Planet Earth II Part of Prime BBC Package

Prime at last has confirmed it will broadcast Planet Earth II free-to-air in NZ.

The long-awaited announcement was made this morning as part of a major BBC documentary and factual content deal.

Other highlights include another BBC wildlife must-see, Life in the Air, and a second season of Fishing Impossible, the angler’s answer to Top Gear which makes its series debut next week.

Here’s the full press release (no word yet on when the acquisitions will premiere but expect them all to air in HD on the Sky platform):

Prime and BBC Worldwide Australia & New Zealand (ANZ) have agreed a deal which will see a range of BBC Worldwide’s best factual and documentary series, including Sir David Attenborough’s highly acclaimed Planet Earth II, premiere exclusively on the free-to-air channel in New Zealand.

A decade after the original Planet Earth, which Prime will also encore this year, Planet Earth ll allows the audience to experience the world from the viewpoint of the animals themselves.

Travelling through jungles, deserts, mountains, islands, grasslands and cities, the series explores the unique characteristics of Earth’s most iconic habitats and the extraordinary ways animals survive within them using new technology for an unparalleled level of detail that will take viewers closer than ever before.

Planet Earth ll premiered to more than nine million viewers in the UK and Karen Bieleski, Head of Entertainment Content at Sky TV is thrilled that Prime will showcase the six-part series to natural history fans here.

“It is tremendously exciting to be working with BBC Worldwide to bring this and other terrific new documentary series to a Kiwi audience.

“Documentary and factual content is very popular with our viewers and we know that this great BBC line up will be well received.

“In particular, there has been considerable interest locally in Planet Earth II and we are looking forward to sharing its incredible and unique stories with our viewers this year,” she said.

Prime Planet, the channel’s popular documentary strand, will also benefit from the deal, featuring a variety of new BBC documentaries.

Armchair travellers will enjoy author and adventurer Simon Reeves’ fresh look at the history of the cultural melting pot that is Turkey, in his new two-part series Turkey With Simon Reeve; and natural history buffs can fly skyward to witness wildlife from above in the new series Life In The Air. 

The wonders of the animal kingdom will be explored in Animal Babies, and due to popular demand, man’s best friend returns for a second season of Secret Life Of Dogs.

Stephen O’Hanlon, Content Sales Manager at BBC Worldwide ANZ, said, “It’s wonderful to have Planet Earth II premiering on Prime in New Zealand where its remarkable predecessor launched ten years ago.

“Along with this redefining Natural History masterpiece, Prime will premiere a package of highly anticipated quality factual content that we’re sure New Zealand viewers will love.”

Other new programmes in the deal include the one-off special Elizabeth at 90: A Family Tribute, the in-depth documentary Louis Theroux: Savile, new seasons of popular auction series Flog It!, and season two of Fishing Impossible.  

Broadcast details for all programmes will be released in due course.

Planet Earth II 

A decade ago, Planet Earth redefined natural history filmmaking, giving us the ultimate portrait of life on Earth. Ten years on, advances in both filming technology and our understanding of the natural world mean we can reveal our planet from a completely new perspective. New technology has allowed individual stories to be captured in an unparalleled level of detail. For the first time viewers are immersed in incredible landscapes, allowing them to share the most dramatic moments in the lives of animals.

Turkey With Simon Reeve 

Simon Reeve presents a fresh, engaging and in-depth look at the country which stands at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and the Middle East, examining its rich culture and fascinating history, exploring how the country is evolving and its prospects for the future.

Life in the Air 

Experience the lives of jumping, gliding and flying creatures like never before, thanks to this ground-breaking wildlife series from the BBC’s renowned Natural History Unit. Flight is the ultimate superpower, an extraordinary ability most of us can only dream of. From squirrels to spiders, frogs to fish, and birds to bats discover how these animals hunt, travel, sleep, live and die in the air.

Animal Babies 

With stunning photography and endearing animal stories, this series makes perfect family viewing as it chronicles the lives of baby animals in three very different wild environments. On the vast savannahs of Africa, youngsters encounter the world’s top predators and face intense competition; water babies must deal with threatening coasts and powerful currents; and in the mountains, food is scarce and the weather extreme.

Secret Life Of Dogs S2 

This ground-breaking series returns to explore the huge diversity of dogs by separating them into three distinct tribes – man’s best friend, workers and family. Each episode is packed with real-life stories – meet the mutt paragliding with her owner, a Great Dane that helped a young girl walk for the first time in nine years, a team of huskies in training for the longest race of their lives and Ricochet, the surfing dog helping people with autism.

Fishing Impossible S2

Our favourite three fishing fanatics are back to tackle more of the world’s best extreme fishing trips in this exciting and entertaining series. Packed with adrenaline-fuelled fishing antics, camaraderie, comedy moments and a healthy dose of friendly rivalry – not to mention some stunning locations in beautiful parts of the world – Fishing Impossible is the catch of the season.

Elizabeth at 90: A Family Tribute 

Narrated by HRH The Prince Of Wales, this documentary is a unique celebration of The Queen’s 90 years piecing together footage from Her Majesty’s personal cine film collection with interviews and observations from various members of the Royal Family, offering their own personal insights into the woman they know both as a member of their own close family and as Queen.

Louis Theroux: Savile 

Following his 2011 death, British radio and television personality Jimmy Savile was revealed to be a predatory sex offender with a vast number of victims, who had used his celebrity status to commit these crimes. In light of the devastating revelations about the disgraced star, Louis Theroux re-examines his own attempts in 2000 to get behind the man’s public persona in his immersive documentary When Louis Met Jimmy, talks to people who worked closely with Savile as well as some of his victims, and shows footage that’s never aired before on television.

Flog It! 

It’s amazing what treasures can be found in the average home, as Flog It! finds out every time members of the public pitch up with their possessions at one of its famous valuation days, before the contributors risk their money by selling their own antiques at auction.