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Earth Day 2023: Check out these best nature documentaries of all time

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This story is part of Tech for Change: an ongoing series in which we shine a spotlight on positive uses of technology, and showcase how they're helping to make the world a better place.

People these days tend to get the most insight into the environment by watching documentaries, which bring them closer to nature from the comfort of their living room couch. Thanks to some glorious and entertaining footage of the Earth’s creatures and territories, accompanied by soft-speaking narrators, people attain a deeper understanding of the world they inhabit.

As the world celebrates Earth Day once again, people can show their reverence for Mother Earth by watching these the best nature documentaries of all time.

Recommended Videos

Life (2009)

A mudskipper in the BBC's "Life."
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Written and narrated by Sir David Attenborough, this BBC documentary gets up close and personal with its dramatic depiction of animals’ primordial battle for survival on Earth. This miniseries follows all manner of life in their natural habitats and how they adapt to survive. Such creatures that put on display in this show include plants, insects, primates, fish, birds, and many other organisms found on the land and in the sea.

Given how many people have grown accustomed to living healthy and comfortable lives in the modern world, it’s easy for them to forget the hardships countless creatures endure to assert their right to exist alongside humanity. Watching this riveting docuseries can help audiences better understand this struggle and, hopefully, help them appreciate these resilient organisms and how far humanity has evolved to live as it does in the present.

Life can be rented or purchased on Prime Video.

The Blue Planet (2001)

A group of hammerhead sharks in "Blue Planet."
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Filmed over the course of five years, this acclaimed BBC docuseries features an in-depth look into the history and inhabitants of the world’s oceans. Again narrated by Attenborough, each episode paints a gorgeous and comprehensive picture of the ocean’s many marvels and seemingly endless mysteries.

The show follows such astounding sea creatures as sharks, whales, squids, dolphins, seals, penguins, and even some whose existence and activities had never been captured on film before. These discoveries made a splash upon the show’s release over two decades ago, making it the recipient of numerous awards. It even spawned a sequel series that aired in 2017 and raised people’s interest in marine biology and the plastic pollution crisis. For those looking to dive into the weird and wonderful world of the deep blue sea, this series is the best place to start.

The Blue Planet is streaming on Discovery+.

Planet Earth (2006)

Snowy mountains in the BBC's "Planet Earth."
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Following the success of The Blue Planet, the BBC took its cameras out of the oceans and engaged in another five-year study of many creatures and their habitats around the globe. Also featuring Attenborough as the narrator, Planet Earth remains the BBC’s most expensive nature docuseries ever produced. In the end, all that time and money spent was worth it, as this series attracted an enormous amount of viewers, surpassing The Blue Planet’s status as the most-watched natural history show of all time. It also spawned a feature film adaptation and a sequel show, with a threequel due to premiere in 2023.

Being the first documentary to be filmed in high-definition, many audiences lauded this show’s bold and cinematic portrayal of the planet’s vast wonders, which include the lush forests of Madagascar, the snow-topped Alpine summits, the great plains of South Africa, and the dark depths of Mexico’s caves. Without a doubt, this miniseries is the perfect show for audiences wanting to immerse themselves in the true majesty of planet Earth.

Planet Earth is now streaming on Discovery+.

Our Planet (2019)

An animal in "Our Planet."
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This series was Netflix’s breakout hit into the world of esteemed nature documentaries, and yes, Attenborough narrates this one too. Filmed in 50 countries, Our Planet captures many unique and beautiful animals and habitats on film to educate viewers about how human behavior negatively impacts them.

Presenting the melting polar ice caps, rising ocean temperatures, and all sorts of pollution, Our Planet paints a grim and poignant picture of how climate change has affected numerous creatures living on Earth, and it depicts their desperate struggle to survive in a rapidly changing world. This isn’t the kind of documentary people would watch for a calming escape, as it forces the audience to face the dark reality created by humanity’s mistreatment of their home planet.

Our Planet is streaming on Netflix.

My Octopus Teacher

Craig Foster swimming next to an octopus in "My Octopus Teacher."
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This documentary stands out as a more personal experience between humanity and nature. This Netflix Original follows filmmaker Craig Foster as he forms an unexpected friendship with a wild octopus swimming in the waters of South Africa.

As he spends almost a year following the octopus’s life in the sea, he finds himself understanding more of humanity’s relationship with nature as he sees the beauty and vulnerability of his environment. This remarkable, moving film is not only about a person forming a deep connection with nature, but also about a man reconnecting with his own family thanks to a most unusual teacher.

My Octopus Teacher is now streaming on Netflix.

Anthony Orlando
Anthony Orlando is a writer/director from Oradell, NJ. He spent four years at Lafayette College, graduating CUM LAUDE with a…
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Jalen Hurts of the Eagles jogs and stares.

Legal sports betting continues to sweep the nation. 38 states and Washington, D.C., now offer legal sports betting. This Sunday, many Americans will place wagers on Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. The Super Bowl is one of the biggest gaming days of the year. The American Gaming Association (AGA) projects $1.39 billion in bets will be placed on Super Bowl LIX.
If you do choose to place a wager, make sure to know what you're doing. The last thing you want to do is place an incorrect bet for the wrong amount of money. It helps to know some gambling lingo and the types of bets offered for the game. Here are some Super Bowl betting tricks, tips, and advice.
Super Bowl LIX basic bets: spreads, totals, and moneyline

The point spread is one of the most popular bets for a football game. Per FanDuel*, the current spread is Kansas City Eagles -1.5 (-105) and Philadelphia Eagles +1.5 (-115). In this situation, the Chiefs are the favorite, and the Eagles are the underdog. If you place a wager on the spread, Kansas City -1.5, the Chiefs need to beat the Eagles by more than 1.5 points to cover and win your bet. If your wager is on the Eagles, then the Eagles either need to win or lose by less than 1.5 points to win the bet.
How much will you win on the bet? The vig, or the "juice," is the cost of the bet. That figure is located in parentheses. In this case, the vig is -105 for the Chiefs and -115 for the Eagles. If you place a $105 bet on the Chiefs to cover -1.5 and it hits, you would win $100. With a $115 bet on the Eagles, a bettor would win $100 if the Philadelphia covers. If the spread somehow moves to Chiefs -2 or Eagles +2, then a push is in play. If you place a bet on the Chiefs and they win by exactly 2 points, it's a push. That means your money will be returned. The same goes for the Eagles if they lose by two points.
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Denzel Washington in He Got Game.

When picking selections for the weekend ahead, we don't tend to do so by year. But by a fluke of the February release schedule, all of our selections for the three great Hulu movies that you need to stream this weekend were released in theaters in 1998. And they couldn't be more different from each other.
Our first selection is a powerful father-and-son drama from director Spike Lee, while the second features one of Oprah Winfrey's performances. The final selection is a classic comedy that caused quite a stir when it was originally released, but it may seem relatively tame nearly three decades later.
Need more recommendations? We also have guides to the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
He Got Game (1998)

Spike Lee's He Got Game is a basketball fable that allowed NBA player Ray Allen to give the performance of a lifetime as Jesus Shuttlesworth, one of the top high school basketball prospects in the country. Colleges are so eager to sign Jesus that the governor of New York briefly releases his estranged father, Jake Shuttlesworth (Denzel Washington), from prison just to convince Jesus to attend the governor's alma mater.

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This weekend is one of the few cases where the arts take a backseat to sports. Super Bowl LIX will be played on Sunday, February 9. The Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles will play for the right to call themselves champions. Over 115 million viewers are expected to watch Super Bowl LIX. More people will watch when you consider that the Big Game draws big crowds around one television.

The Super Bowl is Sunday night at 6:30 p.m. ET. Until then, what should you watch? Max has an excellent lineup of prestige dramas, hilarious comedies, action thrillers, and frightening horrors. While the Max homepage is a great resource, many movies are hidden within each genre. The three movies below represent under-the-radar picks that can be equally as satisfying as the noteworthy titles.

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