On-screen warnings of re-enacted elements were shown in Hidden Kingdoms. One of the scenes, featuring a mouse leaping to escape the jaws of a rattlesnake, was created by filming rattlesnakes making strikes at a hot towel placed above a camera, which was then merged with footage of the mouse.[9]
Episode list
#
Title
Original air date
Overnight UK viewers (millions)
1
"Under Open Skies"
16 January 2014 (2014-01-16)
3.41
2
"Secret Forests"
23 January 2014 (2014-01-23)
3.52
3
"Urban Jungles"
30 January 2014 (2014-01-30)
2.74
Reception
Overnight figures showed that the first episode on 16 January 2014 was watched by 14.4% of the viewing audience for that time, with 3.41 million watching it.[10] The second and third episodes attracted 3.52m (15.5%) and 2.74m (12.4%) respectively.[11][12]
Some reviewers criticised the show's use of staged scenes and digital editing, stating that the depicted events and locations are "astonishing if true, but frustrating and worthless if merely a digital effect".[13]
Home media
In United Kingdom, a single DVD disc was released on 27 January 2014 by BBC Worldwide.[14]
In United States and Canada, DVD and Blu-ray Disc were released on 8 July 2014.[15][16] It was distributed by BBC Warner.
In Germany, DVD and Blu-ray Disc were released on 19 December 2014.[17][18]
In Japan, both DVD and Blu-ray Disc were released on 3 November 2015.[19][20]
The musical score and songs featured in the series were composed and conducted by Ben Foster, with the performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra. The audio cd soundtrack was released on 11 March 2014,[21][22] while digital soundtrack was available on 15 January 2016.[23]