BBC viewers are recommending a new wildlife series, Evolution, hosted by Chris Packham, which explores the four-billion-year history of life on Earth. The five-episode programme delves into the evolutionary journey of modern animals, revealing how survival, innovation, and partnership have driven biodiversity.
Viewer Reactions and Praise
On Reddit, one viewer wrote: “New BBC series Evolution is pretty good. I’ve felt the big Attenborough series have fallen off in recent decades with the emphasis switching from science to somewhat anthropomorphised storytelling. I thought this Chris Packham series probably hit a sweet spot scientifically literate explanation of evolution with enough cute animals to sweeten the education and seasoned with a bit of Packham’s dry wit. A good watch. Recommended.”
Another added: “I enjoyed it. Packham's enthusiasm is infectious & the filming & editing is gorgeous. Meanwhile, some useful perspectives on the realities of evolution.” A third commented: “Yeah, I've only watched one and a half episodes but I'm loving it so far. I love the detail about the early life forms which you don't normally get to see.” Yet another said: “First ep was fantastic.”
Series Content and Approach
The BBC previously teased: “Using cutting‑edge science and immersive visual effects, Chris Packham explores the pivotal evolutionary breakthroughs that shaped every living thing alive today.” Each episode focuses on a modern animal, from elephants to ostriches, bats to dolphins, covering reproduction, feeding, intelligence, and the origins of animal movement.
Presenter's Perspective
Ahead of the series airing, Packham shared how the series changed his thinking: “I constantly change, and I constantly change the way I think about the natural world, because I care about it. And very often I'm confronted by things which make me sad. But they never, ever rob me of hope because ultimately we have such a broad array of solutions at our disposal, opportunities to put things right. The only way I'm going to do that is if people care about life. And this series is about enhancing people's care for life, because you can't watch this series and not think that the horse, the elephant, the dolphin, and all of the species in between, are absolutely remarkable and invaluable. I get a real message of hope from that.”
Evolution is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
