Planet Earth - Season 1

First aired: 1/22/1986 7 episodes

Episodes

1. The Living Machine

Aired: 1/22/1986

The episode discusses plate tectonics and geologic time, highlighting the work of James Hutton, Alfred Wegener, Harry Hess, Allan V. Cox, Brent Dalrymple, Frederick Vine, and Drummond Matthews, and discussing how geologists study layers of rock to read billions of years of the Earth's history.

2. The Blue Planet

Aired: 1/29/1986

The episode discusses major new revelations about the oceans.

3. The Climate Puzzle

Aired: 2/5/1986

The episode examines the complexities of the Earth's climate.

4. Tales from Other Worlds

Aired: 2/12/1986

Using special effects and actual footage from space to illustrate other worlds in the Solar System, the episode discusses the connections between the Earth and the cosmos.

5. Gifts from the Earth

Aired: 2/19/1986

The episode focuses on the Earth's natural resources, including minerals such as copper, gold, silver, and platinum; fossil fuels such as petroleum, coal, and peat; and soil.

6. The Solar Sea

Aired: 2/26/1986

The episode explores the Earth's relationship with the Sun.

7. Fate of the Earth

Aired: 3/5/1986

The episode explores the role of life in shaping the Earth and discusses the planet's possible future.