Life on Earth: Full TV Schedule and Live Stream

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

Upcoming on Live TV

Repeats
Channel Episode Time
Repeat
1. The Infinite Variety
1. The Infinite Variety
Landmark natural history series. David Attenborough explores the wildlife and landscape that inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
⏱ 54 mins
Your Time
Sun 10 May · 20:00
UK
Sun 10 May · 20:00
Repeat
1. The Infinite Variety
1. The Infinite Variety
Landmark natural history series. David Attenborough explores the wildlife and landscape that inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
⏱ 54 mins
Your Time
Mon 11 May · 01:05
UK
Mon 11 May · 01:05
Channel
Repeat
Episode
1. The Infinite Variety
Landmark natural history series. David Attenborough explores the wildlife and landscape that inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
⏱ 54 mins
Time
Your Time
Sun 10 May · 20:00
UK
Sun 10 May · 20:00
Channel
Repeat
Episode
1. The Infinite Variety
Landmark natural history series. David Attenborough explores the wildlife and landscape that inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
⏱ 54 mins
Time
Your Time
Mon 11 May · 01:05
UK
Mon 11 May · 01:05

Available for Streaming

Episodes 1. The Infinite Variety

1. The Infinite Variety

Landmark natural history series. David Attenborough explores the wildlife and landscape that inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
Duration: 54 mins First broadcast: 8:10pm 16 Jan 1979
Availability: Available for over a year (until 28 Oct 2027)
Episodes 2. Building Bodies

2. Building Bodies

David Attenborough examines the creatures and fossils of the Great Barrier Reef, which provide clues to how the original primitive animals of the sea evolved.
Duration: 54 mins First broadcast: 8:15pm 23 Jan 1979
Availability: Available for over a year (until 28 Oct 2027)
Episodes 3. The First Forests

3. The First Forests

The story of life, from the first primitive cells to the plants and animals of today. In this programme, David Attenborough looks at the first land flora.
Duration: 53 mins First broadcast: 8:10pm 30 Jan 1979
Availability: Available for over a year (until 28 Oct 2027)
Episodes 4. The Swarming Hordes

4. The Swarming Hordes

The story of life from the first primitive cells to the plants and animals that now live around us. David Attenborough looks at the role of insect species.
Duration: 54 mins First broadcast: 8:10pm 6 Feb 1979
Availability: Available for over a year (until 28 Oct 2027)
Episodes 5. Conquest of the Waters

5. Conquest of the Waters

The story of life from the first primitive cells to the plants and animals that live around us. David Attenborough looks at some of the 30,000 fish species.
Duration: 54 mins First broadcast: 8:10pm 13 Feb 1979
Availability: Available for over a year (until 28 Oct 2027)
Episodes 6. Invasion of the Land

6. Invasion of the Land

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.
Duration: 55 mins First broadcast: 8:15pm 20 Feb 1979
Availability: Available for over a year (until 28 Oct 2027)
Episodes 7. Victors of the Dry Land

7. Victors of the Dry Land

David Attenborough looks at the history of reptiles, the first back-boned creatures to solve the problems of living high and dry on land.
Duration: 55 mins First broadcast: 8:10pm 27 Feb 1979
Availability: Available for over a year (until 28 Oct 2027)
Episodes 8. Lords of the Air

8. Lords of the Air

The story of life, from the first primitive cells to the plants and animals that live around us. David Attenborough looks at the advantages of birds' feathers.
Duration: 54 mins First broadcast: 6 Mar 1979
Availability: Available for over a year (until 28 Oct 2027)
Episodes 9. The Rise of the Mammals

9. The Rise of the Mammals

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.
Duration: 54 mins First broadcast: 13 Mar 1979
Availability: Available for over a year (until 28 Oct 2027)
Episodes 10. Themes and Variations

10. Themes and Variations

David Attenborough looks at some of the huge variety of mammals. The tree shrew has attracted great interest as it shows how mammals may have originated.
Duration: 53 mins First broadcast: 20 Mar 1979
Availability: Available for over a year (until 28 Oct 2027)
Episodes 11. The Hunters and the Hunted

11. The Hunters and the Hunted

David Attenborough explores the eternal duel between the hunters and the hunted on the plains of East Africa.
Duration: 54 mins First broadcast: 27 Mar 1979
Availability: Available for over a year (until 28 Oct 2027)
Episodes 12. Life in the Trees

12. Life in the Trees

David Attenborough's now-legendary encounter with young gorillas is featured in this episode as he looks at the history of primates.
Duration: 54 mins First broadcast: 3 Apr 1979
Availability: Available for over a year (until 28 Oct 2027)
Episodes 13. The Compulsive Communicators

13. The Compulsive Communicators

David Attenborough seeks to explain how we came to dominate life on earth, tracing the African origins of humans to nearly three million years ago.
Duration: 54 mins First broadcast: 10 Apr 1979
Availability: Available for over a year (until 28 Oct 2027)

Life on Earth FAQs

When is Life on Earth next on?

The next broadcast of Life on Earth airs at Sun 10 May · 20:00(UK: Sun 10 May · 20:00) on BBC Four.

Which channel is Life on Earth next on?

Life on Earth returns on BBC Four next. Check the listings above for every upcoming airing.

When will Life on Earth be available on iPlayer?

Episodes land on BBC iPlayer just after the show finishes airing. Use the streaming section above to jump in as soon as it drops.

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