Planet of the Apemen: Battle for Earth

1h

Documentary

The story of how Homo sapiens once shared the Earth with other species of hominid, and how, against all the odds, we survived.

Episodes

Cast

Homo Erectus

1. Homo Erectus

50min

23rd Jun 2011

In the not-too-distant past, humans shared this planet with other species of hominid. This series tells how, against all the odds, Homo sapiens survived. This episode is set 75,000 years ago in India, following a catastrophic super-volcanic eruption which forced a showdown between our ancestors and a completely different species of human, Homo erectus, who up until that point had reigned supreme.

Neanderthal

2. Neanderthal

50min

30th Jun 2011

This episode is set 35,000 years ago and depicts Homo sapiens's encounter with Homo neanderthalensis. As the ice caps retreated, the Neanderthal stronghold in Europe weakened, providing a window of opportunity to which modern humans owe their existence.

First air date

23rd Jun 2011

Last air date

30th Jun 2011

Status

Ended

Type

Documentary

Original language

en

Networks