Does “incredible never-before-seen footage of rare and remarkable animal behaviors, highlighting the brilliant intelligence of the natural world” sound good to you? Then get excited for the new 10-part nature documentary series Apple TV+ unveiled Monday with that description, The Secret Lives of Animals.
And no, the series doesn’t come with David Attenborough narration. But you still get a great English accent. SAG Award winner Hugh Bonneville, of Downton Abbey fame, plays that role for this one.
Docuseries The Secret Lives of Animals debuts December 18 on Apple TV+
Personally, I love a good nature show — especially because of recent advances in photography. What cameras can capture now, even remotely in bizarre places, boggles the mind. So my expectations are high for The Secret Lives of Animals, streaming on Apple TV+ starting December 18. Featuring the dulcet tones of narrator Bonneville as well as a lot of screeching, grunting and growling (probably), it could be the perfect thing for holiday downtime.
Here’s a description of the series from Apple TV+:
The Secret Lives of Animals highlights 77 unique species in 24 countries over three years, revealing stunning, never-before-seen animal behaviors and highlighting the remarkable intelligence of the natural world. Hailing from the acclaimed BBC Studios Natural History Unit, [the] series both inspires and delights viewers with its vibrant exploration of extraordinary animal behaviors, many captured on film for the first time.
What could a humming frog and a burrowing tarantula have in common?
The new series promises plenty of strange and interesting stuff from the animal kingdom.
“Each episode delves into pivotal moments in the life cycles of various animals — from birth and leaving home to raising a family, and from finding food to growing old — showcasing their striking intelligence and adaptability,” the streamer noted. “Highlights include an orb-weaving spider constructing a deceptive ‘self-portrait’ puppet to deter predators; a wood mouse that creates its own signposts; and, an unexpected relationship between a reticulated humming frog and a burrowing tarantula.”
You’ve got to wonder what the reticulated humming frog and burrowing tarantula get up to, don’t you?
My expectations are high because of the people involved with the production as well as Apple TV+’s great track record so far with such programming, too. BBC Studios Natural History Unit produces the series for Apple TV+. Matt Brandon (Planet Earth III) serves as showrunner and Roger Webb (Mammals, Big Cats 24/7) is executive producer. The series marks the third collaboration between the BBC Studios Natural History Unit and Apple TV+, following the hit, Emmy Award-nominated series Prehistoric Planet and The Year Earth Changed.
Watch documentaries and more on Apple TV+
While you wait for the new series, check out the excellent roster of documentaries on Apple TV+. The service is available by subscription for $9.99 with a seven-day free trial. You can also get it via any tier of the Apple One subscription bundle. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.
After launching in November 2019, “Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 515 wins and 2,308 award nominations and counting,” the service said.
In addition to award-winning movies and TV shows (including breakout soccer comedy Ted Lasso), Apple TV+ offers a variety of documentaries, dramas, comedies, kids shows and more.
Source: Apple TV+
