Life on Earth (1979) | StreamScapeX

Episodes

Season 1, 13 episodes

Episode 1: The Infinite Variety
- Now playing
- 55m
- Jan 16, 1979
The first ever episode of the landmark natural history series Life on Earth. David Attenborough explores the wildlife and landscape that inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
Episode 2: Building Bodies
- 54m
- Jan 23, 1979
Bright blue starfish, crimson feather stars, shell-less snails in designs as extravagant as any Paris fashion show, shrimps of every colour, others that are transparent - just a sample of the animal wonders to be found in a small area of the Great Barrier Reef.
Episode 3: The First Forests
- 54m
- Jan 30, 1979
For most of Earth's history there was no life on land. But over 400 million years ago some tiny plants began an invasion from the water, closely followed by the first animals - the ancestors of millipedes and insects.
Episode 4: The Swarming Hordes
- 55m
- Feb 6, 1979
David Attenborough looks at the role of a few of the millions of insect species, some of which have developed extremely close relationships with plants. Insects pollinate flowers and in some cases neither flower nor insect can survive without the other.
Episode 5: Conquest of the Waters
- 55m
- Feb 13, 1979
Fish occur in populations of billions and there are over 30,000 species, more than in any other group of backboned animals. The development of the backbone was a crucial advance in evolution -and it probably came from a most unlikely source, a little jelly-like creature called a sea squirt.
Episode 6: Invasion of the Land
- 55m
- Feb 20, 1979
Some 350 million years ago, evolution reached one of its most crucial stages when fish crawled from the water onto the land and became amphibians. Today, newts, salamanders, toads and frogs still survive in great quantities, and there is even one species of frog where the male gives birth from its mouth! Presented by David Attenborough.
Episode 7: Victors of the Dry Land
- 55m
- Feb 27, 1979
David Attenborough looks at the history of reptiles, the first back-boned creatures to solve the problems of living high and dry on the land. Their waterproofed skin and sealed eggs enabled the mighty reptiles to rule the world.
Episode 8: Lords of the Air
- 54m
- Mar 6, 1979
The story of life, from the first primitive cells to the plants and animals that now live around us. David Attenborough examines the uses and advantages of birds' unique possession - the feather. Man has yet to invent anything that, weight for weight, is as strong as the feather. Feathers are insulators, they provide the surface of the most perfect aerofoils known - bird's wings. Plus they play a central role in courtship.
Episode 9: The Rise of the Mammals
- 54m
- Mar 13, 1979
Mammals have proved to be one of the most adaptable products of evolution. David Attenborough looks at their evolution from reptiles 200 million years ago. This remarkable transition involved the development of mechanisms for regulating body temperature, for allowing the young to develop in the womb and for suckling newborns. Attenborough also explores the South American origins of marsupials and their colonisation of Australia.
Episode 10: Theme and Variations
- 53m
- Mar 20, 1979
A little furry animal from the jungles of South East Asia, called a tree shrew, has attracted great interest from scientists because it shows how a great group of animals may have originated - the mammals. David Attenborough looks at some of the huge variety of mammals. Bats number over a thousand species, many hunt insects, some sip nectar, drink blood, and even catch fish. Contrast those which use sonar with the great whales that sing, the star-nosed mole and the giant anteater, and the potential variations become dramatically clear.
Episode 11: The Hunters and Hunted
- 55m
- Mar 27, 1979
David Attenborough explores the eternal duel between the hunters and the hunted - one of the driving forces of evolution. As the hunters develop speed and cunning, the prey becomes increasingly fast and wary in order to stay alive. Nowhere is this seen better than on the plains of East Africa.
Episode 12: Life in the Trees
- 55m
- Apr 3, 1979
David Attenborough's now-legendary encounter with young gorillas is featured in this episode as he looks at the history of primates, whose ancestors sought their fortune in the treetops. There they developed binocular vision for accurately judging distances, and the ability to grasp trees with a firm grip. The group includes dazzling gymnasts, deafening choristers and highly cultured monkeys.
Episode 13: The Compulsive Communicators
- 54m
- Apr 10, 1979
David Attenborough looks for crucial clues that help to explain how and why we have come to dominate life on earth. He traces back the African origins of humans to nearly three million years ago, and along the way he goes into caves in southern France where Stone Age people created imaginative paintings of ice-age animals. He also travels to Papua New Guinea to find some hunter-gatherers who have never before set eyes on white people.

A natural history by David Attenborough

1979
1 season
55m per episode
Documentary

9.1TMDB(50)

Overview

The story of life, from the first primitive cells to the plants and animals that now live around us.

Fun facts

Episodes
Ran for 1 season and 13 episodes (1979)
Source for Episodes, opens in a new tab
Music
Music by Edward Williams
Source for Music, opens in a new tab

Details

Status: Ended
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 13
First aired: January 16, 1979
Last aired: April 10, 1979
Original language: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Streaming on

In the United States

Availability data byJustWatch, opens in a new tab

All options

Network

Production

Reiner Moritz Productions

Cast

David AttenboroughSelf - Presenter

Videos

Episodes

Season 1, 13 episodes

Episode 1: The Infinite Variety
- Now playing
- 55m
- Jan 16, 1979
The first ever episode of the landmark natural history series Life on Earth. David Attenborough explores the wildlife and landscape that inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
Episode 2: Building Bodies
- 54m
- Jan 23, 1979
Bright blue starfish, crimson feather stars, shell-less snails in designs as extravagant as any Paris fashion show, shrimps of every colour, others that are transparent - just a sample of the animal wonders to be found in a small area of the Great Barrier Reef.
Episode 3: The First Forests
- 54m
- Jan 30, 1979
For most of Earth's history there was no life on land. But over 400 million years ago some tiny plants began an invasion from the water, closely followed by the first animals - the ancestors of millipedes and insects.
Episode 4: The Swarming Hordes
- 55m
- Feb 6, 1979
David Attenborough looks at the role of a few of the millions of insect species, some of which have developed extremely close relationships with plants. Insects pollinate flowers and in some cases neither flower nor insect can survive without the other.
Episode 5: Conquest of the Waters
- 55m
- Feb 13, 1979
Fish occur in populations of billions and there are over 30,000 species, more than in any other group of backboned animals. The development of the backbone was a crucial advance in evolution -and it probably came from a most unlikely source, a little jelly-like creature called a sea squirt.
Episode 6: Invasion of the Land
- 55m
- Feb 20, 1979
Some 350 million years ago, evolution reached one of its most crucial stages when fish crawled from the water onto the land and became amphibians. Today, newts, salamanders, toads and frogs still survive in great quantities, and there is even one species of frog where the male gives birth from its mouth! Presented by David Attenborough.
Episode 7: Victors of the Dry Land
- 55m
- Feb 27, 1979
David Attenborough looks at the history of reptiles, the first back-boned creatures to solve the problems of living high and dry on the land. Their waterproofed skin and sealed eggs enabled the mighty reptiles to rule the world.
Episode 8: Lords of the Air
- 54m
- Mar 6, 1979
The story of life, from the first primitive cells to the plants and animals that now live around us. David Attenborough examines the uses and advantages of birds' unique possession - the feather. Man has yet to invent anything that, weight for weight, is as strong as the feather. Feathers are insulators, they provide the surface of the most perfect aerofoils known - bird's wings. Plus they play a central role in courtship.
Episode 9: The Rise of the Mammals
- 54m
- Mar 13, 1979
Mammals have proved to be one of the most adaptable products of evolution. David Attenborough looks at their evolution from reptiles 200 million years ago. This remarkable transition involved the development of mechanisms for regulating body temperature, for allowing the young to develop in the womb and for suckling newborns. Attenborough also explores the South American origins of marsupials and their colonisation of Australia.
Episode 10: Theme and Variations
- 53m
- Mar 20, 1979
A little furry animal from the jungles of South East Asia, called a tree shrew, has attracted great interest from scientists because it shows how a great group of animals may have originated - the mammals. David Attenborough looks at some of the huge variety of mammals. Bats number over a thousand species, many hunt insects, some sip nectar, drink blood, and even catch fish. Contrast those which use sonar with the great whales that sing, the star-nosed mole and the giant anteater, and the potential variations become dramatically clear.
Episode 11: The Hunters and Hunted
- 55m
- Mar 27, 1979
David Attenborough explores the eternal duel between the hunters and the hunted - one of the driving forces of evolution. As the hunters develop speed and cunning, the prey becomes increasingly fast and wary in order to stay alive. Nowhere is this seen better than on the plains of East Africa.
Episode 12: Life in the Trees
- 55m
- Apr 3, 1979
David Attenborough's now-legendary encounter with young gorillas is featured in this episode as he looks at the history of primates, whose ancestors sought their fortune in the treetops. There they developed binocular vision for accurately judging distances, and the ability to grasp trees with a firm grip. The group includes dazzling gymnasts, deafening choristers and highly cultured monkeys.
Episode 13: The Compulsive Communicators
- 54m
- Apr 10, 1979
David Attenborough looks for crucial clues that help to explain how and why we have come to dominate life on earth. He traces back the African origins of humans to nearly three million years ago, and along the way he goes into caves in southern France where Stone Age people created imaginative paintings of ice-age animals. He also travels to Papua New Guinea to find some hunter-gatherers who have never before set eyes on white people.

Episodes

E1 Episode 1: The Infinite Variety

E2 Episode 2: Building Bodies

E3 Episode 3: The First Forests

E4 Episode 4: The Swarming Hordes

E5 Episode 5: Conquest of the Waters

E6 Episode 6: Invasion of the Land

E7 Episode 7: Victors of the Dry Land

E8 Episode 8: Lords of the Air

E9 Episode 9: The Rise of the Mammals

E10 Episode 10: Theme and Variations

E11 Episode 11: The Hunters and Hunted

E12 Episode 12: Life in the Trees

E13 Episode 13: The Compulsive Communicators

Overview

Fun facts

Details

Streaming on

Network

Production

Cast

Videos

More like this

Fun facts

Episodes

E1 Episode 1: The Infinite Variety

E2 Episode 2: Building Bodies

E3 Episode 3: The First Forests

E4 Episode 4: The Swarming Hordes

E5 Episode 5: Conquest of the Waters

E6 Episode 6: Invasion of the Land

E7 Episode 7: Victors of the Dry Land

E8 Episode 8: Lords of the Air

E9 Episode 9: The Rise of the Mammals

E10 Episode 10: Theme and Variations

E11 Episode 11: The Hunters and Hunted

E12 Episode 12: Life in the Trees

E13 Episode 13: The Compulsive Communicators

Episode 1: The Infinite Variety

Episode 2: Building Bodies

Episode 3: The First Forests

Episode 4: The Swarming Hordes

Episode 5: Conquest of the Waters

Episode 6: Invasion of the Land

Episode 7: Victors of the Dry Land

Episode 8: Lords of the Air

Episode 9: The Rise of the Mammals

Episode 10: Theme and Variations

Episode 11: The Hunters and Hunted

Episode 12: Life in the Trees

Episode 13: The Compulsive Communicators

Episode 1: The Infinite Variety

Episode 2: Building Bodies

Episode 3: The First Forests

Episode 4: The Swarming Hordes

Episode 5: Conquest of the Waters

Episode 6: Invasion of the Land

Episode 7: Victors of the Dry Land

Episode 8: Lords of the Air

Episode 9: The Rise of the Mammals

Episode 10: Theme and Variations

Episode 11: The Hunters and Hunted

Episode 12: Life in the Trees

Episode 13: The Compulsive Communicators