[1] The series is presented and narrated by Sir David Attenborough[2] with the music composed by Hans Zimmer, Adam Lukas and James Everingham, including a theme featuring the vocals of singer-songwriter Aurora.

[9] On Sunday 18 September 2022 the series saw its network debut on BBC Earth Asia covering the nations of Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Summer is a time of plenty in the Arctic Ocean as plankton blooms feed millions of tiny mouths, such as bizarre skeleton shrimps, as well as the biggest: bowhead whales.

The mountains of Japan are the snowiest place on Earth, providing hostile conditions for a lone male Japanese macaque cast away from his troop.

But in the frozen peaks, the deadliest force is an avalanche whose full destructive power is captured for the first time using high-speed camera racer drones.

Heading towards the continent of Antarctica, we traverse the roughest seas on Earth - the Southern Ocean - where we find the rarely filmed Antarctic blue whale, the largest animal to have ever lived.

At the edge of Antarctica, the sea is so cold that it freezes over, creating a vital ice platform for a mother Weddell seal to raise her precious pup.

But stealing is commonplace, and to make matters worse, with climate change we find chicks today shivering with hypothermia – a warming Antarctica means increased meltwater.

Then, on the exposed mountain tops, sticking out from the otherwise ice-covered interior, we find tiny snow petrel, which raise their chicks further south than any other bird, and defend their territory by projectile vomiting!

The greatest revelation lies deep in the interior, beneath the surface of an ice-covered lake, where we discover ancient alien-like structures - giant stromatolites - built by primitive lifeforms.

In the far north of our planet lies the largest land habitat on earth, home to snow-covered forests and the icy open tundra.

These are lands of extremes that push animals to their limits: in winter they are so cold that much of the ground has remained frozen since the last ice age.

To stand any chance of survival, animals must adapt in extreme ways: here a super pack of wolves, 25 strong, has come together to take on the only large prey available to them in winter, American bison.

It follows crows in the hope of finding carrion, but it must not stay long, for it shares the forest with a far larger but equally hungry big cat, the Siberian tiger.

Beneath the ground, a nest of tiny painted turtle hatchlings now emerge, having remained frozen in a state of suspended animation throughout winter.

She is the sole survivor of her colony - the rest perished in the winter freeze - but her larger size, her furry body and antifreeze in her blood have allowed her to survive.

The parents drive their young to cooler, mosquito-free land, but to get there they must cross rivers running with increased meltwater and escape hungry grizzly bears.

In the Gulf of St Lawrence, Canada, biologists are trying to find out how the loss of sea ice will impact the lives of baby harps.

In the remote community of Qaanaaq, Greenland, local Inuit hunters are finding the ice too dangerous to travel and hunt on, risking their traditional way of life.

On Alaska’s open tundra, bubbling lakes hint at the gases being released from the previously frozen soil, including the potent greenhouse gas methane.

Based in the International Space Station, astronaut Jessica Meir looks down at forest fires across Europe and reflects how our changing weather patterns are interconnected.

Glaciologist Hamish Pritchard uses a sophisticated helicopter-strung radar system to try to quantify how much ice is left in the previously uncharted glaciers of the Himalayas.

If this plug of ice melts and slips into the ocean, it will raise global sea levels, impacting coastal communities across the planet.

The unprecedented changes our scientists are witnessing may be profound, but there is hope that, through a combination of technology and willpower, there is still time to save what remains of our frozen planet.

"Reviewers at The Guardian,[19] The Daily Telegraph[20] and The Times[21] all awarded the opening episode a maximum five stars, with Lucy Mangan of the former stating "You cannot stay unengaged, you cannot remain unmoved by the sight of nature in all her glory".

The opening episode was also given five stars by Rachel Sigee at the I stating "Ending exactly as it should – with a call to arms – its scale and finesse must not be taken for granted, and its message must be heard".

[22] In contrast Nick Hilton at her sister paper The Independent awarded the opening episode just 3 stars opining that "this feels more like a greatest hits compilation than a documentary that has something new, and pressing, to say".

[26] On 22 August 2022, the BBC announced that the Cuban-born American singer and songwriter Camila Cabello[27] had collaborated with composer Hans Zimmer[28] to write and record a new song entitled Take Me Back Home.

In a press release, Camila Cabello said: "...Frozen Planet II is stunning and Sir David’s narration is deeply powerful as we try to protect these incredible ecosystems from global warming.

"[29] The song was used as the soundtrack for a Frozen Planet II extended trailer released by the BBC to promote the series and saw its debut on 26 August 2022.