When it comes to TV criticism, three things tend to be true: documentaries don’t always get the attention they deserve; when they do, they are probably about nature; and they are probably narrated by David Attenborough. I am not immune to this tendency as you will see from what follows.

There have already been many science documentaries that we haven’t had a chance to cover this year. Here are some of the best.

Let’s start, inevitably, with entries from the incomparable Attenborough. …