Watch Yellowstone

Yellowstone, produced by BBC Earth in 2009, is a captivating three-part documentary series that throws light on one of the most famous wildlife habitats and geothermal wonders on the globe – the Yellowstone National Park. This series marks an ambitious exploration into the heart of an enduring wilderness, offering a unique spectacle of the great outdoors in all of its glory, magnifying elements often unseen, and vividly bringing to life the majestic landscape that is Yellowstone.

Yellowstone National Park, located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, though it also spans across Montana and Idaho, is world-renowned for its vibrant geothermal features, lush forests, abundant wildlife, and iconic scenery. The series takes viewers on an exhilarating journey across Yellowstone’s three major geographical regions: the Alpine Highland, dominated by snow-capped mountains; the Central Plateau, home to the park's incredible geothermal wonders; and the Snake River Plain, a paradise for the park's varied wildlife.

Each of the three engrossing episodes focuses on a different season namely – winter, summer, and autumn – offering the viewers an opportunity to witness and understand the challenges and survival tactics employed by the park's wildlife and their adaptations to the harsh seasons. This seasonal division is not merely cosmetic but also influences the storytelling rhythm of each episode, introducing viewers to the diverse range of flora and fauna that make their home in Yellowstone.

Visually spectacular, Yellowstone is a grand display of high-quality cinematography. The series weaves together stunning images, intricate sound design, and a thoughtful narrative to present the daily struggles and triumphs of Yellowstone's residents. It skillfully captures the vast diversity of Yellowstone's wildlife, ranging from wolves and grizzlies to beavers and bison, and the cyclical relationships and interactions between these species. The documentary also manages to capture awe-inspiring shots of Yellowstone’s remarkable landscapes, including its geyser basins, hot springs, canyons, rivers, and lakes, exuding the vividness and dynamism of this natural haven.

In terms of narrative, the filmmakers adopt a panoramic approach, interconnecting the diverse threads of life within the Yellowstone ecosystem. The storytelling is inclusive, unflinchingly covering the reality of nature, from nurturing moments of care to the realities of death and predation. Throughout the episodes, the documentary never loses sight of the underlying ecological principles and the intricate balance of life. It conveys poignantly the grace, brutal struggles, and playfulness intrinsic to the wild, capturing the dynamic and ever-changing Yellowstone landscape and its inhabitants like never before.

The BBC Earth production team succeeds in orchestrating a symphony of visuals and narratives, leaving viewers marveling at the incredible survival strategies of animals, the park’s enduring beauty, the forces of nature at play, and the delicate balance between life and death, warmth and cold, predator and prey.

The beauty of Yellowstone isn't just in the stunning imagery. The series combines this visual feast with an informative and eloquent commentary delivered by Peter Firth, whose measured voice and insightful descriptions further enrich viewers' experience, inviting them to absorb the complexity, beauty and brutality of the park.

All in all, Yellowstone by BBC Earth is much more than an aesthetically pleasing natural history series. It is a compelling portrait of one of the Earth's last wild frontiers, celebrating the beauty of nature while shedding light on its immutable laws. It lays bare the intrinsic unity of life within the ecosystem, the beauty in its diversity, and the sheer power and majesty of nature. This is the world as it should be seen, in all its raw, marvellous, and untamed glory. Yellowstone, in essence, is a love letter to our planet’s extraordinary wild places, creatures, and natural phenomena. It is a profound reminder of how interwoven, endlessly fascinating, and fiercely resilient our natural world can be, which, in turn, underscores the importance of conserving and preserving these magical spaces.

Yellowstone is a series that ran for 5 seasons (49 episodes) between March 22, 2009 and on BBC Earth