Mammoths and smilodons and birds, oh my! The latest season of AppleTV‘s excellent paleontology documentary series Prehistoric Planet is now streaming, and it continues their incredible portrayal of ancient wildlife and the latest science behind how they lived. Narrated by Tom Hiddleston this time around in lieu of the legendary Sir David Frederick Attenborough, this season contains five episodes focusing on the progression of the Ice Age and the megafauna present during that time period. Read on for our review of the new season – spoilers for Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age may follow.
She’s ready to face the elements.#PrehistoricPlanetIceAge — Now Streaming pic.twitter.com/4149xFFc01
— Apple TV (@AppleTV) November 26, 2025
Prehistoric Planet makes its return to the small screen in 2025 with five new episodes and a new subtitle (for this season). After seasons one and two in 2022 and 2023 respectively covered ancient animals and landscapes from tens or even hundreds of millions of years ago, the latest season adds the Ice Age subtitle and brings the creatures and locations much closer to home. By starting around one million years ago and charting a path through earth’s age of ice, this latest season presents an exciting story of how life survived wild environments and changes all the way to the dawn of early humans.
She loves a short king.#PrehistoricPlanetIceAge — Now Streaming pic.twitter.com/G8v7LLDrdY
— Apple TV (@AppleTV) December 3, 2025
Is it cake?#PrehistoricPlanetIceAge — Now Streaming pic.twitter.com/PvqGGovEyB
— Apple TV (@AppleTV) December 10, 2025
The five episodes in Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age (“The Big Freeze,” “New Lands,” “Desert Lands,” “Grass Lands,” and “The Big Melt”) retain the basic formula of past seasons, dramatically following multiple species in different environments and situations and reserving the final minutes of each episode for a more in-depth scientific breakdown of the time period, animals present, and larger implications on life on earth. The episodes contain numerous extinct species completely new to the series including massive woolly mammoths and rhinoceros, the largest birds that have ever lived, saber and scimitar-toothed big cats, short-faced bears, megaloceros (the largest deer that’s ever lived), giant wombats (pictured above), giant kangaroos, giant armadillos, giant sloths, reptiles, and even a few proboscideans (extinct elephant relatives).
The third season of does drastically change its time period and adds a new subtitle, but it does not drift in the slightest in terms of quality. The look and behavior of the animals present, both massive and tiny, is unbelievably photo-real and feels fully alive. Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age is excellent in its choice of content and its presentation. Though we miss Sir David Attenborough, Tom Hiddleston proves to be great choice as a new narrator. The stories and narratives present are woven together to truly drive home the significance and drama of the megafauna and animals present, all the way from their beginning to their untimely end. In an age of myriad popular prehistoric media, the series continues to cement itself as the best paleo-documentary series out there.
Even grandma can run 20 miles per hour.#PrehistoricPlanetIceAge — Now Streaming pic.twitter.com/rGWfBT4UC8
— Apple TV (@AppleTV) December 16, 2025