecedented number of people worldwide to connect with the natural world, gaining an estimated global audience of over half a billion people. Planet Earth II launched in the UK in November and has already surpassed expectations by drawing the second largest live TV audience in Britain during 2016 and becoming the most successful nature documentary for 15 years.

Professor Dacher Keltner of the University of California, Berkeley commented: “The shifts in emotion demonstrated in the BBC study as a result of watching this powerful natural history series are significant as we know that wonder and contentment are the foundations of human happiness. If people experience feelings of awe, they are more likely to display empathetic and charitable behaviours and have been shown to be better able to handle stress.”

Mike Gunton, Executive Producer of Planet Earth II said: “What excites me about this study is seeing how Planet Earth II connects with people on a deep emotional level - as a film maker that is very rewarding. We’re always striving to bring our audiences closer to nature and it’s thrilling to see how this can generate such positive emotions and have a powerful impact on our viewer’s mood and wellbeing. I hope that in sparking an appreciation of the natural world Planet Earth II will also encourage people to love and protect the natural world.”

BBC Earth and BBC AMERICA will support the project by publishing a variety of exclusive content across its social platforms - Facebook, YouTube, Twitter & Instagram.

To find out more about The Real Happiness Project and how you can benefit or get involved, visit www.realhappinessproject.com

How the study worked:

Participants taking part in the quantitative research, drawn from Lightspeed’s global market research panels, were asked to complete a short survey to establish their mood state before being shown clips from the forthcoming Planet Earth II series. Their real-time responses to the footage were captured using Crowd Emotion’s facial mapping technology and following the clips participants were asked to complete psychometric tests and a further questionnaire to assess the impact on their mood and outlook of watching the footage. Alongside a control clip, clips of a popular drama and a reel of recent news stores were used to measure the impact of Planet Earth II content against a range of variables.

The Results:

Participants rated themselves from 0-10 for feeling each of 14 groups of emotions immediately before and after watching a stimulus clip. Results were grouped into global mean scores for each emotion group for each type of stimulus watched. Analysis below refers to the change in mean scores across all respondents viewing a natural history clip.

 Participants watching Planet Earth II clips showed:

• Significant increases in feelings of awe, amazement, wonder; curiosity, interest and wanting to explore; joy, excitement and enthusiasm; contentment, relaxation and peacefulness; amusement, having fun and laughing.
• Significant decreases in nervousness, anxiety and fear; stress and overburden; anger and irritability; tiredness, fatigue and low energy.
• When tested against a control group, all results above are proven to have been caused by watching natural history content.

The demographic breakdown of the global sample revealed:

• On the majority of measures, women experienced greater changes in emotions than men as a result of watching Planet Earth II.
• Although both genders experienced significant increases in awe, amazement, wonder, the increase for women was 35% greater than amongst men. Watching Planet Earth II had a more pronounced effect on younger people, who were feeling higher levels of negative emotions at the outset. Younger people (16-24s) experienced the greatest amounts of change in nine of the 14 emotion sets amongst all age groups.
• • Their significant decreases in levels of nervousness, anxiety and fear; stress and overburden, and tiredness, fatigue and low energy were amongst the largest seen across all age groups in any emotion set.
  • Moreover, they had some of the highest levels of these emotions to begin with.

The BBC study adds to a growing body of scientific evidence proving that a connection to nature is of fundamental importance to a person’s health, happiness and wellbeing.  In parallel with this global research, Professor Keltner carried out an extensive review of over 150 scientific studies exploring the relationship between emotion and nature. The review commissioned by the BBC revealed multiple benefits to connecting with nature.

BBC Earth literature review findings:

• Access to nature, both physical and through filmed footage and imagery can help people to manage the stress of modern living.
• A connection to nature has multiple positive effects on outlook and behaviour including:
  • Enhanced attention, focus and cognitive performance
  • It decreases stress and enhances calm
  • People who experience a connection with nature are more pro-social and effective team workers
  • There are significant studies demonstrating the importance of nature to our physical health

NOTE TO EDITORS:

BBCA’s Planet Earth II premieres Saturdays at 9/8c on BBC AMERICA.

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About BBC AMERICA

Created in 1998, BBC AMERICA is a hub of innovative, culturally contagious programming like the ground-breaking un-scripted series Top Gear, the top-rated science-fiction phenomenon Doctor Who, and the fan-favorite Orphan Black. The influential network has been the launch pad for talent including Ricky Gervais, Gordon Ramsay, and Graham Norton — all adopted as American pop culture icons. A joint venture between BBC Worldwide (the commercial arm of the BBC) and AMC Networks, BBCA has attracted both critical acclaim and major awards including five Emmy® Awards, five Golden Globes® and 12 Peabody Awards. The irrepressible network has garnered one of cable’s most curious, educated and affluent audiences, with many properties boasting super-fan levels of engagement. Available on cable and satellite TV, BBC America broadcasts in both standard and high-definition, is available On Demand across all major digital platforms and offers full episodes online at bbcamerica.com. 

About BBC Worldwide

BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Its vision is to build the BBC’s brands, audiences, commercial returns and reputation across the world. This is achieved through investing in, commercializing and showcasing content from the BBC around the world, in a way that is consistent with BBC standards and values. The business also champions British creativity globally.

In 2015/16 BBC Worldwide generated headline profits of £133.8m and headline sales of £1,029.4m and returned £222.2m to the BBC.

Planet Earth II (mini-series) - Package Art, Finalized Date for the Miniseries on 4K UHD-BD, Blu-ray, and DVD Coming from BBC/Warner at the end of March
Posted by David Lambert	2/03/2017
A decade ago, Planet Earth redefined natural history filmmaking, giving us the ultimate portrait of life on Earth. Ten years on, advances in both filming technology and our understanding of the natural world mean we can reveal our planet from a completely new perspective. Now, Planet Earth II allows us to experience the world from the viewpoint of animals themselves. Traveling through jungles, deserts, mountains, islands, grasslands and cities, this series explores the unique characteristics of Earth's most iconic habitats and the extraordinary ways animals survive within them. New technology has allowed individual stories to be captured in an unparalleled level of detail. For the first time viewers are immersed in incredible landscapes, allowing them to share the most dramatic moments in the lives of animals. Several weeks ago we reported that Canadian sources had provided a mid-March release date for the BBC Home Entertainment release of Planet Earth II. Now the BBC and their North American distributor, Warner Home Video, have formally announced the title. It's been given a finalized street date of March 28th. We've also been provided with package art for the title on all three formats: 4K UHD-BD, high-def Blu-ray Disc, and standard DVD format. See those below. Still no word on whether this 6-episode documentary miniseries will be accompanied by any extras, but if we find out about any then we'll update you.