Entertainment

Here's Why David Attenborough's New Netflix Documentary Looks Like His Best Yet

by Aoife Hanna
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Mother nature is all round us, and the beauty of our planet is undeniable. Especially if you ignore the human element, am I right? Anyhow, nature documentaries have revolutionised how people get to see animals in their natural habitat. Thanks to super fancy cameras, skilful operators, dedicated production teams, and let's be real — lots of cash. So when the news dropped that Netflix was making its very own nature documentary, fans began to drool. Because y'all, the budget for Netflix Our Planet is probably huge.

I contacted a representative of Netflix, who told me that the streaming service doesn't comment on the budget for individual shows. However, it is fair to say the series probably cost a fair bit. As the Guardian reports, nature documentaries are pretty costly to make.

And if you compare Netflix's annual budget to the other big hitter in nature documentaries, the BBC, the streaming service probably had a bit of spare cash to spend on Our Planet. According to HuffPost, Netflix is believed to have an annual content budget of £6.1 billion, whereas the publication reports the BBC spends £4.77 billion annually on their content. Not a massive difference, but the BBC does include its enormous news and current affairs division in this budget. So guys, it is fair to say that if the likes of BBC's Blue Planet get you brimming with excitement — Our Planet might push you right over the edge.

OMG nature, without even having to go outside. The millennial dream.

As HuffPost reports, the show has been made over the last four years but was only officially announced by Netflix back in November 2018. Not only are they smashing it with quality content yet again, but they are doing it with the biggest names in the natural world. The WWF and, drum roll, Sir David Attenborough. Who is of course the narrator of the likes of Blue Planet, Planet Earth, and Dynasties.

Change is a beautiful thing, and as the saying goes: as good as a rest. However, it's fair to say that some of us don't do so well with change. Anticipating this ,Attenborough spoke during an interview with Prince William at the World Economic Forum 2019 in Davos, explaining his decision to temporarily jump ship from the BBC for this production. And guys, it is actually for the good of the planet and reaching out to as many people as possible. He said,

"This is a communication challenge rather than a scientific one. We need to make it easy for the world to understand the issues and to enable an increasingly global population to connect with nature and feel a shared responsibility for it. Four years ago I heard of the ambition of the Our Planet project, and the creators’ hopes to engage hundreds of millions of people with exactly this story...By putting it on Netflix it becomes possible overnight to reach 150 million people immediately".

If that weren't enough, he went on to explain that, yes this is entertainment, but it's not in the name of entertainment. It's intended to get people thinking about the things they do in their every day life that are harmful to the planet.

Attenborough explained, "There has never been a time where more people have been more out of touch with the natural world than as now. We have to recognise that every breath of air we take, every mouthful of food we take comes from the natural world. If we damage the natural world, we damage ourselves. We are one coherent ecosystem. It's not just a question of beauty, of interest, or wonder. The essential ingredient, the essential part of human life is a healthy planet".

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It was around that moment that he dropped the mic. OK just kidding, but figuratively speaking he did. What more could you expect from a man who has given his life to the natural world? Time for the public to pay attention.

The show is in eight parts that will be released all at once in classic Netflix style. So bring the snacks, the tissues, and batten down the hatches — you are about to be entertained, informed, and seriously inspired.

Our Planet will be released on Netflix on Friday, April 5, 2019