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Natural World : Season 16
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Air date: 26 Oct '97 - 18 episodesNatural World is a nature documentary television series broadcast annually on BBC Two and regarded by the BBC as its flagship natural history brand. It is currently the longest-running series in its genre on British television, with more than 400 episodes broadcast since its inception in 1983. Natural World is produced by the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol, but individual programmes can be in-house productions, collaborative productions with other broadcasters or films made and distributed by independent production companies and purchased by the BBC. Natural World programmes are often broadcast as PBS Nature episodes in the USA. Since 2008, most Natural World programmes have been shot and broadcast in high definition.
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List of Episodes (18)
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Natural World (1983)
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1. The Temple Troop
26 Oct '97In Sri Lanka's ruined city of Polonnaruwa lives the Temple Troop, the unruliest gang of monkeys around. This film follows an extraordinary year in the life of the troop.
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Natural World (1983)
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2. Denali - The Great American Wilderness
02 Nov '97An examination of the wildlife living around Mt McKinley, North America's highest peak.
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Natural World (1983)
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3. Jungle Nights
09 Nov '97Set in the tropical rainforests of Central America, this film reveals the unseen behaviour of jaguars, vampires, margays, kinkajous and other strange animals that spring to life after dark. The documentary was filmed in Belize, over the course of a year, by resident film-makers Richard Foster and Carol Farneti Foster. They used infra-red cameras and powerful software which converts the ultrasonic calls of bats into distinctive visual patterns on a computer screen.
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Natural World (1983)
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4. Paracas and the Billion Dollar Bird
16 Nov '97Along the shores of the Paracas National Park on the coast of Peru, two very different worlds collide - the barren Atacama desert and the seas teeming with wildlife such as sea lions, penguins and pelicans as well as guanay cormorants, a bird that once created fortunes for the local people through the sale of their droppings, an excellent natural fertiliser.
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Natural World (1983)
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5. Komodo Dragon
23 Nov '97A study of the world's largest lizard, the man-eating Komodo dragon of Indonesia, revealing the dinosaur-like creature to be far more than just a cold-blooded killer.
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Natural World (1983)
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6. At the Edge of the Sea
30 Nov '97An absorbing exploration of coastal British Columbia, At the Edge of the Sea provides an insight into the diverse life that thrives within the ever-changing landscape of the Pacific shoreline. A vivid portrait of life amongst the violent surf, impressive time-lapse photography reveals the clever adaptations of the area's inhabitants. Acorn barnacles 'glue' themselves to rocks, while mussels produce strong threads to anchor themselves to the ocean floor and anemones develop adhesive undersides.
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Natural World (1983)
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7. Beyond the Naked Eye
07 Dec '97The hidden world of microscopic bugs, microbes, fungi and plants is revealed using special filming techniques. These tiny organisms can cause deadly diseases, but they also help to provide food and control the climate.
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Natural World (1983)
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8. On the Path of the Reindeer
21 Dec '97This edition follows thousands of reindeer as they undertake a 400km migration through Lapland, guided by the Saami, the reindeer people. On the journey the reindeer give birth, evade predators, struggle over mountains and even swim across the sea to reach the lush summer pastures of the Arctic coast.
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Natural World (1983)
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9. The Secret Garden
27 Dec '97Timelapse and close-up photography reveals the natural lives of the plants and animals that inhabit an English garden.
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Natural World (1983)
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10. The Dragons of Galapagos
18 Jan '98A look at the iguanas of the Galapagos.
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Natural World (1983)
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11. Three Monkeys
25 Jan '98How three species of monkey - howlers, red spiders and white-faced - use their different skills to fight for survival deep in the unpredictable and unforgiving tropical forests of Costa Rica.
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Natural World (1983)
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12. Borneo - Island in the Clouds
01 Feb '98The wildlife of Borneo, home to a diverse array of creatures, including proboscis monkeys, forest elephants, rhinos and orang-utans. The island boasts the tallest peak in South-East Asia, Mount Kinabalu, and some of the world's largest cave systems, as well as mangrove swamps and a coral reef teeming with life.
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Natural World (1983)
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13. Oman: Jewel of Arabia
15 Feb '98Documenatary film looking at the geography, wildlife and peoples of Oman.
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Natural World (1983)
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14. The Lost Lands of Scilly
22 Feb '98Sharks, palm trees, shipwrecks and sandy shores are all vital ingredients for a sub-tropical paradise. Add sunken treasure, colourful corals, nectar sipping birds and exotic flowers and it sounds a long way from Britain. But the exotic Isles of Scilly are just beyond Land's End. Here Britain's biggest predator, the grey Atlantic seal, basks on the rocks and raucous colonies of nocturnal birds fill the midnight air.
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Natural World (1983)
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15. Fire and Ice - An Icelandic Saga
01 Mar '98During filming in Iceland, a huge volcano exploded under Europe's largest icecap, melting billions of tons of ice. But foxes, skuas, puffins and other wildlife have learnt to turn such natural disasters to their advantage.
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Natural World (1983)
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16. Metropolis
08 Mar '98New York's concrete and steel plays host to fascinating wildlife, including falcons, raccoons and horseshoe crabs.
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Natural World (1983)
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17. The Otters of Yellowstone
15 Mar '98Spanning three states, Yellowstone is America's most famous national park, with a cast of charming inhabitants set against stunning scenery. This film follows a family of river otters through the year as they learn to fish, fend off attacking coyotes and travel great distances around the beautiful park.
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Natural World (1983)
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18. The Forbidden Fruit
22 Mar '98Following the success of David Attenborough's PRIVATE LIFE OF PLANTS, a further chance to see flora from unusual perspectives. Time-lapse technology and high-speed cameras show how plants use animals, humans and the elements to spread seeds.
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