The series premiered in 1995, and 22 specials have been produced to date, with most of the more recent ones consisting of multiple episodes.

The earlier programmes were produced in-house by the BBC's Natural History Unit, but the more recent Spy in the ... titles were made by the independent John Downer Productions.

Following the pilot Great White Shark: The True Story of Jaws, transmitted in 1995, a sequence of six further programmes were broadcast in 1997, as part of the Natural History Unit's 40th anniversary celebrations.

Later specials were screened on an intermittent basis, typically at holiday times to attract a family audience.

On 23 May 2004, four of the early specials, Leopard, Eagle, Tiger: The Elusive Princess, and Serpent, were released on DVD, both individually and as a box set.