Some of these crews spent years in a single forest or under polar ice; others changed how the public thinks about orcas and plastic. 1950s pioneers share the list with streaming-age epics.
1Planet EarthThe 2006 BBC series that set a new standard for wildlife filmmaking with aerial and high-definition footage of every major habitat.1000pts
2Planet Earth IIThe 2016 sequel shot in 4K, remembered for the iguana-versus-racer-snakes chase and its episode on city wildlife.936pts
3Our PlanetNetflix's 2019 series with Attenborough and WWF, pairing spectacular footage with the threats each habitat now faces.817pts
4The Blue PlanetThe BBC's landmark 2001 series on the world's oceans, the first to film much of the deep sea's strange life.723pts
5EarthThe 2007 feature film drawn from Planet Earth footage, following a polar bear, elephants and humpback whales over a year.645pts
6The Silent WorldJacques Cousteau and Louis Malle's 1956 underwater film, one of the first to show the ocean in color, winner of the Palme d'Or and an Oscar.548pts
7LifeA 2009 BBC series on the extraordinary strategies animals and plants use to survive, from Komodo dragons to tool-using capuchins.548pts
8The Living PlanetAttenborough's 1984 BBC follow-up exploring how life adapts to every habitat on the planet, from deserts to open ocean.490pts
9The Life of BirdsAttenborough's 1998 ten-part BBC survey of bird life, featuring the superb-lyrebird mimicking chainsaws and camera shutters.490pts
10Planet Earth IIIThe 2023 third chapter of the franchise, mixing new technology with stories of animals adapting to a changing world.490pts
11Frozen PlanetThe BBC's 2011 series on life in the Arctic and Antarctic across the seasons, with wolves, polar bears and penguins.490pts
12The HuntThe BBC's 2015 series focused entirely on predators and their prey, showing how often the hunters fail.490pts
13Frozen Planet IIThe 2022 return to the planet's coldest places, documenting how melting ice is changing life at the poles and on mountain tops.490pts
14Chimp EmpireA 2023 Netflix series following the politics and rivalries of a huge chimpanzee community in Uganda's Ngogo forest.490pts
15Seven Worlds, One PlanetThe BBC's 2019 series devoting one episode to the wildlife of each continent.490pts
16The Living DesertDisney's 1953 True-Life Adventure on the creatures of the American Southwest desert, winner of the Oscar for best documentary.425pts
17MicrocosmosA 1996 French film that follows insects in a single meadow in extreme close-up, with almost no narration.425pts
18AfricaA 2013 BBC series filmed across the continent's deserts, savannas and jungles, including the night-time rhino gathering in the Kalahari.425pts
19ChimpanzeeDisneynature's 2012 film about an orphaned young chimp adopted by the group's alpha male in Ivory Coast's Taï Forest.425pts
20DynastiesA 2018 BBC series following five animal families, including chimpanzees, emperor penguins and lions, over years of filming.425pts
21The Trials of LifeA 1990 Attenborough series on animal behaviour, from courtship to hunting, including the orcas beaching themselves to seize sea lions.350pts
22Life in Cold BloodAttenborough's 2008 BBC series on reptiles and amphibians, completing his decades-long 'Life' collection.350pts
23Blue Planet IIThe 2017 ocean series whose scenes of plastic pollution helped spark a worldwide campaign against single-use plastic.350pts
24Night on EarthA 2020 Netflix series filmed with low-light cameras to show what animals do after dark.350pts
25Winged MigrationJacques Perrin's 2001 film that flies alongside migrating birds across seven continents.350pts
26OceansJacques Perrin's 2009 feature on marine life, filmed over four years with custom underwater rigs.350pts
27Life on EarthDavid Attenborough's 1979 BBC series tracing the evolution of life, famous for his close encounter with mountain gorillas.264pts
28My Octopus TeacherThe 2020 Oscar-winning film about a diver's year-long bond with a wild octopus in a South African kelp forest.264pts
29March of the PenguinsThe 2005 Oscar-winning film about emperor penguins' long journey to their breeding grounds in the Antarctic winter.163pts
30The CoveThe 2009 Oscar winner that secretly filmed the dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan.163pts
31BlackfishThe 2013 film on the orca Tilikum and captive killer whales at SeaWorld, which changed public views of marine parks.163pts
32Grizzly ManWerner Herzog's 2005 film built from Timothy Treadwell's own footage of the Alaskan bears he lived among.0pts
