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When Worlds Collide

Documentary examining the world of animal swarms, using the latest camera techniques to look into the heart of a superswarm and reveal how they view our world.

This two-part documentary reveals the awe-inspiring world of animal swarms, discovering what happens when superswarms invade people's lives and, using the latest camera techniques, going to the heart of the swarm to reveal how the creatures therein view our world.

Real-life footage from camcorders and mobile phones captures the amazing impact they can have. Killer bees mount an attack on an international football match in Costa Rica. In the US, the Illinois River boils with leaping silver carp, an alien species that has hijacked the river, smashing into boats and injuring people.

In South Australia, a sea of mice raids farms, consuming and destroying in their millions on a scale that defies belief. The largest swarm on Earth erupts from Lake Victoria - trillions of flies blanket villages, but the locals have learnt to turn the swarm into a highly nutritious fly burger. In Rome, cameras fly alongside ten million starlings, the largest swarm in Europe. Their mesmeric waves stop many residents in their tracks, but as they roost they smother the city in tons of excrement.

One man has learnt to control the ultimate swarm. He has become their 'queen bee' with startling results, learning to control what most people fear and to understand one of the most incredible forces of nature.

1 hour

Last on

Sun 10 Sep 201702:30

Credits

RoleContributor
NarratorDavid Tennant
ProducerPhilip Dalton
ProducerRobert Pilley
Series ProducerJohn Downer

Broadcasts

  • Sun 4 Jan 200921:00
  • Tue 6 Jan 200922:00
  • Thu 26 Feb 200902:35
  • Sat 28 Mar 200919:35
  • Mon 3 Aug 200920:00
  • Wed 27 Jan 201019:00
  • Sat 12 Jun 201021:15
  • Sat 19 Jun 201019:05
  • Sun 20 Jun 201003:00
  • Thu 22 Jul 201023:00
  • Thu 9 Sep 201020:00
  • Wed 17 Nov 201020:00
  • Tue 1 Feb 201120:00
  • Mon 4 Jul 201120:00
  • Sat 18 May 201319:00
  • Sun 19 May 201302:20
  • Sat 14 Jun 201419:00
  • Sun 15 Jun 201402:00
  • Wed 18 Jun 201423:00
  • Sat 8 Nov 201419:00
  • Tue 15 Dec 201520:00
  • Wed 16 Dec 201500:00
  • Mon 9 Jan 201720:00
  • Sat 9 Sep 201720:00
  • Sun 10 Sep 201702:30