Prehistoric Planet

For other uses, see Prehistoric Planet (disambiguation).

Prehistoric Planet is a nature documentary television series about prehistoric animals that premiered on Apple TV+ beginning May 23, 2022. The first two seasons (2022–23) are produced by the BBC Studios Natural History Unit, with Jon Favreau as showrunner, visual effects by The Moving Picture Company, and narration by natural historian Sir David Attenborough.^[1] These seasons follow dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, recreated with computer-generated imagery, living around the globe in the Late Cretaceous period 66 million years ago (Maastrichtian), just before the non-avian dinosaurs' extinction. The show intends to reflect modern palaeontological research, with informed depictions of prehistoric life alongside speculative animal behavior.^[2] A third season titled Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age, narrated by Tom Hiddleston and focusing on Pleistocene megafauna, was released in 2025.^[3]

Prehistoric Planet
Genre	Nature documentary
Narrated by	Sir David Attenborough (seasons 1–2) Tom Hiddleston (season 3)
Theme music composer	Hans Zimmer Andrew James Christie
Composers	Hans Zimmer Anže Rozman Kara Talve
Country of origin	United States United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	15
Production
Executive producers	Jon Favreau Mike Gunton
Running time	35–46 minutes
Production companies	BBC Studios Natural History Unit Golem Creations
Original release
Network	Apple TV+
Release	May 23, 2022 (2022-05-23) – present

Hans Zimmer, Kara Talve, and Anže Rozman composed the soundtrack. Prehistoric Planet is the highest-profile dinosaur-focused documentary series produced by the BBC since Planet Dinosaur in 2011, and its nature documentary-styled format is similar to the highly successful Walking with Dinosaurs (1999).^[4][5][6] Prehistoric Planet received critical acclaim for its visual effects, depiction of dinosaurs, and Attenborough's narration.

Production

According to palaeontologist and consultant Steve Brusatte, the series had been in development "a decade" prior to its trailer release.^[7] On May 8, 2019, it was first reported by Deadline that Apple had ordered a new documentary series by BBC Studios titled Prehistoric Planet, to be executively produced by Jon Favreau.^[8] An original score was composed by Kara Talve, Anže Rozman and Hans Zimmer.^[9]

The series uses up-to-date palaeontological research to depict its animals of the Cretaceous with scientific rigour; for example, feathered dinosaurs are featured in the series, such as juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex.^[9] Palaeozoologist Darren Naish was the lead consultant for the depictions of prehistoric life in the series.^[10] The storyboarding (using scripts and synopses by BBC NHU), concept art and creature designs were created by Jellyfish Pictures,^[11] while computer-generated imagery was developed by The Moving Picture Company and intended to be photorealistic, as with their previous productions The Jungle Book (2016) and The Lion King (2019).^[2]

After its release, the series consultants other than Darren Naish were revealed to be Steve Brusatte, Alexander Farnsworth, Kiersten Formoso, Michael Habib, Scott Hartman, John R. Hutchinson, Luke Muscutt, Peter Skelton, Robert Spicer, Paul Valdes and Mark Witton.^[12] David Krentz, the director of Dinosaur Revolution and character designer on Disney's Dinosaur, was also revealed to have been involved in the creature development and design.^[13]

In March 2023, Apple renewed the series for a second season (Prehistoric Planet 2), which began airing on May 22, 2023.^[14] On July 29, 2025, a third season was announced, titled Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age. This series focuses on Pleistocene megafauna. Unlike previous seasons, it is narrated by Tom Hiddleston with computer-generated imagery handled by Framestore. It was released on November 26, 2025.^[3]

Marketing

A first sneak peek was posted to the official Apple TV+ YouTube channel on April 2, 2022, along with a trailer, with a May 23 airdate set for the first episode.^[15] A ten-second teaser was released on April 19, 2022, followed by an official trailer the following day.^[16] A second trailer was released on May 19, 2022, in the lead up to the show's premiere.^[17]

The teaser of the second season was uploaded to the official Apple TV+ YouTube channel on April 18, 2023.^[18] The official trailer was released on May 2, 2023.^[19]

A first look video clip was released for Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age on October 15, 2025.^[20] An official trailer was released on November 6, 2025.^[21]

Episodes

Season	Episodes		Originally released
			First released	Last released
1	5		May 23, 2022 (2022-05-23)	May 27, 2022 (2022-05-27)
2	5		May 22, 2023 (2023-05-22)	May 26, 2023 (2023-05-26)
3	5		November 26, 2025 (2025-11-26)

Season 1 (2022)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
1	1	"Coasts"	Adam Valdez	Paul D. Stewart	May 23, 2022 (2022-05-23)
A father Tyrannosaurus and his offspring swim across a perilous seaway to feed on a dead protostegid turtle. Baby Alcione take their first flight through a gauntlet of predatory Barbaridactylus, while other species of pterosaurs congregate on the shores below. Dozens of Tuarangisaurus travel to a bay in search of gastroliths. A male Mosasaurus is cleaned by reef denizens and defends his territory from a younger rival. Scaphitid ammonites perform an elaborate mating display. A pregnant Tuarangisaurus is targeted by a Kaikaifilu and protected by her pod, after which she gives birth to a healthy baby.
2	2	"Deserts"	Andrew R. Jones, Adam Valdez	Dom Walter	May 24, 2022 (2022-05-24)
Several male Dreadnoughtus clash for the right to mate. A pair of Velociraptor hunt for lizards among a group of sleeping Tarbosaurus. A Mononykus forages for termites and investigates new food options after a rainstorm. Several species of Asian dinosaurs congregate around a watering hole. Male Barbaridactylus compete for females atop a remote plateau. A herd of Secernosaurus brave the harsh gypsum dunes in search of nourishment.
3	3	"Freshwater"	Andrew R. Jones	Paul Thompson	May 25, 2022 (2022-05-25)
A trio of Velociraptor hunt juvenile pterosaurs near a waterfall. An old, battle-scarred male Tyrannosaurus nurses his wounds and encounters a three-year younger female. A Deinocheirus seeks relief from biting flies by scratching his body on a tree. A female Quetzalcoatlus builds and guards her nest. A mother Masiakasaurus and her family hunt crabs but one of her hatchlings is ambushed by a Beelzebufo. Some elasmosaurs enter an estuary in search of fish.
4	4	"Ice Worlds"	Adam Valdez	Simon Bell	May 26, 2022 (2022-05-26)
A pack of dromaeosaurs stalks a herd of hadrosaurs as they cross a freezing river. Male Ornithomimus raid rivals' nests to bolster their own. A herd of Olorotitan raise their offspring on fertile volcanic fields but contend with biting mosquitoes. A troodontid flushes out prey by spreading a forest fire. A juvenile Antarctopelta scours the forest for a new winter den. A Pachyrhinosaurus herd stands off against a pack of Nanuqsaurus.
5	5	"Forests"	Andrew R. Jones, Adam Valdez	Matthew Wright	May 27, 2022 (2022-05-27)
A herd of Austroposeidon level trees in search of fresh foliage. A herd of Triceratops journey through a cave to find an underground clay lick. A male Carnotaurus sets the stage for an elaborate display. A female Qianzhousaurus hunts a flock of Corythoraptor in an autumn storm. A family of Edmontosaurus evade a forest fire, while an Atrociraptor and an ankylosaur reap their rewards. A group of juvenile Therizinosaurus attempt to climb a tree and feed on honey from a beehive. A Hatzegopteryx is shown preying on juvenile Zalmoxes.

Season 2 (2023)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
6	1	"Islands"	Andrew R. Jones	Paul D. Stewart	May 22, 2023 (2023-05-22)
After a tropical storm, two Zalmoxes find themselves in a rafting event. Several Hatzegopteryx ambush a herd of Tethyshadros. A female Majungasaurus hunts a group of Simosuchus. Nearby, a mother Adalatherium raises her offspring in a burrow, hoping to keep them safe from predators like Masiakasaurus and Madtsoia. A pack of Imperobator pursue a Morrosaurus onto a frozen lake. A male Hatzegopteryx attempts to attract a mate.
7	2	"Badlands"	Andrew R. Jones, Adam Valdez	Nick Lyon and Dom Walter	May 23, 2023 (2023-05-23)
Several female Isisaurus traverse the Deccan Traps to reach their nesting site. A mixed herd of Prenocephale and sauropods including Nemegtosaurus navigate a maze of canyons, but are ambushed by a pack of Velociraptor and a trio of Tarbosaurus. A colony of male Corythoraptor protect their eggs from the scorching sun by day and a female Kuru kulla at night, who has offspring of her own. A pair of juvenile Tarchia locate a desert oasis, but contend with an adult. Several Isisaurus hatchlings fall prey to Rajasaurus in an attempt to reach their ancestral home.
8	3	"Swamps"	Krzysztof Szczepanski	Alec Ginns	May 24, 2023 (2023-05-24)
Pterosaur hatchlings take flight to leave their island sanctuary, but are targeted by Shamosuchus. Several Austroraptor hunt garfish and contend with the best fishing spots. A male Beelzebufo tries to attract a mate, but his endeavour is interrupted by a herd of Rapetosaurus. A male Pachycephalosaurus must put an upstart youngster in his place. Two Tyrannosaurus brothers hunt Edmontosaurus under the cover of darkness.
9	4	"Oceans"	Adam Valdez	Amber Cherry Eames	May 25, 2023 (2023-05-25)
A female Phosphorosaurus hunts lanternfish under the ocean's moonlit surface. A flock of Hesperornis hunt for fish until they themselves are hunted by Xiphactinus. Nostoceras hatchlings are at the mercy of tides and juvenile Pyroraptor. A Mosasaurus hunts a group of Tuarangisaurus. The young Nostoceras that survived find themselves among Baculites and Diplomoceras in their new seagrass meadow home. A pod of Morturneria sift the muddy seabed of Antarctica in search of food.
10	5	"North America"	Andrew R. Jones	Paul Thompson	May 26, 2023 (2023-05-26)
A Tyrannosaurus and two Quetzalcoatlus fight over an Alamosaurus carcass. A shoal of Sphenodiscus are ambushed by a Globidens, intent on surplus killing them. At an evaporating lake, juvenile Pectinodon hunt flies while their father hunts Styginetta. Male Triceratops fight and display for the right to mate. A female Nanuqsaurus hunts Ornithomimus to feed herself and her offspring.

Season 3 (Ice Age) (2025)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
11	1	"The Big Freeze"	Leah Arnold and Alec Ginns	Matthew Thompson and Michael Gunton	November 26, 2025 (2025-11-26)
A Woolly Mammoth goes into labor during a blizzard. A pair of cave lions enter a cave to hunt cave bear cubs. Their hunt fails as the cubs spot them, which leads to the adult bears chasing one lion away and fatally injuring the other, with its carcass becoming food for cave hyenas. A family of ground sloths (Megalonyx) search for food in a thick layer of snow. A herd of Woolly Rhinoceros must fend off a pack of scimitar-toothed cats (Homotherium). A female Smilodon attempts to hunt Macrauchenia with her milk teeth still in place.
12	2	"New Lands"	Paul Thompson	Matthew Thompson and Michael Gunton	November 26, 2025 (2025-11-26)
Following the Great American Interchange, a male giant short-faced bear (Arctotherium) must find a new way to acquire food, stealing from a pack of wild dogs (Protocyon). A squirrel trails a giant ground sloth (Eremotherium) in search of food. A female giant armadillo (Glyptotherium) and her calf journey across new lands in search of water, confronting Columbian Mammoths. A young dwarf Stegodon wanders off and gets stuck in tree roots, attracting a trio of giant storks (Leptoptilos) who make an attempt to hunt it. Two terror bird brothers (Psilopterus) seek to outwit a male Smilodon.
13	3	"Desert Lands"	Simon Bell	Matthew Thompson and Michael Gunton	November 26, 2025 (2025-11-26)
Water is locked up at the poles, leading to the expansion of deserts. A ground sloth (Diabolotherium) carries her baby up a mile-high cliff in search of fresh browse. A matriarch Diprotodon succumbs to drought, forcing her herd to choose an uneasy new direction. Marsupial lions (Thylacoleo) fail to catch giant short-faced kangaroos (Procoptodon) on foot. A male giant moa (Dinornis) performs a humble mating ritual to please a much larger female. A pair of young carnivorous kangaroos (Propleopus) harass a hatchling Megalania, until an adult arrives to turn the tables. Back on the cliff face, teratorns imperil the ground sloths' trip back down to shelter. To feed her starving family, one of the marsupial lions adopts a new hunting strategy by attacking a juvenile short-faced kangaroo from a tree.
14	4	"Grasslands"	Andrew R. Jones and James Shelton	Matthew Thompson and Michael Gunton	November 26, 2025 (2025-11-26)
Grass is upending ecosystems around the world. An unusual type of rhino (Elasmotherium?) uses a thermal mud pool to ward off ticks and ravens. A pack of African scimitar-toothed cats (Homotherium) successfully take down a zebra, only to be chased away by a family of giant otters (Enhydriodon). As his forest habitat diminishes, a male Gigantopithecus uses his ingenuity to acquire food, but fails to find a mate. A giant armadillo (Doedicurus) does manage to track down a potential mate, but he must first battle an experienced rival. A Woolly Mammoth herd braves a massive dust storm in search of water.
15	5	"The Big Melt"	Andrew R. Jones and Katrina Steele	Matthew Thompson and Michael Gunton	November 26, 2025 (2025-11-26)
The ice age is nearing its end, and the world becomes warmer and wetter. A pack of scimitar-toothed cats (Homotherium) make a desperate attack on a woolly mammoth herd. A Steller's sea cow is beached by the falling tide and attracts the attention of a short-faced/mega bear (Arctodus). A mother Smilodon and her cubs are mobbed by a pack of dire wolves while scavenging a Columbian Mammoth trapped in tar. A Megaloceros narrowly evades a group of cave hyenas. Elephant birds (Aepyornis) migrate to new wetlands, leaving stragglers to fend for themselves against a giant fossa. The hyenas continue to pursue the Megaloceros through a forest. The scimitar-tooths finally achieve a meal, as early humans watch from afar.

Reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 8.4/10, based on 31 reviews for the first season. The website's critics consensus reads, "Marrying state of the art visual effects with equally immersive narration by David Attenborough, Prehistoric Planet wondrously brings viewers back to the age of dinosaurs."^[22] The second season has an approval rating of 83% with an average rating of 7/10, based on 6 reviews.^[23] On Metacritic, the series has a weighted average score of 85 out of 100, based on 8 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".^[24]

Accolades

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
2022	Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards	Best Streaming Docuseries or Non-Fiction Series	Prehistoric Planet	Nominated	[25]
	Television Critics Association Awards	Outstanding Achievement in News and Information		Nominated	[26][27]
	Cinema Eye Honours	Outstanding Anthology Series		Nominated	[28]
	Hollywood Music in Media Awards	Original Song/Score — Documentary Series - TV/Digital	Anze Rozman, Kara Talve, Hans Zimmer	Won	[29][30]
	Televisual Bulldog Awards	Best VFX	Prehistoric Planet	Won	[31]
	Broadcast Tech Innovation Awards	Best VFX Project	MPC	Won	[32]
2023	Annie Awards	Best Animated Special Production	Prehistoric Planet	Nominated	[33]
		Outstanding Achievement for Animated Effects in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production	"Coasts"	Nominated
	Visual Effects Society Awards	Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode	"Ice Worlds" – Lindsay McFarlane, Fay Hancocks, Elliot Newman, Kirstin Hall	Nominated	[34][35]
		Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a CG Project	Daniel Fotheringham, Krzysztof Szczepanski, Wei-Chuan Hsu, Claire Hill	Nominated
	Critics' Choice Real TV Awards	Best Animal/Nature Show	Prehistoric Planet	Nominated	[36]
2024	Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards	Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Score)	Hans Zimmer, Anže Rozman, Kara Talve (for "Badlands")	Nominated	[37]
	Astra Creative Arts TV Awards	Best Streaming Nonfiction Series	Prehistoric Planet	Nominated	[38]

Other media

In early 2024, Prehistoric Planet was the basis for several digital presentations viewable through the Apple Vision Pro headset. The first two products were flagship items for the official release of the headset on February 2, 2024: Pterosaur Beach (a subscription-based virtual reality short film focusing on a colony of Tethydraco), and Encounter Dinosaurs, (a free mixed reality app focusing on an encounter between Isisaurus hatchlings and Rajasaurus). Pterosaur Beach was treated as the first "episode" of the VR series Prehistoric Planet Immersive.^[39] It was followed on April 19 by Triceratops Forest, focusing on a family of Triceratops.^[40]

From July 9, 2025 through January 25, 2026, Lightroom (a specialty theatre in London) hosted Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs, a 360-degree video show assembled from clips of the first two seasons alongside full-scale graphics.^[41]