The third entry in a trilogy is often where the wheels come off. You only have to think back to the underwhelming The Godfather Part III. Or Return of the Jedi, with its controversially adorable Ewoks. 

Adorable was likewise the tone struck through much of the first episode of Planet Earth III (BBC One), in which David Attenborough’s by-turns stern and kindly narration accompanied footage of big-eyed baby seals and tiny turtles shuffling towards the sea.

But this eye-poppingly beautiful natural history series also proves that sometimes the third time can be the charm. It packs the sort of dazzling visual punch of which Hollywood could only dream, with languid overhead shots of flapping flamingos and their young who struggle to survive in the freezing rain. 

Then there is the Attenborough factor. At 97, his globe-trotting days are over. Yet what he may have lost in mobility, he has gained in gravitas. His tone is sombre with a hint of a twinkle. He reminded us once again of the fragility of the natural world. The focus was Raine Island on the Great Barrier Reef, where endangered green turtles return to lay their eggs. We saw footage of Attenborough visiting in 1957 as a scrawny 31-year-old. A lifetime later, he reported that rising water levels could soon consume the island. 

The original Planet Earth aired in 2006 and cost £16 million to make – a masterful blending of cinematography and soundtrack. In the intervening years, the BBC has admitted to sometimes staging shots in its natural history programming and of combining footage of different animals to make it appear we’re watching one plucky creature on its adventures. It’s unclear how much sleight-of-hand was involved with Planet Earth III. Either way, what has ended up on screen is sumptuous (much of the footage is captured with “pioneering” lightweight drones and remote-control submersibles). 

On Wednesday, Netflix will debut its CG-heavy reconstruction of the prehistoric world, Life on Our Planet – with austere narration from Morgan Freeman. But can it compete with the might of the BBC Natural History Unit? Planet Earth III doesn’t reinvent the brand. Indeed, in the opening episode, which focused on coastal regions, it could be accused of cliché. Lions prowl, one nightmarish jellyfish devours another, sharks pursue seals. Such drama has been its bread and butter for decades. Yet it ticks off these boxes with enormous flair. 

At a time when there is so much uncertainty in the world, how enormously reassuring to know Attenborough is still on hand to share his passion with us.