During these unsettling times, we all need a bit of inspiration on how to pass the downtime, and at EJS we love nothing more than a good nature series! Here we've rounded up our top 10, guaranteed to transport you to another place, and fill you with the wonder of the natural world. Scroll on to discover our favourites, all currently streaming on Netflix UK...
1. Planet Earth I & II
A seminal series, and possibly our favourite in the whole list... This critically acclaimed BBC series, narrated by David Attenborough, takes us to all areas of our world with breathtaking footage, from the Himalayan mountains, to the darkest depths of our oceans and everywhere in-between. You will discover animals you never knew existed, and I guarantee you won't be able to keep your eyes off it!
2. The Tigers of Scotland
You may recognise these enchanting Wildcats from our recent Wonder World scarf design. This documentary looks closely at these lesser-known, endangered felines, and the conservation efforts in Scotland to prevent their extinction. Informative as well as beautifully shot - we highly recommended this one for all cat lovers!
3. Our Planet
One of the most recent documentaries on our list (& Emmy Award-winning no less), this NETFLIX own series from 2019 takes a close look at our Earth's natural beauty with some incredibly striking scenes and never-before-seen footage of animals in their natural habitats. The documentary has a particular focus on examining how climate change is impacting all living creatures - and what we can do to help. Narrated by David Attenborough, it's a future classic.
4. Night on Earth
We love this unusual take; following animals that are active at night, using state-of-the-art, low-light camera technology. It lifts the veil of night to reveal never before seen habits of lions on the hunt, monkeys, bats, and many more under the moonlight. We loved discovering the hidden lives of these creatures - and it's one to watch for the incredible colour palettes alone!
5. Africa
A collaboration between the Discovery Channel and the BBC, four years in the making, we couldn't resist this series focussing entirely on the continent with perhaps the most extraordinary and diverse wildlife of all! African influences are to be found in many EJS designs, including Zambezi, Protea, Lynx, Kruger and Creatura. This documentary details incredible stories of survival and takes you around the continent region by region in each episode.
6. Frozen Planet
Taking you on a journey through the Arctic and Antarctica, you will meet many incredible inhabitants of these extreme wildernesses. Each episode takes you through the seasons, and shows the challenges that the changes in weather can bring for these seemingly resilient creatures. For optimum enjoyment, we recommend watching while curled up as warm and cosy as possible, perhaps under an EJS throw!
7. Life
Taking a different type of animal as the subject matter in each episode, and with 11 episodes to watch, this is another one of our favourite ever series! Focussing on the tactics and behaviours that animals and plants around our globe have developed to stay alive, we highly recommend the whole series, or cherry pick the episodes based on your favourite creatures...
8. Dancing with the Birds
With only one episode, this 2019 Netflix documentary is one to watch for the beautiful colours, ruffling of feathers and courtship dance routines, as well as Stephen Fry's affectionate narration! These birds know how to shake their tail feathers.
9. The Blue Planet & Blue Planet II
The original Blue Planet series was released way back in 2001, and was heralded as, 'the first ever comprehensive series on the natural history of the world's oceans' - indeed it won many awards at the time, and still holds up today for its wonderful footage and in-depth look beneath the deep. All life under the sea is put under the microscope in these otherworldly series, and you're bound to discover creatures you never knew existed!
10. Wild Caribbean
Last but not least... This four part BBC series dives deep into the unbelievable natural and cultural history of the Caribbean: Get ready to meet the unique wildlife that makes up the shores, reefs and isles of this paradise on earth. True escapism!