Survival

Season 1Episode 360 minJuni 9, 2012
Survival

David discovers the plants that have evolved to shed their dependency on water enabling them to survive in the driest environments.

The story begins at midnight in midsummer as David steps into the Princess of Wales Conservatory to witness the extraordinary nocturnal blooming of a cactus. The queen of the night, with its giant flowers, is the centre piece of a stunning symphony of cacti blooms that burst open in the desert (and at Kew) at night. In a mesmerizing 3D slow motion sequence, we discover the extraordinary connections between cacti and their natural pollinators: bats.

The scene typifies the unique splendour of the 3D experience as bats seem to fly out of the screen and into the viewers' living room.

As the sun rises, David meets other amazing plants. Species like the century plant, the Agave franzosini, which grows steadily for over 50 years, only to then flower itself to death with one mighty telegraph pole sized bloom which literally bursts out of the roof of Kew's green house.

Cracking the code to plants' survival strategies is the key to protecting their future and Kew have built a high tech long-term solution fifty miles south of the Gardens. Described as mankind's ultimate insurance policy, and with 10% already safely stored deep frozen, Kew's Millennium Seed Bank has the capacity to store seeds from the vast majority of remaining species of plant on the planet, thus saving plants from extinction in the future.

Survival has aired on Juni 9, 2012
Previous Episode

Trailer

We do not have any trailers for this episode

Recently Updated Shows

Recently updated shows that might be of your interest.
The Traitors
Running

The Traitors

Set in a remote castle in the Scottish Highlands and based on the wildly popular Dutch series of the same name, 5-time Emmy-nominated Alan Cumming plays host to twenty larger-than-life personalities (including reality A-listers and America's best game players) who come together to complete a series of challenges with the objective of earning a cash prize of up to $250,000. The catch? Three of the contestants coined "the traitors" will devise a plan to steal the prize from the other contestants coined "the faithful".

24 Hours in Police Custody
Running

24 Hours in Police Custody

Bedfordshire Police allowed more than 80 cameras to follow their work for this landmark documentary series from the makers of 24 Hours in A&E.

GenreDrama, Crime
Helluva Boss
Running

Helluva Boss

Follow Blitz, a classic demon Imp who sets out to run his own small assassin business with his weapons specialist Moxxie, his bruiser Millie, and his receptionist hellhound Loona. Together they attempt to survive each other while running a startup in Hell.

Son of a Critch
Running

Son of a Critch

Based on the award-winning, best-selling memoir from Mark Critch. This new original comedy is the hilarious and very real story of 11-year-old Mark coming of age in St. John's, Newfoundland in the 80s. It's a heartfelt window into the life of a child – much older inside than his 11 years – using comedy and self-deprecation to win friends and connect with the small collection of people in his limited world.

GenreComedy
The Irrational
Running

The Irrational

The Irrational follows world-renowned professor of behavioral science Alec Mercer as he lends his unique expertise on an array of high-stakes cases involving governments, law enforcement and corporations. His insight and unconventional approach to understanding human behavior lead him and the team on a series of intense, unexpected journeys to solve illogical puzzles and perplexing mysteries.