Almost 5 years to the day of the first broadcast of Life On Earth,1984 saw the first transmission of The Living Planet (in UK). This was the second nature documentary in what later came to be known as Sir David Attenborough's 'Life Series'. Where as Life On Earth focussed on the evolution of animals and plants, this series features the world's current various ecosystems and how both flora and fauna survive and adapt in their unique habitats. From the frozen wastes of the Arctic to the tropics around the equator. From the heights of the Himalaya to the depths of the oceans.
Some 3 years in the making, the camera teams faced many challenges using, for its time, the latest equipment and technology (see "The Making Of The Living Planet"). David Attenborough personally endured new demands in his quest for innovative screen presentations. For example, demonstrating the effect of zero gravity aboard a NASA aeroplane (the vomit comet), high altitude balloon flying requiring oxygen breathing apparatus and deep sea diving complete with diving suit and sub aqua gear.
The final episode, 'New Worlds', challenges our belief that as the superior species, man's impact on the Earth is not always beneficial - not least to other animal and plant species to which we at least have a moral right to protect.