David Attenborough on Dinosaurs: Release date of Prehistoric Planet documentary

a close up of David Attenborough taken in 2016

Britain's most beloved nature broadcaster David Attenborough is talking all things dinosaurs in an upcoming documentary for AppleTV+.

He's the national treasure adored by generations old and young across the country - with even the Cambridge kids being fans of this 95-year-old nature icon. And luckily for us, David is back with a new bingeworthy documentary series in 2022, which this time focuses on Dinosaurs and the story of their time.

His latest venture is set to be released a year and a half after his last show Seven Worlds - which had us in tears thanks to it's survival-of-the-fittest natural scenes. And we're pretty sure audiences will be just as gripped by Prehistoric Planet that'll no doubt have plenty of fun facts for kids in store.

When is David Attenborough's new Dinosaurs documentary being released?

AppleTV+ have confirmed that David Attenborough's new documentary on dinosaurs will be released between 23-27 May 2022. Titled Prehistoric Planet - an episode from the five-part series will be released each day for viewers to watch.

The tech streaming giant has promised big things from the upcoming documentary. With Academy award-winning composer Hans Zimmer having worked on the soundtrack that will accompany scenes. Iron Man director and Hollywood actor Jon Favreau is also onboard as executive producer. They join the team from BBC Studios' National History Unit, who have been working on the documentary for around 3 whole years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk4ZlVEtjsc

Prehistoric Planet marks the second collaboration between David Attenborough and Apple TV+. The 95-year-old first lent his vocal talents to thew 2021 documentary The Year Earth Changed. It focused on the global coronavirus lockdown and the impact it had on nature as a result.

And in further good news... it's not the only David Attenborough on Dinosaurs documentary arriving this year. The BBC also announced in April a new series by the narrator titled Dinosaurs:The Final Day. Exploring their extinction over a number of episodes, it is expected to drop later in 2022.

What is Prehistoric Planet about?

David Attenborough's new AppleTV+ documentary tells the story of the last days of the dinosaurs - before their famous extinction. Described as a "one of a kind immersive experience" it combines CGI with natural history and scientific discoveries to present what life was like for these animals back in the Cretaceous period.

Viewers can expect everything from the "eye-opening parenting techniques of the Tyrannosaurus rex, to exploring the mysterious depths of the oceans and the deadly dangers in the sky." Dinosaur fans - both old and young - will learn that the infamously terrifying T-Rex actually had a caring side - and would nuzzle each other faces as a form of communication. The nature narrator also discloses that in a recent discovery - their babies are thought to have had feathers.

The synopsis adds that Prehistoric Planet will treat audiences to a visual backdrop of "coasts, deserts, freshwater, ice worlds and forests."

AppleTV+ have released an additional sneak peek clip to tease viewers further with what's in store. In the action-packed clip, you can see baby turtles hatching from their eggs - only to be chased by a large T-Rex. Transporting us back around 66 million years to the shore of the ancient Tethys Sea, it re-imagines a scene that was typical of the natural world way back when.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk4ZlVEtjsc

David Attenborough documentaries - Where to watch:

Whilst audiences wait for the upcoming Prehistoric Planet, they can preoccupy themselves with a number of classic David Attenborough nature documentaries available to stream online. This includes the Emmy and BAFTA award-winning Blue Planet on BBC iPlayer and the 2020 Netflix documentary A Life on our Planet.

Netflix

BBC iPlayer

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Emily Stedman
Features Editor

Emily Stedman is the former Features Editor for GoodTo covering all things TV, entertainment, royal, lifestyle, health and wellbeing. Boasting an encyclopaedic knowledge on all things TV, celebrity and royals, career highlights include working at HELLO! Magazine and as a royal researcher to Diana biographer Andrew Morton on his book Meghan: A Hollywood Princess. In her spare time, Emily can be found eating her way around London, swimming at her local Lido or curled up on the sofa binging the next best Netflix show.