The Life of Mammals

Before the BBC brought the overwhelming Planet Earth to the table, they tackled our fellow mammal friends in probably the most breathtaking and extensive documentary on nature to date. Giving further proof to evolution by bridging the gap between humans and the other species we share this planet with, Sir David Attenborough takes us to places few will ever see and shows us animals you can’t believe actually exist. The subject matter should be required viewing for everyone but it’s the remarkable film work that establishes the BBC and this series as miles ahead of the competition. The crew manage to capture some unique creatures on video for the very first time, as well as basically living up in the trees with primates and in the ocean with the blue whale. This ten-part series begins with smaller creatures such as the echidna and platypus (the only two mammals that lay eggs) and basically explores how animals have evolved and survived by learning to adapt to their surroundings. Moving along to larger predators, primates and eventually ourselves, Life of Mammals gives you loads to think about, in terms of the role humans play in interacting with our environment, and how we’ve strayed so far from our origins. The DVD is light on features, with only a "behind the scenes” extra, which shows the lengths this BBC crew went to in getting the groundbreaking footage of extraordinary behaviour. However, there’s not much more you can add to Life of Mammals that isn’t already contained in the episodes. Plus: photo gallery and fact files.