It's the latest nature documentary series to be voiced by Sir David Attenborough
'Our Planet' opens with a shot of Earth taken from the moon. David Attenborough begins his classic narration, promising that "this series will celebrate the natural wonders that remain and reveal what we must preserve to ensure people and nature thrive."
Thus the conservation message of the show is established early. It is emphasised again as Attenborough continues: "Never has it been more important to understand how the natural world works and how to help it."
As with last year's 'Planet Earth II' and 'Blue Planet II', the standard of photography taken aerially and from ground-level is remarkable in 'Our Planet'. Seabirds - a flock of millions - make for the kick-off point of the series. From there, within the show's first 12 minutes, we go from sky to sea to desert, observing birds, fish, dolphins, an elephant, a zebra and ostriches. Then, torrential rain, flamingos and wildebeests. It all moves at an exhilarating pace; if you take your eyes off the screen for a moment, you could miss something surprising, magical, amusing or all combined.
Admittedly, the show isn't as epic or intimate as 'Planet Earth II' is. The BBC series had some incredible close-up shots with so much texture that you felt you could reach out and touch the wildlife.
'Our Planet' also moves at a faster pace, not zeroing in on species in as much depth as its predecessor. Still, it's amazing to watch and a great show for nature and animal enthusiasts and has a stronger emphasis on environmentalism than 'Planet Earth' did.
The manakins' 'dance of seduction' is a standout of episode one. One of the animals even does a bird version of the moonwalk. The march of the leafcutter ants provides another highlight. Rain forests and their population of elephants, gorillas, the male twelve-wired bird-of-paradise and some interesting insect life are also explored.
Underwater life is dived into as dolphins catch flying fish and a thrilling shark hunt takes place. The latter is scored to perfection by Oscar-winning composer Steven Price ('Gravity). Elsewhere, deep sea creatures will have viewers intrigued and a little spooked out. You'll even come to appreciate the beauty of larvae.
And Ellie Goulding sings the credits song, so that's nice.
Above all, 'Our Planet' really drives home the message of how easy it is to damage the delicate balance of ecosystems, emphasising, in particular, the far-reaching consequences of overfishing (about half of the episodes are dedicated to rivers and seas, indicating the importance of sustainability when it comes to fishing). Visuals of polar ice caps melting provide a daunting sight while the dead coral reefs are also heart-breaking.
There is a sombre tone to such moments, but the show also celebrates life. Still, it's the sadder images and their accompanying figures which stay with you, and that, to be honest, is the point. At the same time, 'Our Planet' refuses to be hopeless either. It absolutely insists that protection and conservation can and does help, citing numerous examples demonstrating astonishing results.
Whether the environmentalist message is really absorbed at home is something we'll have to see. But using as widely used a platform as Netflix to deliver said message is a good start.