For the 2010 film with highlights from this series, see Planet Earth Live. For the 1986 PBS TV series, see Planet Earth (1986 series). For the franchise as a whole, see Planet Earth (franchise). Planet Earth is a landmark 2006 British television series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit. Five years in the making, it was the most expensive nature documentary series ever commissioned by the BBC and also the first to be filmed in high definition. Planet Earth premiered on 5 March 2006 in the United Kingdom on BBC One, and by June 2007 had been shown in 130 countries.