Nature documentaries and saving nature: Reflections on the new Netflix series Our Planet

Abstract

1. Netflix recently launched its high-profile nature documentary Our Planet. Voiced by Sir David Attenborough in English (with Salma Hayek, Penelope Cruz and other Hollywood actors voicing versions simultaneously released in 10 other languages),Netflix are making a clear play for core BBC territory. However, they claim that this is a nature documentary with a difference as it puts the threats facing nature front and center to the narrative.2. We coded the scripts of Our Planet, and those of three recent Attenboroughvoiced BBC documentaries, to explore the extent to which threats (and conservation action and success) are discussed. The only other series which comes close to the frequency with which these issues are discussed is Blue Planet II, but Our Planet is unique in weaving discussion of these issues throughout all episodes rather than keeping them to a dedicated final episode. However, although Our Planet sounds different to other documentaries, the visuals are very similar.Nature is still mostly shown as pristine, and the presence or impacts of people on the natural world very seldom appear. We discuss the potential consequences of nature documentaries erasing humans from the land/seascape. 3. We also discuss the mechanisms by which nature documentaries may have a positive impact on conservation. Despite links between information provision and behaviour change being complex and uncertain, nature documentaries may, at least in theory, elicit change in a number of ways. They may increase willingness amongst viewers to make personal lifestyle changes, increase support for conservation organizations, and generate positive public attitudes and subsequently social norms towards an issue, making policy change more likely. 4. Netflix is certainly bringing biodiversity and the threats it faces into the mainstream, but the mechanisms by which viewing these representations translates to concrete behaviour change are poorly understood. Increasing interest in robust impact evaluation, integrating qualitative and quantitative methods, means the | 421People and Nature JONES Et al.

Evaluating the impact of the documentary series Blue Planet II on viewers' plastic consumption behaviors

“…This study offers an important example of how to utilize and apply impact evaluation methods to better understand intervention impacts on pro‐environmental behavior change. As nature documentaries become an increasingly popular television genre (Koblin, 2020), the resurgence of these programs has also seen a change in narrative for the shows, shifting their focus towards more conservation themes (Jones et al, 2019). This study is the first to present an understanding of the impacts of this narrative shift on viewers pro‐environmental behaviors using a robust experimental design.…”

“…Therefore, in order for interventions to be successful, they must be wide‐reaching but also effective in targeting demand reduction behaviors (Pahl & Wyles, 2017). As such, an important aspect of evaluating mass media interventions, and documentaries in particular, is to ensure that reach is distinguished from impact (Jones et al, 2019; Veríssimo et al, 2018). In the case of Blue Planet II , the series reached millions of viewers, but this offers no insight or guarantee into behavior changes taking place.…”

“…The topic of marine plastics gained public attention in the United Kingdom in the last decade, with the airing of Blue Planet II , a nature documentary series on marine life produced by the BBC, being reportedly one turning point (Hunt, 2017). Unlike the series' predecessor, The Blue Planet , the high level of conservation messaging within Blue Planet II has been credited with raising awareness of plastic pollution to a nationwide audience (Jones et al, 2019), with total viewing figures reaching 14.01 million across the United Kingdom (BARB, 2017). In line with the mission of the BBC, as a public service broadcaster, to “inform, educate and entertain” viewers (BBC, n.d.), Blue Planet II producers aimed for the show to provide a “platform that got the broader message (about plastic pollution) out” (Honeyborne, 2018).…”

Plastic Waste and the Environmental Crisis Industry

“…Plastic pollution is a social problem that is set up perfectly for both mainstream and social media communication within the context of the ECI. In terms of television, the subject can grab the attention of an audience with ease (Jones et al 2019 ). There is a clear, linear story to tell about a piece of plastic that ends up in the ocean and contributes to the death of a charismatic creature.…”

Exotic animal cafes are increasingly home to threatened biodiversity

“…The popularity of a species can also drive consumer demand and can be influenced by the species’ rarity (the “anthropogenic Allee effect”; Courchamp et al., 2006) as well as fashionable trends including celebrity attention (Harrington, Macdonald, & D'Cruze, 2019). The public's interest in particular pet species can also be influenced by digital media (Jones, Thomas‐Walters, Rust, & Veríssimo, 2019), as evidenced by increased registrations, imports, or popularity of Dalmatians, green iguana, and red‐eared sliders seen in 101 Dalmatians (Herzog, Bentley, & Hahn, 2004), Jurassic Park (Nijman & Nekaris, 2017), and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Ramsay, Ng, O'Riordan, & Chou, 2007). However, this digital media “effect” is debatable as no increase of the import/export or purchase of owls, Amphiprion ocellaris/percula , or Paracanthurus hepatus was detected following the release of the movies, Harry Potter (Megias, Anderson, Smith, & Veríssimo, 2017), Finding Nemo (Militz & Foale, 2017), or Finding Dory (Veríssimo, Anderson & Tlusty, 2019), despite widespread media coverage to the contrary.…”