Flying Monsters

Two hundred million years ago there was an extraordinary development in the history of life: an ancient group of reptiles made a giant evolutionary leap into the skies.

In this groundbreaking, BAFTA winning, documentary, David Attenborough travels back in time to discover how and why these creatures took flight, and why after 150 million years of aerial domination they vanished.

Using state of the art CGI, and based on new finds and the latest research, Flying Monsters recreates these spectacular creatures and takes us into their world. Beginning on Dorset's Jurassic Coast, David’s journey takes him to sites around the world, from Southern France to New Mexico.

With the help of a team of scientists he unravels one of palaeontology’s enduring mysteries, how did lizards the size of giraffes defy gravity and soar through prehistoric skies? Driven by the information he finds as he attempts to answer these questions, Attenborough finds that the marvel of pterosaur flight has evolutionary echoes that resonate even today.

This visually stunning film sees Attenborough break new ground in a career that has spanned six decades, offering a unique insight into the ancient world of the pterosaur – a truly remarkable creature that paved the way for every single species of bird on the planet.