24 April 2024 – Hamza Yassin – Image credit: Ellie Hilton/Silverback Films/BBC

“These are three thrilling projects that demonstrate the breadth of Natural History programming on the BBC. I’m committed to ensuring that we remain the place where wildlife filmmakers do their best work, and I love collaborating with the creatives of Bristol.” — Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual

The BBC has announced three ambitious new natural history programmes, including a landmark new five part series, Hidden Planet and a new four part series with wildlife cameraman Hamza Yassin both for BBC One and iPlayer; and new single film, Expedition Killer Whale for BBC Two and iPlayer.

Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual, says: “These are three thrilling projects that demonstrate the breadth of Natural History programming on the BBC. I’m committed to ensuring that we remain the place where wildlife filmmakers do their best work, and I love collaborating with the creatives of Bristol. The city is an extraordinary global hub of talent, and its Natural History producers are the envy of the world. I look forward to making more programmes with them in the future.”

Hidden Planet

Twenty years after the ground-breaking series Life in the Undergrowth, Hidden Planet will dive into the secret world of the most successful and important animals on Earth – Insects. Building on the remarkable advances in camera technology pioneered by The Green Planet, the series reveals the beautiful and dramatic lives of insects in unprecedented detail.

Across five globally-filmed episodes, full of new behaviour, new insights and extraordinary drama, the series will reveal insects to be doting parents that care for their offspring and defend their families, accomplished architects that build beautiful structures and sophisticated communicators, enticing and manipulating large animals, including us.

The series will also discover how insects transform and protect both the world they live in and our world too.

Hidden Planet (5×60) for BBC One and iPlayer was commissioned by Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual. It is a BBC Studios Natural History Unit production, the Executive producer is Mike Gunton, the Series producer is Paul Williams and Series editor is Scott Alexander. The BBC Commissioning Editor is Sreya Biswas, Head of Natural History.

Hamza’s Hidden Wild Isles

In this brand-new series for BBC One and iPlayer, wildlife cameraman Hamza Yassin will reveal wildlife gems from across the four countries of the UK.

In each programme, Hamza will find and film incredible species and spectacles hidden amongst both our urban and wilder landscapes. From hidden nocturnal encounters, to perfectly camouflaged creatures hiding in plain sight, he will reveal that wildlife is everywhere; you just need to know where to look for it.

Through Hamza, we’ll share a sense of awe and wonder as he guides us into the natural world and we’ll discover that wildlife is everywhere, you just need to know how to look.

With Hamza’s trademark knowledge, warmth and enthusiasm, he’ll share tips and advice, encouraging viewers to connect with nature, wherever they are.

Stunning aerial photography provides a special sense of time and place combined with blue-chip cinematography and footage from wildlife camera crews filmed on their local patch. Each of the four episodes will follow a seasonal narrative as nature’s calendar unfolds across the year.

The series is produced by Silverback Films, the team behind BBC One’s landmark series Wild Isles, and the stand-out success Hamza: Strictly Birds of Prey. It is co-produced by the National Trust and The Open University.

Hamza’s Hidden Wild Isles (4×60) for BBC One and iPlayer was commissioned by Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual and it is being produced by multiple BAFTA and Emmy Award winning Silverback Films, part of the All3 Media Group. The Series Producer and Director is Laura Howard, the Executive Producer is Alastair Fothergill and the Line Producer is Siobhan Brook. The BBC Commissioning Editor is Sreya Biswas, Head of Natural History.

Expedition Killer Whale

This one off film is a fascinating deep dive into the complex hunting methods and communication techniques of the ocean’s greatest predator – the killer whale.

In a remote corner of Antarctica, a group of killer whales capture their prey in the most extraordinary fashion. But now these whales are under threat. A team of experts travel to the whales’ hunting grounds in a notoriously remote location in Antarctica. It’s an unprecedented expedition – allowing unique access to these compelling animals. Using the latest technology, scientists and camera teams record everything they can about the killer whales, decoding the language they use to co-ordinate their hunting rituals and assessing their chances for survival in the modern world.

Expedition Killer Whale (1×60) was commissioned by Jack Bootle for BBC Two and iPlayer. It is a BBC Studios Natural History Unit production for BBC and PBS with The WNET Group. The Director /Producer is Vanessa Coates and the Executive Producer is Orla Doherty. The BBC Commissioning Editor is Sreya Biswas, Head of Natural History.