Planet Earth set the bar for high-definition documentaries when it first aired on the BBC in 2006. It's a beautiful series, featuring the wonders of our planet captured in striking detail on film. Now, five years since it originally premiered, it's being re-released on DVD and Blu-ray in a special edition package. There are two types of special edition releases, though: the normal special edition comes in a typical DVD case, but there's also a limited edition that comes in a globe.
That's right -- the Planet Earth: Limited Edition set comes in a globe that opens to reveal the set's six discs. It comes with a cool stand as well, so it can be perched on a shelf. The limited edition set is individually numbered as well, and includes a small packet of collectible photographs.
But while the packaging for the limited edition is different, both sets are essentially the same. The bonus disc is by far one of the coolest things about the set. Want to have your mind blown? Check out the fifty-minute documentary Secrets of the Maya Underworld, which follows some cave divers through the truly claustrophobic underwater caves of South America. It's a great documentary that features some truly cool shots involving the separation of saltwater and freshwater.
There's also a preview of Frozen Planet, the fourth in the series of BBC Earth documentaries that began with Planet Earth and continued with Life and Human Planet. Frozen Planet premieres on BBC One Wednesday, October 26, and the bonus disc on this set includes the first twenty minutes or so of the episode, featuring some pretty neat polar bear fights.
Commentaries, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and a few other featurettes are included amongst the set's special features as well -- there's hours of new content to be consumed here.
As for Planet Earth itself, well, of course it's just wonderful. It's apparent in some shots that it's been upconverted for Blu-ray, but that doesn't matter -- the imagery is stark and awe-inspiring regardless of a few fuzzy edges. If you don't already have a copy of Planet Earth, you need this. If you already do, well, some of this set's new content might necessitate owning a second copy.
Planet Earth: Special Edition hit DVD on October 4. Order it on Amazon.
