'Expedition with Steve Backshall' (S.1) Sky

Steve Backshall and the Mexican cenotes Expedition Team

Click here for episode details and clips

“Adventurer and wildlife expert, Steve Backshall, ventures into uncharted territory in pursuit of new discoveries and world firsts. He takes on extreme physical challenges, encounters extraordinary wildlife and meets remarkable people. From kayaking through fast flowing sea ice and scaling unclimbed Arctic peaks to diving in the world’s longest cave system and hiking deep into the Mexican jungle – these expeditions push everyone to the limit. Thanks to a life of adventure, Steve has built up a not-so-little black book of experts. With them, we journey into the unknown. This epic global series will shine light on places that have been dark for millions of years.”

— www.truetonature.co.uk

L-R: Aldo Kane, Steve Backshall, Mark Sharman and Parker Brown

“The BBC has partnered with UKTV and FremantleMedia International on a groundbreaking collaboration for an ambitious prime-time adventure series ‘Expedition With Steve Backshall’ filled with world firsts.

These include: the first descent of a white-water river in the Himalayas, trekking through unexplored jungle in South America, and climbing mountains in the deserts of the Middle East. Expedition With Steve Backshall will follow Steve, his team of world-class experts and his film crew, as they venture into uncharted territory.

Steve Backshall says: “If you think our planet was explored long ago, think again. There are still dark and forgotten corners of our world with hidden secrets - and we plan to reveal them.”

Steve is accompanied by a world-class film crew who will document the journey and feature on camera throughout the series. The filming of the expedition is as much a part of the story as the exploration of each out-of-this-world location. To be successful, Steve and his adventurist experts - including divers, kayakers and mountaineers - will have to rely on each other and the power of extraordinary teamwork.

Wendy Darke, CEO, True to Nature: “I couldn’t wish to be working alongside a more talented, experienced and dedicated team of creatives in production, broadcast and distribution, to realise the ambition for our world-first premium factual global series. Steve Backshall is a skilled naturalist and explorer who will take viewers on a fascinating journey to reveal the natural mysteries and treasures of our planet.”

Updates from the expedition will be shared on twitter @davechannel, @BBCEarth and @stevebackshall via #Expedition and on Instagram @Backshall.Steve”

— BBC Media Centre

'Earth from Space' BBC

Cameras in space tell stories of life on our planet from a brand new perspective, revealing new discoveries, incredible colours and patterns, and just how fast it is changing.

Click here to view series trailer

Click here to view the ‘Colourful Planet’ episode trailer

‘Earth from Space’ Satellites follow an elephant family struggling through drought, reveal previously unknown emperor penguin colonies from the colour of their poo and discover mysterious ice rings that could put seal pups in danger. Using cameras on the ground, in the air and in space Earth from Space follows nature’s greatest spectacles, weather events and dramatic seasonal changes. This is our home, as we’ve never seen it before.

‘Patterned Planet’ Earth’s surface is covered in weird and wonderful patterns. The Australian outback is covered in pale spots, the work of wombats; a clearing in the endless green canopy of the Congo rainforest has been created by an incredible elephant gathering; and the twists and turns of the Amazon make a home for rehabilitated manatees. 

‘Colourful Planet’ We think of earth as a blue planet but satellite cameras reveal a kaleidoscope. The astonishing colours of the aurora are towering vertical streaks hundreds of kilometres high; phytoplankton blooms turn the ocean into works of art triggering a feeding frenzy; and for a few weeks a year China's Yunnan province is carpeted in yellow as millions of rapeseed flowers bloom. 

‘Changing Planet’ At a time when the earth’s surface is changing faster than ever in human history watch cities grow, forest disappear and glaciers melt. In the ever growing grey of cities one man is feeding thousands of parakeets; in Sumatra a female orang-utan and her daughter face life in a forest under threat; while in Tanzania local people use satellites to re-plant a forest, securing the future for a family of Chimpanzees. This is our home as we’ve never seen it before.

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Click here for The Guardian review

'Animals with Cameras' BBC

In this three-part series, wildlife cameraman and presenter Gordon Buchanan collaborates with scientists in the field to attach cameras onto animals in the wild. On their journey, which takes them to all corners of the globe, they uncover unexpected findings about the lives of some of the planet's most captivating species. Mark filmed off the Princess Alice sea bank in the Azores during August 2017 for the Devil Ray sequence (featured in episode 3).

The team set out to discover why vast numbers of Devil Ray gather every summer near the Azores archipelago in the mid-Atlantic. The team successfully deployed specially designed cameras which towed behind the rays, these in turn witnessed wildlife spectacles seen for the first time including 'sun-bathing' ray at the surface reheating after a cold dive and unborn ray pups kicking inside their giant, four-meter-wide mothers; a sign that this congregation might be a breeding ground for these majestic ocean giants. Devil Rays are under threat from fishing, boat traffic, habitat decline and pollution and are currently listed as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List. Although not usually targeted by fisheries, Devil Rays often become victims as bycatch. The good news is that Project AWARE have already made a positive impact to help protect Devil Rays.

“Devil Rays are fascinating creatures – they are some of the fastest and deepest divers in the ocean, and swim with such elegance. When they are not feeding, their cephalic fins are curled and point forward and down, giving the appearance of devil horns; hence their name.”

— Mark Sharman, Cameraman

Other wildlife events captured within this series include penguins catching their prey 200 miles off the coast of Argentina and fur seals avoiding attacks from great white shark off Australia. Further details and clips are available here.