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The Best Episodes of Planet Earth

Every episode of Planet Earth ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Planet Earth!

Binge this in 9h 20mPeaking at 9.0/10

David Attenborough celebrates the amazing variety of the natural world in this epic documentary series, filmed over four years across 64 different countries.

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Seasons1

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Planet Earth Season 1 Episode 1 - From Pole to Pole
    9.0/10(4474 votes)

    #1 - From Pole to Pole

    S1:E1

    A global tour examining the behaviors of animals and revealing the effects of climate change on their environments.

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  2. Planet Earth Season 1 Episode 6 - Ice Worlds
    8.9/10(3190 votes)

    #2 - Ice Worlds

    S1:E6

    Experience life in the most hostile corners of the planet by exploring the terrain, seasons, and animals of the Arctic and Antarctic.

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  3. Planet Earth Season 1 Episode 8 - Jungles
    8.9/10(3083 votes)

    #3 - Jungles

    S1:E8

    Jungles cover roughly three percent of our planet yet contain fifty percent of the world's species. Experience the countless flora and fauna that inhabit these unique areas.

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  4. Planet Earth Season 1 Episode 11 - Ocean Deep
    8.9/10(2933 votes)

    #4 - Ocean Deep

    S1:E11

    An exploration of the deepest, darkest realms of the ocean, spanning countless species to a depth of 2,000 meters.

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  5. Planet Earth Season 1 Episode 2 - Mountains
    8.8/10(3844 votes)

    #5 - Mountains

    S1:E2

    An exploration of the world's major mountain ranges and the habitats they create.

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  6. Planet Earth Season 1 Episode 3 - Fresh Water
    8.8/10(3522 votes)

    #6 - Fresh Water

    S1:E3

    Although merely 3% of water on earth, fresh water plays an important part in the planet's weather and erosion. It is immensely important for all non-marine wildlife, which drinks fresh water and swims, procreates, hunts in it. Its concentrations, such as rivers, lakes and swamps, abound in aquatic and other species, often adapted to 'wet' life.

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Planet Earth

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  8. Planet Earth Season 1 Episode 4 - Caves
    8.8/10(3407 votes)

    #7 - Caves

    S1:E4

    Although often overlooked, caves are remarkable habitats with bizarre wildlife. Explore the structures created inside the earth as well as the adaptations animals have made to thrive in these environments.

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  9. Planet Earth Season 1 Episode 9 - Shallow Seas
    8.8/10(2955 votes)

    #8 - Shallow Seas

    S1:E9

    A look at the shallow seas of the earth, from coral reefs to kelp forests and beyond.

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  10. Planet Earth Season 1 Episode 10 - Seasonal Forests
    8.8/10(2846 votes)

    #9 - Seasonal Forests

    S1:E10

    Trees are Earth's largest organisms and are also one of the planet's oldest inhabitants. Seasonal forests (unlike tropical rain-forest) are the largest land habitats. A third of all trees grow in the endless taiga of the Arctic north. Northern America has forests that include California's sequoias, the Earth's largest trees. There and elsewhere, their vast production of photosynthesis and shade presides over a seasonal cycle of life and involves countless plant and animal species.

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  11. Planet Earth Season 1 Episode 5 - Deserts
    8.6/10(3241 votes)

    #10 - Deserts

    S1:E5

    Despite the lack of rain, deserts are the most varied of our ecosystems. In fact, about thirty percent of the earth's land surface is covered in desert. Explore the unique conditions present in deserts as well as the survival mechanisms developed by the animals that inhabit them.

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  12. Planet Earth Season 1 Episode 7 - Great Plains
    8.6/10(3003 votes)

    #11 - Great Plains

    S1:E7

    This episode deals with savanna, steppe, tundra, prairie, and looks at the importance and resilience of grasses in such treeless ecosystems. Their vast expanses contain the largest concentration of animal life. Over Africa's savanna, a swarm of 1.5 billion red-billed queleas are caught on camera, the largest flock of birds ever depicted.

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Best Episodes Summary

"From Pole to Pole" is the best rated episode of "Planet Earth". It scored 9/10 based on 4474 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by David Attenborough, Alastair Fothergill, Gary Parker, it aired on 3/5/2006. This episode scored 0.1 points higher than the second highest rated, "Ice Worlds".