Earth

Chris Packham does a fantastic job of explaining our planet's deep history and how fleeting we are but also how resilient life is.

Thoroughly engaging and immersive.

Great visuals and story telling. The places he visits really help put the different pieces of the geological jigsaw together.

The science behind the story telling is highly credible and Chris uses easy to understand language that makes this series accessible to all.

I have been an avid science documentary watcher, and the BBC have added another masterpiece to their already extensive list of other documentaries such as Planet Earth. This is up there!

Brilliant.

I enjoyed the series - this is such a fascinating subject for sure. As others have said though, condensing so much into a few episodes means at times it's just scratching the surface.

My main irritation though was the tone - it's pitched mainly at a school age audience is my guess. Every event has to have dramatic music behind it to make sure you understand whether it's a Sad Thing or a Wonderful Thing, the script at times is very silly - 'the world had become so hostile that to plant life is must have seemed a hopeless struggle, but just as they were on the point of giving up the struggle, they realised they had a friend, and a friend who wanted to help. And that friend was called...'. Cut to Packham staring resolutely into the camera. 'Fungus.'

It also gives the impression at times that evolution always had the aim to create humans, and that to do so it needed a lot of help from random disasters, a bit of a Lord Of The Rings quest. In fact humans are just the random place to which all the random disasters led.

But enjoyable in small doses (the music really gets to you after about 30 minutes).

Once in a long eon (or so it seems) there is a moment in TV history that puts your faith back into the idea that there is some kind of plebian brain cells left somewhere at the bbc! 'EARTH' the 5 part brilliant, informative, expertly presented (by Chris Packham) tv series has been a long awaited revelation! Out of the Crass, Vile, cheap mush that clogs up all the channels a beautifully constructed series about how our cold ball of rock transforms into the amazing Blue/Green pearl over millennia is so gratifying. Chris Packham is gradually progressing to fill the shoes of the 'Father of the planet' David Attenborough. Deep praise to all concerned.

This was all over the place, if you're after a decent version of our Earths history, that's in layman's terms for us dumb a**es, this isn't in, half the sentences in this show made little sense in correlation to what was actually on screen.

Apparently, primates learnt to walk because of the huge new distances between trees (due to asteroid impact) and that's why gorillas & chimps can't get about without swinging from tress, because they were not met with this issue...excuse me! What! I'm no expert on primates, but I'm pretty certain I've seen both gorillas and Chimps roaming the flats without the need of a branch.

The documentary boasts outstanding special effects, arguably the best in the genre to date. It's unfortunate that the post-show epilogue doesn't acknowledge the remarkable work put into them, much like the recognition given to scientists and filmmakers.

Chris, the host, brings a passionate energy, though his accent and inflections may take some adjustment. However, his script shines with brilliance, flowing seamlessly and matching the caliber of Attenborough's candor.

While some critical reviews point out gaps in coverage, considering the vast span of 4.6 billion years, the documentary impressively tackles a substantial amount. Addressing the impact of human activities on Earth's biodiversity is a necessary but somber reminder. A follow-up series with Chris, focusing on solutions and engaging viewers to contribute ideas, could be a powerful addition to address the impending challenges.