The Frozen Planet

Infobox nature documentary
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show_name = The Frozen Planet


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picture_format = (HDTV)
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runtime = 60 minutes
creator = BBC Natural History Unit
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producer = BBC, Discovery Channel
executive_producer = Alastair Fothergill
presented =
narrated = David Attenborough
music =
country = United Kingdom
language = English
network = BBC One
first_run =
first_aired =
last_aired =
num_episodes = 6
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"The Frozen Planet" is a forthcoming nature documentary series, co-produced by the BBC and the Discovery Channel and filmed by the BBC Natural History Unit. Other production partners are the Discovery Channel Canada, ZDF (Germany), Antena 3 (Spain) and Skai TV (Greece). [cite news|url=http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6549399.html |title=Discovery, BBC Team Again for ‘Frozen Planet’ TV Event for 2012 |date=April 9, 2008 |publisher=Multichannel News] The production team, which includes executive producer Alastair Fothergill and series producer Vanessa Berlowitz, were previously responsible for the award-winning series "The Blue Planet" (2001) and "Planet Earth" (2006), and "The Frozen Planet" is being billed as a sequel of sorts. David Attenborough will return as narrator, [cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/sep/21/bbc.television1 |title=Attenborough is back - again |date=September 21, 2007 |publisher="The Guardian"] and as with "Planet Earth", the series will be shot entirely in HD.

The six-part series will focus on life in the Arctic and Antarctic, regions of the planet that are currently experiencing a more rapid rate of climatic change than any other. The production team were keen to film a comprehensive record of the natural history of the polar regions, because climate change is affecting landforms such as glaciers, ice shelves, the extent of sea ice as well as threatening the future of many species.

Filming is currently underway, and will focus particularly on the challenges facing polar bears and Arctic wolves in the north and adelie penguins and wandering albatross in the south, although storylines are still being developed. After an introductory episode, the next four episodes will depict the changing seasons at the poles, before a final episode focusing on mankind’s activities there. [cite web |url=http://classic.ipy.org/development/eoi/details.php?id=1250 |title=Expression of Interest: BBC Frozen Planet |publisher=International Polar Year website |accessdate=2008-04-25] Filmmakers will be working in new locations, including Antarctica’s active volcanoes and the Russian Arctic. Sequences already captured include migrating eider ducks and footage of a fur seal colony from the air. The aerial photography will again use the Cineflex cameras pioneered on "Planet Earth", which enable steady footage to be captured from long-range without disturbing the animals.

"The Frozen Planet" is due to be broadcast on BBC One in autumn 2011, with the US broadcast on Discovery following in spring 2012. [cite news|url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2008-04-08-frozen-planet_N.htm |title=Another sweeping nature special when 'Planet' freezes over |date=April 8, 2008 |publisher="USA Today"] Some reports suggest that the series will run to eight episodes in the US.

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