About this season
Consistently stunning documentaries transport viewers to far-flung locations ranging from the torrid African plains to the chilly splendours of icy Antarctica. The show's primary focus is on animals and ecosystems around the world. A comic book based on the show, meant to be used an as educational tool for kids, was briefly distributed to museums and schools at no cost in the mid-2000s.
Episodes (14)
1. In the Company of Wolves with Timothy Dalton
Aired 3 October 1993 • 53 min
Timothy Dalton searches for wolf habitats in North America to learn more about the animal
2. Treasure of the Andes
Aired 10 October 1993 • 53 min
The history of llamas, alpacas, vicunas and guanacos in South America.
3. Echoes from the Ice
Aired 7 November 1993 • 53 min
The two-hundred-foot walls of ice in Glacier Bay overwhelm the senses, but they also surround the most beautiful sights Alaska has to offer — the Northern Lights, the roaming grizzly bears, and the humpback whales. The glacier itself is also creating new life — it has retreated some 70 miles up the bay, wiping the ecological slate clean, allowing new plants and animals to start again from scratch.
4. The Nature of Sex: the Primal Instinct
Aired 22 November 1993 • 53 min
This program looks at the varied ways in which life reproduces. Whether a species has one sex, two sexes, both at once or none at all, the urge to procreate is there.
5. The Nature of Sex: a Time and a Place
Aired 22 November 1993 • 53 min
Explores the various influences on mating and courtship, from the sun, the moon and the change of seasons, to the specific behaviors within species.
6. The Nature of Sex: The Sex Contract
Aired 23 November 1993 • 53 min
Explores the selection process among different species for choosing a mate, whether it’s for life or just for the day.
7. The Nature of Sex: Sex and the Human Animal
Aired 23 November 1993 • 53 min
An investigation into the origins of human sexuality and sexual roles.
8. The Nature of Sex: a Miracle in the Making
Aired 24 November 1993 • 53 min
A look at the reproduction process from conception to birth of a wide variety of animals.
9. The Nature of Sex: Young Ones
Aired 24 November 1993 • 53 min
A look at the parental process of all sorts of earth’s creatures.
10. Nature's Great African Moments
Aired 5 December 1993 • 53 min
"Nature's Great African Moments" features clips from episodes focusing on the continent and its abundant wildlife. Included: wildebeests, zebras, lions, giraffes and flamingos.
11. Anima Mundi: Before It's Too Late
Aired 23 January 1994 • 53 min
"Anima Mundi" offers images of the natural world set to music; "Before It's Too Late" examines zoos' efforts to preserve endangered species. Included: attempts to restore near-extinct mammals to mainland Australia.
12. Phantom of the Forest
Aired 20 February 1994 • 53 min
A study of the goshawk, a bird of prey that has been restored to the Scottish woodlands after being pushed to the brink of extinction. Included: the goshawk's courtship ritual; how chicks learn to fly.
13. Sea Otter Story: Warm Hearts & Cold Water
Aired 13 March 1994 • 53 min
"A Sea Otter Story---Warm Hearts & Cold Water" examines a California aquarium's efforts to raise an otter and teach it necessary survival skills. Also: the impact of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill on Alaskan otters.
14. Toadskin Spell
Aired 15 May 1994 • 53 min
"Toadskin Spell" examines frogs and toads and how the qualities of their skin help them survive extreme climates. Included: toad-derived poisons, medicines and hallucinogens.