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British-American nature documentary television series

Prehistoric Planet
GenreNature documentary
Narrated bySir David Attenborough (seasons 1–2)
Tom Hiddleston
(season 3)
Theme music composerHans Zimmer
Andrew James Christie
ComposersHans Zimmer
Anže Rozman
Kara Talve
Countries of originUnited States
United Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes15
Production
Executive producersJon Favreau
Mike Gunton
CinematographyJonathan Jones and others
Running time35–46 minutes
Production companiesBBC Studios Natural History Unit
Golem Creations
Original release
NetworkApple TV
ReleaseMay 23, 2022 (2022-05-23) –
May 26, 2023 (2023-05-26)
NetworkApple TV
ReleaseNovember 26, 2025 (2025-11-26)

Prehistoric Planet is a television series, created in the nature documentary style, about extinct prehistoric animals that premiered on Apple TV beginning May 23, 2022. The first two seasons (2022–23) are produced by the BBC Studios Natural History Unit, with Jon Favreau as showrunner, visual effects by The Moving Picture Company, and narration by natural historian Sir David Attenborough.[1] These seasons depict dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, recreated with computer-generated imagery, living around the globe in the Late Cretaceous period 66 million years ago (Maastrichtian), just before the non-avian dinosaurs' extinction. The show intends to simulate the behaviors of these species by speculating from modern palaeontological research.[2] A third season titled Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age, narrated by Tom Hiddleston and focusing on Pleistocene megafauna, was released in 2025.[3]

Hans Zimmer, Kara Talve, and Anže Rozman composed the soundtrack. Prehistoric Planet is the highest-profile dinosaur-focused documentary series produced by the BBC since Planet Dinosaur in 2011, and its nature documentary-styled format is similar to the highly successful Walking with Dinosaurs (1999).[4][5][6] Prehistoric Planet received critical acclaim for its visual effects, depiction of dinosaurs, and Attenborough's narration.

Production

[edit]

According to palaeontologist and consultant Steve Brusatte, the series had been in development "a decade" prior to its trailer release.[7] On May 8, 2019, it was first reported by Deadline that Apple had ordered a new documentary series by BBC Studios titled Prehistoric Planet, to be executively produced by Jon Favreau.[8] An original score was composed by Kara Talve, Anže Rozman and Hans Zimmer.[9]

The series uses up-to-date palaeontological research to depict its animals of the Cretaceous with scientific rigour; for example, feathered dinosaurs are featured in the series, such as juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex.[9] Palaeozoologist Darren Naish was the lead consultant for the depictions of prehistoric life in the series.[10] The storyboarding (using scripts and synopses by BBC NHU), concept art and creature designs were created by Jellyfish Pictures,[11] while computer-generated imagery was developed by The Moving Picture Company and intended to be photorealistic, as with their previous productions The Jungle Book (2016) and The Lion King (2019).[2]

After its release, the series consultants other than Darren Naish were revealed to be Steve Brusatte, Alexander Farnsworth, Kiersten Formoso, Michael Habib, Scott Hartman, John R. Hutchinson, Luke Muscutt, Peter Skelton, Robert Spicer, Paul Valdes and Mark Witton.[12] David Krentz, the director of Dinosaur Revolution (2011) and character designer on Disney's Dinosaur (2000), was also revealed to have been involved in the creature development and design.[13]

In March 2023, Apple renewed the series for a second season (Prehistoric Planet 2), which began airing on May 22, 2023.[14] On July 29, 2025, a third season was announced, titled Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age. This series focuses on Pleistocene megafauna. Unlike previous seasons, it is narrated by Tom Hiddleston with computer-generated imagery handled by Framestore. It was released on November 26, 2025.[3]

Marketing

[edit]

A first sneak peek was posted to the official Apple TV+ YouTube channel on April 2, 2022, along with a trailer, with a May 23 airdate set for the first episode.[15] A ten-second teaser was released on April 19, 2022, followed by an official trailer the following day.[16] A second trailer was released on May 19, 2022, in the lead up to the show's premiere.[17]

The teaser of the second season was uploaded to the official Apple TV+ YouTube channel on April 18, 2023.[18] The official trailer was released on May 2, 2023.[19]

A first look video clip was released for Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age on October 15, 2025.[20] An official trailer was released on November 6, 2025.[21]

Episodes

[edit]
SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast released
15May 23, 2022 (2022-05-23)May 27, 2022 (2022-05-27)
25May 22, 2023 (2023-05-22)May 26, 2023 (2023-05-26)
35November 26, 2025 (2025-11-26)

Season 1 (2022)

[edit]
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
11"Coasts"Adam ValdezPaul D. StewartMay 23, 2022 (2022-05-23)
22"Deserts"Andrew R. Jones, Adam ValdezDom WalterMay 24, 2022 (2022-05-24)
33"Freshwater"Andrew R. JonesPaul ThompsonMay 25, 2022 (2022-05-25)
44"Ice Worlds"Adam ValdezSimon BellMay 26, 2022 (2022-05-26)
55"Forests"Andrew R. Jones, Adam ValdezMatthew WrightMay 27, 2022 (2022-05-27)

Season 2 (2023)

[edit]
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
61"Islands"Andrew R. JonesPaul D. StewartMay 22, 2023 (2023-05-22)
72"Badlands"Andrew R. Jones, Adam ValdezNick Lyon and Dom WalterMay 23, 2023 (2023-05-23)
83"Swamps"Krzysztof SzczepanskiAlec GinnsMay 24, 2023 (2023-05-24)
94"Oceans"Adam ValdezAmber Cherry EamesMay 25, 2023 (2023-05-25)
105"North America"Andrew R. JonesPaul ThompsonMay 26, 2023 (2023-05-26)

Season 3 (Ice Age) (2025)

[edit]
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
111"The Big Freeze"Leah Arnold and Alec GinnsMatthew Thompson and Michael GuntonNovember 26, 2025 (2025-11-26)
122"New Lands"Paul ThompsonMatthew Thompson and Michael GuntonNovember 26, 2025 (2025-11-26)
133"Desert Lands"Simon BellMatthew Thompson and Michael GuntonNovember 26, 2025 (2025-11-26)
144"Grasslands"Andrew R. Jones and James SheltonMatthew Thompson and Michael GuntonNovember 26, 2025 (2025-11-26)
155"The Big Melt"Andrew R. Jones and Katrina SteeleMatthew Thompson and Michael GuntonNovember 26, 2025 (2025-11-26)

Reception

[edit]

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 8.4/10, based on 31 reviews for the first season. The website's critics consensus reads, "Marrying state of the art visual effects with equally immersive narration by David Attenborough, Prehistoric Planet wondrously brings viewers back to the age of dinosaurs."[22] The second season has an approval rating of 83% with an average rating of 7/10, based on 6 reviews.[23] On Metacritic, the series has a weighted average score of 85 out of 100, based on 8 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[24]

[edit]
Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2022
 Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards Best Streaming Docuseries or Non-Fiction Series Prehistoric Planet Nominated [25]
Television Critics Association Awards Outstanding Achievement in News and Information Nominated [26][27]
Cinema Eye Honours Outstanding Anthology Series Nominated [28]
Hollywood Music in Media Awards Original Song/Score — Documentary Series - TV/Digital Anze Rozman, Kara Talve, Hans Zimmer Won [29][30]
Televisual Bulldog Awards Best VFX Prehistoric Planet Won [31]
Broadcast Tech Innovation Awards Best VFX Project MPC Won [32]
2023
 Annie Awards Best Animated Special Production Prehistoric Planet Nominated [33]
Outstanding Achievement for Animated Effects in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production "Coasts" Nominated
Visual Effects Society Awards Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode "Ice Worlds" – Lindsay McFarlane, Fay Hancocks, Elliot Newman, Kirstin Hall Nominated [34][35]
Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a CG Project Daniel Fotheringham, Krzysztof Szczepanski, Wei-Chuan Hsu, Claire Hill Nominated
Critics' Choice Real TV Awards Best Animal/Nature Show Prehistoric Planet Nominated [36]
2024
 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Score) Hans Zimmer, Anže Rozman, Kara Talve (for "Badlands") Nominated [37]
Astra Creative Arts TV Awards Best Streaming Nonfiction Series Prehistoric Planet Nominated [38]
2026
 Annie Awards Outstanding Achievement for Animated Effects in an Animated Television/Broadcast Edward Ferrysienanda, Kevin Christensen, Guy Shuleman , Benedikt Roettger, Kevin Tarpinian (for "The Big Freeze") Won [39][40]
Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in a Live Action Production Adrien Annesley, Alvise Avati, Riyad Chalakkara, Daniel Mizuguchi, Liam Russell Nominated
Visual Effects Society Awards Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode Russell Dodgson, Tracey Gibbons, Francois Dumoulin, Gavin McKenzie
(For "Ice Age; The Big Freeze")		 Won [41]
Outstanding Character in an Episodic, Commercial, Game Cinematic, or Real-Time Project Alvise Avati, Marc-André Coulombe, Youen Leclerc, Andrea De Martis
(For "Ice Age; Female Smilodon")		 Nominated
Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, Game Cinematic or Real-Time Project Edward Ferrysienanda, Kevin Christensen, Guy Schuleman, Kevin Tarpinian
(For "Ice Age; The Big Freeze")		 Won
Outstanding Compositing and Lighting in an Episode Puff Pisanwalerd, Jean-Baptiste Noyau, Marion Nove-Josserand, Sue Nelson
(For "Ice Age\")		 Nominated
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Score) Kara Talve, Anže Rozman, Hans Zimmer (for "The Big Freeze") Pending [42]
Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Season or a Movie Russell Dodgson, Andrew R. Jones, Rupert Smith, Tracey Gibbons, Benjamin Loch, Francois Dumoulin, Romain Rico, Gavin McKenzie, Brian Fisher, Alvise Avati, Adrien Annesley, Liam Russell Pending

Other media

[edit]

VR spinoffs

[edit]

In early 2024, Prehistoric Planet was the basis for several digital presentations viewable through the Apple Vision Pro headset. The first two products were flagship items for the official release of the headset on February 2, 2024: Pterosaur Beach (a subscription-based virtual reality short film focusing on a colony of Tethydraco), and Encounter Dinosaurs, (a free mixed reality app focusing on an encounter between Isisaurus hatchlings and ). was treated as the first "episode" of the VR series . It was followed on April 19 by , focusing on a family of .

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Prehistoric Planet: When is David Attenborough documentary released on Apple TV Plus?". Radio Times. Archived from the original on May 1, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Apple TV+ reveals first look at epic natural history event series "Prehistoric Planet"". Apple. April 2, 2022. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  3. 1 2 "Apple TV+ announces "Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age"". Apple TV+ Press. July 29, 2025. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  4. ↑ Scott, K.D.; White, A.M. (2003). "Unnatural History? Deconstructing the Walking with Dinosaurs Phenomenon". Media, Culture & Society. 25 (3): 315–332. doi:10.1177/0163443703025003002. S2CID 143566889.
  5. ↑ "Prehistoric Planet Review: A Breathtaking Nature Documentary with Realistic-Looking Dinosaurs". MovieWeb. May 25, 2022. Archived from the original on June 5, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  6. ↑ Støen, Michael (2022). "1999: The BBC simulates prehistoric wildlife". Public Understanding of Science. 31 (4): 524–529. doi:10.1177/09636625211068944. ISSN 0963-6625. PMID 35062833. S2CID 246165620.
  7. ↑ Brusatte, Steve [@stevebrusatte] (April 20, 2022). "This is going to be epic. Honoured to play a role consulting with @MikeGunton & team from the development phase a decade ago until now. Huge work by @TetZoo & many talented people to make this happen" (Tweet). Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Twitter.
  8. ↑ "'The Jungle Book' Director Jon Favreau Teams With BBC Studios' NHU To Produce Doc Series 'Prehistoric Planet' For Apple". Deadline. May 8, 2019. Archived from the original on May 8, 2019. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  9. 1 2 "David Attenborough explores habits and habitats of dinosaurs in new series Prehistoric Planet". inews.co.uk. April 2, 2022. Archived from the original on April 19, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Palaeontologists Rejoice As 'Prehistoric Planet' Presents A Realistic View Of The Cretaceous". IFLScience. April 6, 2022. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Prehistoric Planet". Apple TV+ Press. Archived from the original on June 1, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  12. ↑ Hutchinson, John R. [@JohnRHutchinson] (May 23, 2022). "Well done to everyone involved in #PrehistoricPlanet! Lots of science" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  13. ↑ Krentz, David [@DavidKrentz1] (April 23, 2022). "Re: Prehistoric Planet. Yes, I was involved. I would get amazing models and adjust them for accuracy or character and give modeling notes etc. some color work too. Really talented team to collaborate with, can't state that enough. I'll share stuff at a later date" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  14. ↑ Petski, Denise (March 1, 2023). "'Prehistoric Planet' Renewed For Season 2 At Apple TV+". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 2, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  15. ↑ "WATCH: Apple TV+ Reveals First Look At Epic Natural History Event Series 'Prehistoric Planet'". Deadline. April 2, 2022. Archived from the original on April 28, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  16. ↑ "'Prehistoric Planet' Trailer Reveals Countless Species of Dinosaurs Like You've Never Seen Before". Collider. April 20, 2022. Archived from the original on May 14, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Prehistoric Planet — Official Trailer 2 | Apple TV+". YouTube. May 19, 2022. Archived from the original on May 21, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Apple TV+ shares stunning first-look teaser for season two of award-winning natural history documentary event "Prehistoric Planet," premiering May 22, 2023". Apple TV+ Press. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Apple TV+ shares dino-mite new trailer for second season of natural history documentary event "Prehistoric Planet," premiering May 22, 2023". Apple TV+ Press. Archived from the original on August 31, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  20. ↑ IGN (October 15, 2025). Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age - Official Season 3 First Look Clip (2025). Retrieved October 15, 2025 – via YouTube.
  21. ↑ Apple TV (November 6, 2025). Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age — Season 3 Official Trailer | Apple TV. Retrieved November 7, 2025 – via YouTube.
  22. ↑ "Prehistoric Planet: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on June 5, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Prehistoric Planet: Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on July 28, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  24. ↑ "Prehistoric Planet: Season 1". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
  25. ↑ Verhoeven, Beatrice (July 7, 2022). "'This Is Us,' 'Succession,' 'Severance' Lead 2022 HCA TV Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  26. ↑ Cordero, Rosy (June 16, 2022). "'Abbott Elementary' Scores Most TCA Award Nods; 'Squid Game' & 'Only Murders In The Building' Also Among Honorees". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  27. ↑ Hailu, Selome (August 6, 2022). "'Abbott Elementary' Tops 2022 TCA Awards". Variety. Archived from the original on August 6, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  28. ↑ Carey, Matthew (October 20, 2022). "Cinema Eye Honors: 'Four Hours At The Capitol,' 'The Beatles: Get Back' Lead First Round Of Nominations For Documentary Awards Show". Deadline. Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  29. ↑ Anderson, Erik (November 3, 2022). "'Black Panther,' 'Bros,' 'Everything Everywhere All at Once,' 'Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio' lead Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMA) nominations". AwardsWatch. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  30. ↑ Neglia, M. (November 17, 2022). "The 2022 Hollywood Music In Media Awards (HMMA) Winners". Next Best Picture. Archived from the original on November 18, 2022. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  31. ↑ Creamer, John (November 9, 2022). "Televisual Bulldog Awards: Winners announced". Televisual. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  32. ↑ Miller, Max (November 30, 2022). "Broadcast Tech Innovation Awards 2022: The Winners". Broadcast. Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  33. ↑ Giardina, Carolyn (January 17, 2023). "Annie Awards: 'Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio' Leads Feature Competition With Nine Noms". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  34. ↑ Giardina, Carolyn (January 17, 2023). "'Avatar: The Way of Water' Earns Record 14 Visual Effects Society Award Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  35. ↑ Pederson, Erik (February 15, 2023). "'Avatar: The Way Of Water' Dominates VES Awards With Nine Wins; Three For 'Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio' – Full List". Deadline. Archived from the original on February 16, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  36. ↑ Tinoco, Armando (May 15, 2023). "Critics Choice Real TV Awards Nominations: 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Leads List As 'Vanderpump Rules,' Joanna Gaines & Selena Gomez Score Nods". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  37. ↑ "75th Emmy Awards Complete Nominations List" (PDF). Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  38. ↑ Anderson, Erik (July 11, 2023). "'The Boys', 'Yellowjackets', 'Abbott Elementary' lead 2023 HCA TV Awards nominations". AwardsWatch. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  39. ↑ Milligan, Mercedes (January 5, 2026). "Annie Award Nominations: 'Elio' & 'KPop Demon Hunters' Lead the Race, 'Win Or Lose' Tops TV Nods". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on January 5, 2026. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
  40. ↑ Roxborough, Scott (February 21, 2026). "'KPop Demon Hunters' Sweeps Annie Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 22, 2026. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  41. ↑ Victorian, Brande (January 13, 2026). "'Avatar: Fire and Ash' Leads 2026 Visual Effects Society Nominations With 10 Nods". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
  42. ↑ Gomez, Dessi; Hipes, Patrick; Pedersen, Erik (July 8, 2026). "Emmy Nominations 2026: The Complete List". Deadline. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
  43. ↑ "Prehistoric Planet Immersive". tv.apple.com. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  44. ↑ Martin, Charles (April 7, 2024). "Join a prehistoric journey with Apple's latest immersive Vision Pro film". AppleInsider. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  45. ↑ "Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs". Lightroom. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  46. ↑ "Dinosaures : Expérience Immersive à Paris - Port des Lumières". Dinosaures: The Immersive Experience in Paris - Atelier des Lumières (in French). Retrieved December 21, 2025.
  47. ↑ "Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs – De Voorstelling in Amsterdam". Fabrique des Lumières (in Dutch). Retrieved January 22, 2026.
  48. ↑ "Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs". Port des Lumieres (in German). Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  49. ↑ "Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs". Phoenix des Lumières (in German). Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  50. ↑ "Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs". Factory International. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
[edit]
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