Miracle Planet

Miracle Planet is a six-part documentary series, co-produced by Japan's NHK and the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), narrated by Christopher Plummer (Seiko Nakajo in the original Japanese), which tells the 4.6-billion-year-old story of how life has evolved from its humble beginnings to the diversity of living creatures today.

Filmed around the world and based upon the most recent scientific findings, Miracle Planet combines location footage and interviews with leading scientists, along with computer animation, to depict the cataclysmic events that have shaped our planet and all of the life-forms within it.

The five standard episodes depict the evolution of life on Earth in perspective with our place in the universe - from the simplest microbes to the complexity and diversity that is found on the planet today. The entire 5-hour series Miracle Planet aired on Discovery Channel in Canada on April 22, 2005 as an Earth Day special. The music was composed by Hironori Doi, and orchestrated by Wataru Hokoyama.

Episodes

(Fifty minutes each)

The Violent Past

This episode chronicles the early stages of the Earth's history, from formation to the mid-Precambrian. It discusses the beginning of life on earth, mentioning panspermia as a possible candidate. It then simulates a collision with an asteroid 500 km wide, similar to those that formed the protoplanets.

Snowball Earth

This episode mainly focuses on the two Snowball Earth events in the mid-Precambrian period, and the effect they had on life. It simulates a similar occurrence in the modern day. Animals included: Tribrachidium, Yorgia and Kimberella. arandaspis trilobites chain coral (fossil)

New Frontiers

This episode follows our ancestors from the shallow saltwater seas to the freshwater rivers, then discusses the colonization of land. Mainly Devonian and Carboniferous. Animals included: eusthenopteron, dunkleosteus (identifided as placoderm), araucarites, cynodont.

Extinction and Rebirth

This episode centres on the Permian to Tertiary periods, showing numerous extinctions, including the Siberian Traps event 200 mya and the Chicxulube asteroid impact. It also shows the rise of new forms of life after each event. Animals included: apatosaurus, allosaurus, cynodont, carpolestes, diatryma.

Survival of the Fittest

This episode chronicles primates that would evolve to become humans and why the Cro-Magnons succeeded over Neanderthals. Animals included: Shoshonius. Catopithecus. Paranthropus robustus. Early Homo. Australopithecus africanus. Hypoxis.

Life Indestructible (Special Episode)

Earth provides a rich environment, and many factors continue to shape the planet's condition. This episode is a summary of the previous five, condensed into a single hour.

References

• NFB Web site
• Teaching guides at NFB Web site (PDF)
• list of episodes.