In this three-part documentary series, viewers will be taken on a tour of the Scandinavian natural world. Exploring the wildlife, landscapes and culture of the Nordics, this series promises to be every bit the breathtaking spectacle we expect from the BBC’s forays into the natural world.
You can watch Wild Scandinavia for free in the UK on the BBC iPlayer streaming service. But don't worry if you're on holiday while it's on — because you can watch BBC iPlayer from anywhere with a VPN.
US: PBS Passport
UK: BBC Two and iPlayer (free with license fee)
AU: Binge
The series is narrated by part Swedish Hollywood star Rebecca Ferguson (The Greatest Showman) and unfolds over three hour long episodes. The first, 'Life on the Edge', looks at coastal regions, from the Baltics, to the Atlantic and the Arctic, while the second episode, 'Heartlands', will explore the forests and waterways of the region through the seasons. Finally, 'Ice and Fire' will focus on the more extreme territories including Icelandic volcanoes and Arctic tundras. Expect to see lynx, puffins, orcas and wolves among others.
The show is made by BBC Studios Natural History and PBS and produced by Tuppence Stone, who was also behind Wild Alaska and Wild Patagonia, so is sure to be an unmissable treat to see in the new year with.
Sound like the perfect nature show for a cosy winter evening? Here's how to watch Wild Alaska from anywhere in the world. We've got all the information you'll need below.
How to watch Wild Scandinavia in the UK
How to watch Wild Scandinavia in the US
US nature doc fans can watch Wild Scandinavia for FREE now, via the PBS streaming service. Alternatively, you can subscribe to PBS Passport, which is usually available to donors of $60 per year/$5 dollars per month, but check with your local PBS station.
Remember, use a VPN if you're traveling abroad and want to access PBS from outside the US.
How to watch Wild Scandinavia in Australia
In Australia, Wild Scandinavia is available to watch on Binge with all three episodes on the streaming service right now.
You can sign up to Binge for as little as $10 per month, though the $16 and $18 higher tiers offer higher-quality video streams and more screens to watch on simultaneously.
How to watch Wild Scandinavia from anywhere with a VPN
You can watch Wild Scandinavia on any of the streaming services above by using a VPN – no matter where you are in the world!
Normally a streaming service will know where you are trying to tune in from and block you if you're not in the right country but a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an app that hides your location. That means you can access your usual sports and entertainment 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.
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!
When is the Wild Scandinavia release date?
Wild Scandinavia is already available to stream in the US via PBS and Australia on Binge. In the UK it'll air over three nights on December 31, January 1 and January 2 and be available on BBC iPlayer too.
- Episode 1: 'Life on the Edge' - Sunday, December 31
- Episode 2: 'Heartlands' - Monday, December 1
- Episode 3: 'Ice & Fire' - Tuesday, December 2
What to know about Wild Scandinavia
Wild Scandinavia official trailer
What can we expect from Wild Scandinavia?
Tuppence Stone (Series Producer): "Wild Scandinavia is a series like no other, celebrating the furthest northern reaches of Europe. It will immerse you in the dramatic landscapes, the stunning wildlife and unique culture of Scandinavia – the land of Odin and Thor.
We bring you the natural wonders from the epic Norwegian Arctic, through mythic Swedish Forests, across vast Danish tidal shores and erupting Icelandic volcanoes.
BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit are focusing three spectacular hours of film-making on Scandinavia for the first time. This will give our audience a chance to understand and enjoy this region as never before, telling wildlife stories from a Scandinavian perspective."
What are the standout moments?
Rebecca Ferguson (Narrator): "Being a part of the whole story and seeing things that I would have never got the opportunity to see was such a treat. It brings me as close to it as possible. It’s so unusual to see it all first-hand and I got to be part of it adding my narrative which was magical. As an ocean lover, I particularly enjoyed the reproductive process of the synchronised star fish and watching the sea cucumbers feed on the algae and plankton from the seabeds."
Tuppence Stone (Series Producer): "I wanted to showcase the Norwegian fjords within the series – they are such a vertical landscape, rising in places up to 1000m above the water, and as far below. Near Kjerag, on the southside of Lysefjorden, one cliff drops 984m almost straight down and has become one the world’s most iconic base jumping sites since it was first jumped in 1994. Working with expert film-makers and Norwegian wingsuiter Hege Ringard, we aimed to immerse viewers in what it feels like to jump and fly through this dramatic landscape. I could never take that step myself, but in our Wild Scandinavia opening episode you can."
Where was the series filmed?
Tuppence Stone (Series Producer): "The series was filmed across Scandinavia – Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and also Finland.
Wild Scandinavia opens with a journey tracing the wildlife that makes a life on the edge - along the rugged coastline from the Baltic sea, through the iconic fjordlands and reaching north into the freezing Arctic Ocean. Our second episode weaves together the relationships that enable animals to survive the seasonal challenges in Scandinavia’s mythic forests and maze of waterways, and in the third episode we track the extreme swing of the sun across the Scandinavia’s Arctic – from the bleak 24hour darkness of mid-winter, where musk ox stand firm against the blizzard, and mesmerizing northern lights dance across the heavens; to the brightness of endless daylight and the frenzy of life."
How long did filming take?
Tuppence Stone (Series Producer): "The series was filmed over two and a half years. We began with our first filming in Jan 2020 tracking charismatic arctic foxes in Iceland. Then, after a break because of covid restrictions, we resumed in late summer filming stunning osprey, and completed the series in 2023."
What will the viewers take away from Wild Scandinavia?
Rebecca Ferguson (Narrator): "I hope that they it will Learn about new environments and that it opens up their eyes to the beauty of this region. How different it is. Why it’s so different. How the people have had to adapt to the environment. The extremes of the seasonal weather and landscapes. I hope it makes people want to visit and to nurture and to care for our world even more."
Tuppence Stone (Series Producer): "I hope our viewers will feel visually connected to this incredible area, which is so close to us in the UK, yet still really wild. The ruggedness, the intense weather and dancing northern lights hopefully will draw our viewers in a world which feels closely linked to ancient giants and Norse Gods. We wanted to weave together stories of stunning lynx, glorious white-tailed sea eagles, wolves and bears - all creatures of myth and folklore, but at the same time reflect modern Scandinavians and their contemporary relationship with nature. Hopefully feeling a stronger connection to these wild places will nurture a desire to protect our natural world. "
Wild Scandinavia full episode guide
Wild Scandinavia full episode guide
Episode 1: 'Life on Edge' - December 31 (UK) / Out now (US)
Life on the Edge traces an enthralling coastal journey from the sheltered Baltic Sea to the Wild Atlantic Ocean, travelling up the majestic fjords to freezing Arctic waters. Seal pups are born on granite islands left by the Ice Age, while puffins fight in the snow for a burrow in the Arctic. Pods of Orca and trawlermen chase vast shoals of herring and Europe’s largest eagles patrol the fjords where daredevil base-jumpers fly down sheer walls of rock. All these lives are intimately connected to the shoreline and each must deal with the unpredictability of this coastal world to prosper here.
Episode 2: 'Heartlands' - January 1 (UK) / Out now (US)
Heartlands reveals the interior wealth of Scandinavian forests and waterways through the turning seasons. Ingenious ravens outsmart golden eagles for food, while Sámiherders move their reindeer to find fresh lichen. Rare lynx search for love, while moose and bears migrate through a landscape engineered by beavers. With winter’s return skaters venture out on the first black ice of the season. Their delicate balance on the thinnest ice becomes a metaphor for us all, in our connection with the natural world.
Episode 3: 'Ice & Fire' - January 2 (UK) / Out now (US)
Ice and Fire explores the extremes of Scandinavia – volcanic Iceland, the high tundra and Arctic Svalbard. Musk ox and polar bears, and arctic fox must survive in a world ruled by the great pendulum of sunlight – from total darkness to midnight sun. We reveal the surprising hot spring spiders and invite you to little auk flight school. Back-country skiers embrace the Icelandic winter, while Glaciologists tap into the impacts of climate change. For some, winter is about resilience and scraping through until summer feasts, but for others it’s the summer heat which brings the greatest danger.
