Dynasties

This edition follows David, a chimpanzee alpha in Senegal, west Africa, as the dry season sets in, forcing the group closer together and leaving David to overcome threats to his leadership from murderous rivals.

Atka Bay in Antarctica is the scene of the greatest story of hardship and teamwork in nature. As the coldest and cruellest winter approaches and the sea turns to ice, every animal on land flees. But thousands of Emperor Penguins emerge from the waves and march inland across the barren wastelands, finally gathering together in one of the world's greatest animal colonies.The Antarctic winter is this penguin's time to breed, a time to create the next generation of their dynasty. But to succeed, they and their chicks will face hardships unmatched anywhere else in the natural world. Every pair of penguins will rely on the extraordinary strength of the bond between them for their own survival and for the life of their offspring. And each pair will rely on the cooperation of all of the others in their colony, in the face of starvation, as their world is plunged into a sunless night that lasts six weeks, with storm force winds, blizzards and temperatures below -60 C.

This episode features one of the most famous lion prides in Africa, the Marsh Pride of Kenya's Masai Mara. As the story begins, the Marsh Pride is in a unique situation in their history. They have been abandoned by all of the adult males who, until now, defended the pride. Just two adult females are left to feed and protect their eight youngsters. The future of the whole family rests entirely on the shoulders of these two mothers, Charm and her cousin Sienna. They need to raise their cubs to adulthood if this great dynasty is to continue. They and their cubs face the great perils of the African savannah, including raging herds of buffalo, rival lion prides, the constant menace of marauding hyenas and, in a fateful turn of events, a clash with humanity.

A painted wolf matriarch's feud with her daughter threatens to bring the dynasty down.

A tigress must protect her cubs while battling rivals who want to steal her lands and overthrow her.

A mother puma must battle rivals, tackle prey nearly three times her size and endure the wild mountain weather of Patagonia in her bid to raise four cubs – her biggest litter yet.

In Amboseli, Kenya, an incredibly rare event pushes a struggling elephant family to its limits. To save their dynasty, they have to work together and overcome the challenge of a lifetime.

On Zambia's plains, a cheetah mother must keep her precious cubs safe, preparing them for life without her. They take on dangerous prey, battle hyenas and learn that even tiny neighbours can bite back.

With the emergence of a young rival, a spotted hyena queen struggles to keep her grip on power – while also trying to raise a family – on Zambia's vast and unforgiving Liuwa Plain grasslands.