The film is a descriptive time-lapse journey about the magical, mysterious and medicinal world of fungi and their power to heal, sustain an contribute to the regeneration of life on Earth that began 3.5 billion years ago.
Imagine an organism that feeds you, heals you, reveals secrets of the universe and could help save the planet. You'll see it through the eyes of mycologists, like renowned Paul Stamets, about the unlimited potential of fungi in the fields of food, medicine, expanding consciousness, bioremediation, neurogenesis and treating end-of-life anxiety.

There are 200 million insects for each of us. They are the most successful animal group ever. Their key is an armoured covering that takes on almost any shape. Darwin's stag beetle fights in the tree tops with huge curved jaws. The camera flies with millions of monarch butterflies which migrate 2000 miles, navigating by the sun. Super slow motion shows a bombardier beetle firing boiling liquid at enemies through a rotating nozzle. A honey bee army stings a raiding bear into submission. Grass cutter ants march like a Roman army, harvesting grass they cannot actually eat. They cultivate a fungus that breaks the grass down for them. Their giant colony is the closest thing in nature to the complexity of a human city.

Bladderwort utricularia is a pond-dweller that is among the fastest known, its traps snapping shut in less than a millisecond. As the seasons change, David demonstrates how plants operate on a different time scale to us; how they modify their lives according to the time of year. We discover insects’ hidden links with plants, both as pests and pollinators. UV-sensitive 3D cameras reveal the invisible alter-ego of plants and their flowers’ mesmerizing patterns; a parallel-dimension of strange colours and stunning patterns through which plants communicate with them. With the aid of visual effects, David steps among the swirling vortices of plant scent; communication signals with which plants are inextricably plugged in to the natural world. And using a tuning fork, he demonstrates how plants and insects can even communicate with music. As autumn envelopes the Gardens, fungi reveal themselves not as the enemies of plants but their vital allies. In Kew’s atmospheric Fungarium, David discovers a specimen that has the power of mind control and another that lives underground where it has grown to be so big it can be counted as the largest single organism on the planet. It is 6 times bigger than Kew Gardens itself.

The third episode of the series is a visually stunning journey, from the earliest lichens and microplants to the imposing dinosaurs and the diversity of life forms we know today. Key moments in Earth's history are highlighted, such as the appearance of arthropods, the development of terrestrial flora and fauna, and the mass extinctions that have reshaped ecosystems.
The documentary not only shows the resilience and adaptability of life on our planet but also highlights the fragility of our ecosystem and the crucial importance of preserving biodiversity for the future of Earth. This documentary is a celebration of life in all its forms and a powerful reminder of our role in protecting this incredibly diverse and dynamic world.

The fourth episode of the series takes you on an epic journey through time, beginning 252 million years ago, in a world devastated by the greatest mass extinction in history. Discover how, from the ashes of this cataclysm, fungi become the dominant form of life in an almost apocalyptic landscape. Witness the astonishing story of survival and adaptation of the Lystrosaurus, curious ancestors of mammals, who emerge as the unlikely heirs of the Earth and transform into the dominant creatures, only to be eventually dethroned by new giant predators like the Erythrosuchus. The documentary culminates with the impressive era of dinosaurs and how they adapted to a constantly changing world, and the reigns of the plesiosaurs and pterosaurs, rulers of the oceans and the air. Finally, learn how these titans gave way to modern reptiles and current birds, leaving a legacy that endures to this day.
This documentary is a window into the fascinating evolutionary history of our planet, showing the resilience and diversity of life through the ages. Prepare to be amazed, informed, and deeply moved by this spectacular chronicle of life on our planet.