Watch Explore Our World

2009
3 Seasons

Explore Our World is a fascinating nature documentary series created by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The show explores the most mesmerizing and breath-taking parts of our planet across multiple episodes, documenting wildlife, marine life, historical sites, and everything that makes this planet a unique place to live. Each episode is filmed in stunning 4K resolution, which allows viewers to take in the exquisite and vivid details of the landscapes, seascapes, and creatures that inhabit our world.

The show is hosted by a team of experts, including naturalists, marine biologists, environmentalists, and other specialists who travel to the remotest and most exotic locations worldwide. The show's presenters are not only knowledgeable about the wild and wonderful things they encounter, but they also have an infectious passion that can't help but inspire viewers. They showcase their love for conservation and the environment, which is paramount in each episode.

The series features an abundance of different locations from around the world, chosen for their outstanding scenery and habitats. Each episode takes viewers on a trip to one of these unique, exciting places, including dense tropical rainforests, vast stunning deserts, the icy wilderness of Antarctica, the deep sea, mountains, and more. We see animals in their natural habitats, ranging from the cute and cuddly to the awe-inspiring, giving viewers an incredible view of the world they may not have ordinarily seen.

The series is also notable for featuring remarkable scenes of animals performing extraordinary feats, such as the great wildebeest migration in Africa where viewers get to see thousands of wildebeest crossing a river. There are also spectacular scenes of various bird species from around the world, such as penguins in Antarctica, parrots in South America or birds of paradise in the rainforests of New Guinea. There are scenes of large ocean creatures like whales and sharks, and of course, footage of Icy wilderness and the colourful northern lights.

One of the fascinating things about Explore Our World is how the series examines the impact of human beings on our planet. Many of these fascinating creatures are threatened or endangered, putting their future in peril, and it is eye-opening to see how what humans do can affect these animals' lives. The series shows how, with care and effort, we can make a difference and help protect these amazing animals, plants, and places.

In addition, Explore Our World provides an extraordinary educational opportunity. The series is a fantastic way to introduce children to the wonders of the natural world, inspiring them to care for our planet and the creatures that call it home. It is a wonderful resource for schools and parents to use to teach children about the environment, as it is both informative and entertaining.

Overall, Explore Our World is a captivating series that will appeal to anyone who has a love for nature, wildlife, the environment, and adventure. With stunning 4K visuals and an array of fascinating locations and creatures, this is a truly delightful show to watch. Every episode of this series takes viewers on an incredible journey around the world, immersing them in the beauty of nature and reminding us of the wonders right on our doorstep. The series is a brilliant example of the captured marriage of education, entertainment, and artwork. It is one the of the best series made by BBC, particularly in its genre.

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Seasons

3 2 1

10. Fall of Saigon

At the Fall of Saigon, the end of the Vietnam War was finally in sight. North Vietnamese troops entered Saigon on April 30, 1975 and the South Vietnamese forces accepted defeat. The war was over, and the war was lost: at this point the unification of Vietnam into a single Communist state could begin, but many South Vietnamese scrambled to evacuate the country alongside the American troops. Some escaped, but many did not. Witness the beginnings of a journey to freedom and uncertainty as undertaken by many Vietnamese. These desperate scenes took place in a tense few hours in which families were separated and many bids for freedom were denied.

9. Life During Wartime

Discover the realities of living as a member of the US Military Personnel while on a tour of duty. Witness the first-hand accounts of the difficulties and dangers of fighting in the Vietnam conflict in a series of candid and poignant interviews. The accumulating trauma and mounting disillusionment of troops is clear to see, but so too is the bravery and devotion to duty of the American men and women serving in this war. From the ballad-singing helicopter pilot suffering from the loss of several compatriots to the medical staff on call around the clock treating soldiers with horrific injuries, discover the personal stories behind the harrowing conflict in Vietnam. Many young men and women were exposed to traumatic events in this war, and for many the end rarely seemed in sight.

8. Quagmire

Learn how many observers at the time came to view the American involvement in the Vietnam conflict as a quagmire, or a military involvement with no clear way to withdraw troops or exit the conflict. While President Nixon pushed for a process of Vietnamization, in which South Vietnamese would step into the positions held by American troops, further attacks and battles on the North Vietnamese frontiers took place. Major incidents including Firebase Gerry and the battles of Du Bop and Hill 423 complicated this plan even further, and it began to be clear that the American forces were the real target in these operations, rather than the South Vietnamese. In addition to this, large caches of weapons were discovered and the conflict began to spill over into Cambodia.

7. Battle of Hue

Known as one of the bloodiest battles in the Vietnam conflict, the Battle of Hue was part of the TET Offensive of 1968. Hue was taken over by North Vietnamese and Vietcong forces, and the US military fought to regain it in a grueling street-by-street battle, in which by increments the well-fortified citadel of the city was recaptured. Thousands of civilians were rounded up and executed, before being buried in mass graves, and the onslaught was indiscriminate. The five-day battle, fought 'inch by shattered inch,' bombarded an estimated eighty percent of the city's structures. As Marine Captain Myron Harrington asked, 'Did we have to destroy the city in order to save it?'

6. Battle of Khe Sanh, Pt. 2

Between January and April of 1968, the US marine post of Khe Sanh came under heavy fire from North Vietnamese forces. Learn how the US military responded to these attacks, launching an intensive aerial attack, dropping thousands of tonnes of explosives on the areas surrounding Khe Sanh in a bombardment the like of which had never been seen in the history of warfare. See how more primitive techniques accompanied this onslaught, such as tunnelling and the use of divining rods and stethoscopes to detect hidden bunkers and tunnels. Shorter-range combat is revealed here too, thanks to risky camerawork at ground level, and trench warfare is enacted between the besieged and the attacking North Vietnamese troops.

5. Battle of Khe Sanh, Pt. 1

Between January and April of 1968, the US marine post of Khe Sanh came under heavy fire from North Vietnamese forces. Learn how the US military responded to these attacks, launching an intensive aerial attack, dropping thousands of tonnes of explosives on the areas surrounding Khe Sanh in a bombardment the like of which had never been seen in the history of warfare. Witness the responses of soldiers caught in the siege, and their feelings of anxiety and fear in the face of this lengthy and unpredictable attack. Although the battle of Khe Sanh was eventually won by US forces, was it really a tactical or strategic achievement or simply an accomplished mission?

4. Anti-War Movement

Take a look at the anti-war movement in the wake of new draft laws in the US during the Vietnam War. When fighting for the American forces stopped being a matter of choice, resistance to the draft laws began to rise. By the 1960s this became a significant movement and generated a societal conflict of its own. Forums and advice seminars on ways to avoid the draft took place across the Sates, while those already engaged in battle were interviewed in opposition to the objectors. Witness the accompanying pop culture movement to end the war and the draft law in the form of protest songs and radical publications, as well as the intervention of religious and spiritual figureheads, and how this tied in to the end of the conflict in Vietnam.

3. The Living Room War

Learn how the Vietnam War was the first major conflict to appear on people's televisions every night, as the conflict escalated in tandem with the rise of television news reportage. The constant and relentless images of skirmishes and raids descending into sheer brutality presented the news of war in a different light, and the futility of many missions led spectators around the world to question the tactics and motivations of the US involvement. Watch original news reports from the era and see how this became a 'living room war,' in which it became clear that confusion and disarray took hold of many operations. How did this news coverage affect the public image of war, and how did the various responses to it shape the way of conflict as we know it today?

2. The Gulf of Tonkin

The incident of 'the Gulf of Tonkin' refers to two connected skirmishes off the coast of North Vietnam which have long been shrouded in mystery, and the circumstances of which are still subject to doubt and controversy. See how the report of an attack on US Destroyer Maddox led to a second, disputed report of an attack, and how this in turn was instrumental in passing the Southeast Asia Resolution, meaning that US forces could be deployed here by President Lyndon B Johnson without a declaration of war from Congress. Learn how the response to alleged events set a pattern for military responses from the US, and how the President was given powers to wage war, without declaring war, based on events that may never have happened.

1. Seeds of Conflict

Here we see the origins of the term 'domino theory,' or what President Eisenhower termed 'the falling domino principle,' in which Communism was seen as a movement that would spread in a linear fashion from one region to the other. Witness news reports from the period that chart the development of the Vietnam conflict, starting with the American commitment to defend South Vietnam, and moving on to cover the escalating involvement of American troops and the heavy losses of life that ensued on both sides. These stories also focus on the end of the French empire and the withdrawal of the French legions, giving a wider perspective to this lengthy conflict. See how the scale of this war began to mount on all sides, and how a strategy of containment led the United States to commit so many resources over sixteen years of fighting.

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