In 1967, French thinker Guy DebordA French philosopher and Marxist who died in 1994. argued that human life had been reduced to what he called "the Spectacle". He suggested that instead of living their lives directly, people now mostly experience the world through images.

Twelve years later, a senior BBC employee named David AttenboroughAn English broadcaster and natural historian known for his wildlife documentaries. made a groundbreaking documentary, Life on Earth. It was released to rave reviews and turned Attenborough into a household name. 

Four decades have passed, and a 97-year-old Attenborough is still beaming stunning images of the natural world into our living rooms. His documentaries are one of Britain's most successful exports. The first episode of Planet Earth II in 2016 was watched by 9.2 million viewers on its release date alone.¹ Blue Planet II was streamed so much in China that it slowed down the internet.²

Their popularity is no surprise. With soaring orchestral music, ultra-high-definition footage, and Attenborough's soothing charcoal voice, the programmes are a cinematic masterpiece.

But some think we have gone too far in pursuit of perfection. Hamza Yassin, the wildlife cameraman touted as a successor to Attenborough, says nature shows often manipulate the truth to give their audiences compelling stories.

Their crews, he says, clean up wild spaces to make them more picturesque, and invent drama to make it more exciting. He wants future documentaries to show a more accurate image of the natural world.

The problem, critics argue, is that idealised images of nature isolate ourselves from the real thing.

Go out into the wilderness, and you may find it a bit disappointing. Birds' feathers are not quite as brilliant as they seem on the screen. Baby bears' play fighting might well be that adorable, but you will be too busy running from their enraged mother to find out.

Instead, most viewers will prefer to stay at home. As Debord warned, we end up experiencing the world entirely through images.

And that has implications for the planet. If people prefer the nature on their screens to the nature outside the window, they are unlikely to be very worried about the destruction of the environment.

Moreover, by presenting nature as beautiful and pristine, these documentaries make us think the world is still full of untouched wilderness.

But others say we are overthinking it. People know they are not seeing the whole truth, but  this does not put them off. And that, some say, is because we need the stories if we are to love the natural world.

What is terrifying about nature, German philosopher Friedrich NietzscheA German classical scholar, philosopher, and critic of culture (1844 - 1900), who became one of the most influential of all modern thinkers. observed, is its majestic indifference. Death, life, suffering, joy - none of them matters to a silent universe.

So when we see or hear about the lives of living things, we can find them frightening and alien. We are horrified by a world where giant insects eat baby birds and newborn seals starve to death alone on icebergs, all for no reason at all.

But if we craft a story around them, their experiences take on meaning. Even the tragic outcomes now seem like they have a purpose - because they are no longer met with mere indifference.

Yes: Nature documentaries have invented a version of nature that does not really exist: clean, beautiful, meaningful. That means we are less interested in preserving the more imperfect nature we actually have.

No: We have always understood the natural world through stories: of cunning foxes, courageous lions, helpful woodland creatures. It may be that we simply cannot relate to nature except through the stories we tell about it.

Or... We do not have to sacrifice the stories, but there must be a way of telling them about a grittier, more real natural world.

Guy Debord - A French philosopher and Marxist who died in 1994.

David Attenborough - An English broadcaster and natural historian known for his wildlife documentaries.

Friedrich Nietzsche - A German classical scholar, philosopher, and critic of culture (1844 - 1900), who became one of the most influential of all modern thinkers.