# Best science and nature documentaries **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 21, 2005, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-and-nature-documentaries/322710 "2005-09-21T15:03:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-and-nature-documentaries/322710/1 "2005-09-21T15:03:19Z")
OK what are doper’s choices for the best science and nature documentaries available on dvd (now or soon)? The blue planet series with David Attenborough [link](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0296310/) is fantastic, with enough information to appeal to a nature buff. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-and-nature-documentaries/322710/2 "2005-09-21T15:25:13Z")
I highly recommend [Evolution](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005RG6J/qid=1127316901/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/102-8493337-6646504?v=glance&s=dvd), an eight-part PBS series from 2001. If enough people would watch this instead of listening to Kent Hovind, the whole ID thing would have nowhere to go. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-and-nature-documentaries/322710/3 "2005-09-21T15:36:29Z")
I liked **March of the Penguins** quite a bit. And Werner Herzog’s **Grizzly Man** is also outstanding – though more about the relationship of the documentarian to what s/he is filming than it is about the animals themselves. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-and-nature-documentaries/322710/4 "2005-09-21T16:46:42Z")
harumph. I was going to nominate David Attenborough’s **Life on Earth** from 1979 but sadly it’s only available in a severely edited 4 hour VHS version. It was pretty amazing stuff for back then. Nothing since has held my attention like that show did. **Cosmos** might be worth looking at for curiosity’s sake. It might be kind of hokey now, but maybe rent an episode or two if you can and check it out. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-and-nature-documentaries/322710/5 "2005-09-21T17:04:54Z")
> [@mack](#): > > harumph. I was going to nominate David Attenborough’s **Life on Earth** from 1979 but sadly it’s only available in a severely edited 4 hour VHS version. It was pretty amazing stuff for back then. Nothing since has held my attention like that show did. If you can play Region 2 DVD’s\* then this would make a great xmas presie > **[BBC Shop](https://shop.bbc.com/)** > > The Best of British TV and Culture. Celebrate your favourite shows: Doctor Who, Top Gear, Sherlock, and many more! Shop bestselling DVDs, Blu-rays and merchandise direct from the BBC Shop. or > **[BBC Shop](https://shop.bbc.com/)** > > The Best of British TV and Culture. Celebrate your favourite shows: Doctor Who, Top Gear, Sherlock, and many more! Shop bestselling DVDs, Blu-rays and merchandise direct from the BBC Shop. all his stuff can be found here > **[BBC Shop](https://shop.bbc.com/?bklist=icat,5,,11,nature,94&)** > > The Best of British TV and Culture. Celebrate your favourite shows: Doctor Who, Top Gear, Sherlock, and many more! Shop bestselling DVDs, Blu-rays and merchandise direct from the BBC Shop. I’ve got most of them and they are excellent quality. \*If you put you model number with “region unlock” into google you’ll most likely find the code/remote control button sequence that will open up all regions on your DVD player. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-and-nature-documentaries/322710/6 "2005-09-21T17:36:04Z")
> [@mack](#): > > **Cosmos** might be worth looking at for curiosity’s sake. It might be kind of hokey now, but maybe rent an episode or two if you can and check it out. The Science Channel, for those who have it, is re-running _Cosmos_ starting on the 27th. Apparently, they’ve updated the graphics and animations. Hard to believe it’s been 25 years since it first aired! ---
**Author:** ![mrunlucky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7993a0/32.png) [@mrunlucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrunlucky)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-and-nature-documentaries/322710/7 "2005-09-21T17:39:21Z")
I love **The Shape of Life** series. If you’re into understanding “lower” life forms like starfish and jellyfish, and want great underwater cinematography, this is an edutainment deal. I also like **Living Edens, Lost Worlds: Venezuela’s Ancient Tepuis** , which is about nearly inaccessable mountaintops. The landscapes are uttery alien. ---
**Author:** ![RetroVertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@RetroVertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RetroVertigo)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-and-nature-documentaries/322710/8 "2005-09-21T18:30:23Z")
The two part Nova on string theory called [the Elegant Universe](http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elegant) was very well done. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-and-nature-documentaries/322710/9 "2005-09-21T20:28:33Z")
I liked “Supernature” for natural science documentaries. And for Science and Tech, nothing beats James Burke’s Connections series. ---
**Author:** ![CBCD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-and-nature-documentaries/322710/10 "2005-09-21T22:56:36Z")
I liked the film [Winged Migration](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000CGNEH/bookstorenow52-20/103-0373359-9544657). You have to say it with a French accent. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-and-nature-documentaries/322710/11 "2005-09-22T01:31:09Z")
_Connections_ will always be my fave. Especially the episode about refrigeration leading up to the rocket launch. Now _that’s_ how you host a Science show. ---
**Author:** ![Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-and-nature-documentaries/322710/12 "2005-09-23T04:22:01Z")
I think it’s only available on VHS, but National Geographic’s [Eternal Enemies: Lions and Hyenas](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/6304474636/102-0967347-0431328?_encoding=UTF8) is the best nature documentary ever made IMO. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-and-nature-documentaries/322710/13 "2005-09-23T17:12:26Z")
Another vote for _Connections_, and a shout out to _The Story of English_ from back in the 80s. (The companion book wasn’t bad either.) ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-and-nature-documentaries/322710/14 "2005-09-23T21:21:19Z")
> [@CBCD](#): > > I liked the film [Winged Migration](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000CGNEH/bookstorenow52-20/103-0373359-9544657). You have to say it with a French accent. And **Microcosmos** by the same guy I believe.