Oceans: Into the Blue

One of the most harrowing episodes of the entire series. This episode deals with people who survive because of the ocean. From people who live completely on water, traveling around in houseboats, to divers in the Philippines who dive up to 40 meters with only a rickety old air compressor and plastic hose keeping them alive. Watching these guys risk life and limb on a daily basis for the equivalent of $25 a week is simply stunning and heart-breaking at the same time.

Deserts: Life in the Furnace

Here we get to witness how tough it is for people in the desert regions of the world to get water. Some people walk for weeks just to find the nearest well. They wait all year just for the rainy season so that they can collect enough water to keep them going through the dry season. The fish catching celebration is a sight to behold. In typical BBC fashion they're able to capture a once-in-a-lifetime event with a single beautiful, sweeping camera movement that takes it all in.

Arctic: Life in the Deep Freeze

Out of any place on earth I couldn't imagine living in the Arctic. Sub-zero temperatures almost year-round, ice two meters thick, and the threat of polar bears attacking at any moment. Here we get to witness the Inuit people of the North build igloos, and hunt. They hunt everything from Greenland Sharks to Narwhal. We even get to witness an event that doesn't take place anywhere else on earth. A place where the tide goes out so far that the local people have around a half an hour to chop through the ice go down to the dry seabed and gather as many mussels as possible before the tide comes back in.

Jungles: People of the Trees

The very first story may make your stomach turn. Venezuelan children, who are completely dependent on the rainforest to live, set out to catch tarantulas for dinner. Yes, tarantulas. These young kids know exactly where to look and how to catch them. Then they toast them up like marshmallows. Yum! Another one of the great spectacles of 'Human Planet' is its depiction of New Guinea's tribal gathering and celebration. The scope, size, and colors of the party are some of the best shots in the series.

Mountains: Life in Thin Air

Inhabitants of the world's mountains are discussed in detail here. Miners who have to work near an acid lake that produces poisonous gases to is an eerie reminder about how far people will go to make a living. Five dollars for each load of sulfur they bring up, but to what extent did they just damage their lungs bringing that sulfur up? There's also some great footage in this episode of roaring avalanches tearing down the mountains in the Swiss Alps, and a startling story of how the Swiss control avalanches by setting them off with dynamite. This technique is used around the world, but it's always crazy to actually see it in action.

Grasslands: The Roots of Power

Here we get to watch African Bushmen in action as they hunt big game. Watching them prepare for a hunt is actually quite spectacular. We may not agree with their methods (burning whole areas of grassland so the animals have no cover), but it's interesting nonetheless. Manmade grasslands are also discussed here and they talk about how the formation of farms and agricultural land not only redraws our own natural landscape, but how it's endangering wild grasslands as well.

Rivers: Friend and Foe

People who live and work on the rivers of the world are covered here. After the many stories of people who live in under or undeveloped parts of the world, it was a nice change to move onto a Ottawa, Canada to see how a group of men continuously have to bust up the ice that freezes on the river in the capital. If they don't, they could have a huge flooding problem. We get to see the power rivers like the Ganges which continuously swallow up whole villages as it erodes its banks like they weren't even there.

Cities: Surviving the Urban Jungle

Many of the world's large cities are shown here. Many of the stories here are how animals and insects are taking over our cities. In India we get to see how humans are pitted in a constant struggle with Makak Monkeys, who roam the streets like gangs stealing food from local vendors. From there we go to Manhattan and watch as nighttime exterminators take on the hordes of New York City rats. There's a disgusting sequence that takes place in London that gave me the heebie-jeebies. Bedbugs. Yuck! This is also the episode where BBC takes a more environmental message. They talk about how our consumption is unsustainable and about up-and-coming green cities.