BBC Earth – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

BBC Earth

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

YouTube2009

83%

WISE Score

14.2M

Subscribers

David Attenborough's soothing voice + jaw-dropping nature footage = the YouTube channel that makes learning about Earth actually cool.

BBC Earth

YouTube

2009

83%

WISE Score

14.2M

Subscribers

David Attenborough's soothing voice + jaw-dropping nature footage = the YouTube channel that makes learning about Earth actually cool.

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14.2M

Screenwise Verdict

This is legitimately excellent content. BBC Earth represents the pinnacle of nature documentary filmmaking, and having it free on YouTube is kind of miraculous.

The WISE score takes a modest hit not because of the content itself—which is outstanding—but because it lives on YouTube, where the platform's algorithm and comment sections introduce variables beyond BBC's control. If you're letting a 7-year-old watch unsupervised, they might start with a gorgeous penguin documentary and end up three autoplay clicks deep into random content.

But as co-viewing material or for older kids who can self-regulate? This is gold. It's educational, beautifully made, and can genuinely inspire kids to care about the natural world. Just be ready to skip past the cheetah-takes-down-gazelle moments if you've got a sensitive viewer.

Age Fit

Best for ages 6+ who can handle the circle-of-life realities (animals eating other animals). Younger kids might enjoy clips with parental co-viewing and fast-forward buttons. Teens and adults genuinely love this content too—it's not 'kids stuff.'

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Nature documentaries with stunning cinematography and David Attenborough's calming narration. Content focuses on animal behavior, ecosystems, and natural phenomena without sensationalism. Some predator-prey scenes exist but are presented matter-of-factly as part of nature's cycle, not gratuitously.

Imaginative

Showcases the incredible diversity of life on Earth—from deep ocean creatures to Arctic wildlife to microscopic organisms. Sparks curiosity about biology, geography, and environmental science. The cinematography reveals perspectives and behaviors most people will never witness firsthand, opening windows into hidden worlds.

Safe

Generally very safe—no inappropriate content, violence is limited to natural predation shown documentarily. Comments are enabled (14M+ subscribers means potential for varied comment quality). Occasional intense moments when predators hunt prey, or when showing harsh survival realities, but nothing gratuitous. No ads in typical harmful sense, though it's a commercial BBC Studios channel.

Enriching

Top-tier educational content. Teaches biology, ecology, animal behavior, climate science, and conservation. BBC's production quality is unmatched—this is the gold standard for nature documentaries. Builds genuine knowledge about our planet and can inspire environmental stewardship and scientific curiosity.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Absolute best-in-class nature documentary content—BBC Earth sets the standard for wildlife cinematography and storytelling
Educational without being preachy: kids learn about ecosystems, animal behavior, and conservation through compelling visual storytelling
Calming alternative to frenetic YouTube content—Attenborough's narration is basically ASMR for nature lovers
Massive library (3,200+ videos) spanning everything from Planet Earth to Blue Planet to prehistoric documentaries
Can spark genuine interest in biology, environmental science, and careers in conservation or filmmaking

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What to Watch For

Nature isn't always gentle—predator-prey sequences show animals hunting and killing (documentarily, not gratuitously, but still intense for sensitive kids)
It's still YouTube—the algorithm will try to pull viewers toward other content after BBC Earth videos end
Comments are enabled with 14M+ subscribers, so you'll find everything from genuine nature enthusiasts to random internet chaos
Some younger kids may find slower-paced documentaries boring compared to their usual fast-cut content

Conversation Starters

"What animal from that video would you want to learn more about? Should we look up more facts together?"
"Why do you think that predator needs to hunt that prey? What would happen if it didn't?"
"David Attenborough has been making these documentaries for like 70 years—what do you think he's seen change about our planet?"
"If you could film a documentary about any animal or place on Earth, what would you choose?"
"That footage was insane—how do you think they got those cameras so close without scaring the animals?"