BBC Home Entertainment is bringing executive producer Mike Gunton's
Hidden Kingdoms to Blu-ray this summer. The 3-part documentary series is narrated by Stephen Fry and focuses on animals that stand a few inches tall, from chipmunks to mice.
Hidden Kingdoms streets on July 8th.
Synopsis: There are entire worlds out there that you've never seen before. Worlds where an extraordinary yet unlikely cast of characters face epic struggles. This series reveals the astonishing lives of the tiny animal superheroes. In our world we may overlook them, but in the Hidden Kingdom they reign supreme - they're more resourceful, more courageous and even more deadly than the larger animals we're so much more familiar with. Enter the Hidden Kingdom and you'll discover a land beyond your imagination. Where a crack in the mud is a canyon, a puddle is as vast as an ocean, and a blade of grass becomes a skyscraper.
Special features and tech specs have yet to be detailed. Episodes include:
- Under Open Skies: This is the story of two young animals forced to grow up fast. In Africa's savannah, a baby elephant shrew learns how speed is the secret to survival amongst the largest animals on Earth; and in America, a young grasshopper mouse confronts the Wild West's deadliest creatures to stake a claim of his own.
- Secret Forests: This is the story of two tiny animals coming of age. In the wild woods of North America, a young chipmunk is gathering a vital store of nuts ahead of his first winter; in his way are ruthless rivals and giant predators. In the steaming rainforest, a young tree shrew is forced deep into the jungle to find food. She must draw on all her intelligence and agility if she is to escape the ultimate jungle predator: a reticulated python.
- Urban Jungles: This is the ultimate hidden kingdom - the urban jungle. In the colourful and chaotic streets of Rio, a young marmoset is separated from his street gang and forced to confront of the dangers of the city alone. In the futuristic metropolis of Tokyo, a rhinoceros beetle escapes his captors and begins an extraordinary journey through this alien world to find sanctuary.