A groundbreaking BBC wildlife series, narrated by David Attenborough, tackles one of the toughest challenges in the animal kingdom: raising the next generation.
Speaking as part of a BBC media pack, David Attenborough says, “Success for all parents has perhaps the greatest of consequences. It ensures the future of life on our planet.”
Follow animal parents and their young from around the world in amazing stories of sacrifice, ingenuity and dedication – some captured on film for the first time.
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When is Parenthood on TV?
Parenthood is broadcast on BBC One from Sunday 3 August at 19.20. All episodes will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
What is Parenthood about?
Parenthood explores the remarkable relationships between animals and their young, as well as the extraordinary lengths they will go to in order to ensure their survival. The series showcases the universal struggle of raising young in breathtaking, yet sometimes familiar, ways.
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Who narrates Parenthood?
Sir David Attenborough will narrate the six-part series. It's not the first time the legendary broadcaster has worked with producers Silverback Films – they've also worked together for Ocean with David Attenborough, Wild Isles and A Life on Our Planet.
What is the Parenthood theme?
Eurovision runner-up Sam Ryder has co-written and performed the Parenthood theme song, titled Go Steady.
Which animals feature in Parenthood?
One of the stand-out moments in the series focuses on the African social spider – a mother spider who raises 50 offspring and regurgitates a 'milk' made from dissolved body parts to feed her young. She eventually sacrifices herself, and her spiderlings eat her alive in an act called matriphagy (a cannibalistic strategy often employed by insects).
Elsewhere, the team used a specialised camera buggy to enter a barn in Andalusia, Spain where multiple generations of the endangered Iberian lynx were known to raise their young.
For orangutan mothers, raising young takes eight years; with mothers introducing them to different foods and even teaching them how to 'make' their bed.
Where was Parenthood filmed?
Parenthood was filmed in 23 countries and six continents across three years – from the remote jungles of Bhutan and the grasslands of Botswana, to West Australia's Bremer Bay and Dominican rivers strewn with one thousand feet of waterfalls.
What technology was used when filming Parenthood?
The latest technology was used to film Parenthood, including a military grade Infra-Red camera that was incorporated into gyro-stabilised housing, which allowed the team to film hippos and their young moving across grasslands at night under the watchful eyes of a pride of lions.
Underwater gimbals and tow cameras were used to film scenes with hunting orcas, allowing the team to travel at the same speed as the animals. Specialised IR cameras uncovered new behaviours with the endangered San Joaquin kit fox, as well as feeding behaviours of tapirs.
Discover more amazing wildlife stories from around the world
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Top image: a father lion playing with his young cub, from episode one of Parenthood. Credit: BBC/Silverback Films/Russ Maclaughlin