Greenland

In the far North, at a time of year when it should be covered with ice, glaciers are melting and shedding chunks of ice that scatter across the ocean's surface. The animals inhabiting the land and water are threatened by warming temperatures. Climate change is fundamentally altering the natural environment of Greenland and affecting the lives of its wildlife and indigenous people. Greenlanders are facing the stark reality of a warming climate, and are trying to adapt. Until now, the Inuit people who were born in Greenland and know only their traditional life of hunting have never thought of a different place, a different life, or a different future. The sea, the ice, and the marine mammals here are everything to them. But now they must face the possibility of losing their ancient traditions, and their prey, along with the disappearing ice. They must find a way to cope.

The Greatest Places begins by noting that Earth is "the most diverse planet in the solar system," and impressive computer-generated graphics depict the very early history of the planet, showing vividly how geological events formed the continents. Particular sites around the world (the "greatest places" of the title) are then visited, and some dazzling cinematography displays the exotic locations spectacularly. A trip into the jungles of Madagascar demonstrates how the island, isolated as it was for 40 million years, developed unique wildlife, including many species of lemurs. High atop the Tibetan plateau, nomads are seen herding yaks and Buddhist pilgrims are filmed against the stunning peaks of the Himalayas. A "holy lake" in Tibet dissolves into a shot of the mighty Amazon River, and the ecosystem of the South American jungle is explored. And the world's largest island, Greenland, is scanned by cameras that linger on the sheer enormity of glaciers as well as on the native peoples who manage to live at extreme low temperatures. Near the end of the film the narrator notes that "life is a reflection of the landscape." And the breathtaking film shot in these remote but magnificent locales does demonstrate beautifully the awesome diversity of both landscape and life on Earth.

Professor Brian Cox combines some of the most spectacular sights on Earth with our deepest understanding of the universe to reveal how the planet’s beauty is created by just a handful of forces.

Vikings! They came from the North and soon the legends would say that they did not know fear. For hundreds of years they were another name for terror. They sailed icy oceans and narrow rivers striking far inland without warning without mercy. However the truth about the Vikings is far more complex. Much of Europe s traditions technology and institutions come to us from these fierce men of the North. England Germany Russia along with their homeland of Scandinavia all bear the Viking s mark today.

A young Dane, Erik goes to Greenland to investigate the mysterious death of his brother, whom the natives called "Tukuma" (the one who is always busy). Erik has his own troubles from the past, but during his stay in Greenland he is changed forever, after getting in touch with mother nature for the first time in his life.

Professor Brian Cox combines some of the most spectacular sights on Earth with our deepest understanding of the universe to reveal how the planet's beauty is created by just a handful of forces.

Professor Brian Cox combines some of the most spectacular sights on Earth with our deepest understanding of the universe to reveal how the planet's beauty is created by just a handful of forces.

A two-part documentary of the conquest of the North-West passage linking Greenland to Russia across the Arctic, more than a century on from Norwegian Amundsen's journey.

Focuses on life and the environment in both the Arctic and Antarctic.