97 years old and showing no signs of slowing down, national treasure Sir David Attenborough's latest encounter comes with the prehistoric Pliosaur in the one-off Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster documentary this New Year's Day in the UK.
You can watch Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster for FREE in the UK on the BBC iPlayer streaming service. But don't worry if you're away while it's on, because you can watch Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster on the iPlayer from anywhere with a VPN.
UK: iPlayer (free with licence fee)
US: PBS
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
The so-called 'Tyrannosaurus rex of the sea', it's 150 millions years since the mighty Pilosaur dominated the oceans. And yet it's only two decades since the ancient aquatic reptile has come to the attention of palaeontologists.
So imagine the excitement when a 6ft 5in skull was discovered washed up on the UK's own Jurassic coast. In almost perfect condition, it has presented a unique chance for international teams of scientists to investigate the fossil to try and learn the secrets of the long-extinct beast.
And who better to tell us all about the creature and research than the legendary naturalist David Attenborough himself. Over a fascinating one hour special, we get to play amateur palaeontologist as we learn all about the Pilosaur and get an intimate look at how ground-breaking scientific techniques are decoding the riddles of the past.
Eager to see Sir David come face-to-face with this astonishing beast? Here's how to watch Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster from anywhere in the world — we've got all the information you'll need below.
How to watch Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster in the UK
The BBC is airing Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster on BBC One at 8 pm UK on New Year's Day (Monday, January 1).
The one-hour episode will also be available to watch online on the BBC iPlayer streaming service.
BBC One and the iPlayer are free to watch for TV licence fee payers. And if you're trying to access iPlayer while outside the UK, you might want to try a VPN to allow you to watch from abroad — more details below.
Can I watch Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster in the US?
Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster will be coming to PBS, but not right now. It's slated to hit the broadcaster on February 14 in the US.
How to watch Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster from anywhere with a VPN
You can watch Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster on the BBC iPlayer above by using a VPN — no matter where you are in the world!
Normally the BBC will know where you are trying to tune in from and block you if you're not in the UK, but a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an app that hides your location. That means you can access your usual streaming services even while you're traveling abroad.
Our favorite VPN is ExpressVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar, where you'll find a deeper reader on the best VPN services available right now.
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
- Download the app at ExpressVPN
- Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch (UK, US, etc)
- Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!
What is the Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster release date?
Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster will be broadcast on BBC One (and online via the BBC iPlayer) at 8 pm in the UK on New Year's Day (Monday, January 1).
In the US, there is a release date set for February 14 on PBS.
All you need to know about Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster
What is a Pliosaur?
To quote the BBC news report on the finding of the Pliosaur's skull in Dorset, UK, it's "a sea monster with 130 razor-sharp teeth, the biting force of a t-rex and skull measuring two metres". In total, it's thought to have been 12 metres long and hunted off the coasts of what we now know as Great Britain.
Who is David Attenborough?
David Attenborough is a 97-year-old TV presenter, naturalist, historian and author from Isleworth in the UK.
Attenborough has been making television programmes for the BBC for over seven decades, and is most famous as the host of wildlife documentaries for the broadcaster.
His encounter with a baby gorilla on the show Life on Earth in 1979, is often voted as one of factual television's most memorable moments. His extraordinary multi-award winning filmography includes the likes of The Life of Birds, The Blue Planet, The Life of Mammals, Frozen Planet, Wild Isles and the three seasons of Planet Earth — the most recent of which has just aired in the UK.
David is the younger brother of Richard Attenborough, who starred in films such as The Great Escape and Jurassic Park and directed classics like Gandhi and Shadowlands.
What is the next David Attenborough show?
The BBC announced in 2022 that it is currently making Blue Planet III.
The series follows the first two in 2001 and 2017 respectively and will comprise six one-hour episodes. No broadcast date has yet been confirmed.
