BBC America will continue bringing viewers closer to nature with new installments of the Planet Earth and Frozen Planet series.


Frozen Planet II, a follow-up to the 2011-12 series, is set to premiere in 2021. Planet Earth III will follow in 2022. The two shows join the previously announced One Planet: Seven Worlds, which is set to air in 2020. BBC America is extending its relationship with the BBC Studios Natural History Unit for five years.


“One of the things we’re most proud of at BBC America is that we've established the network as the U.S. destination for the very best nature programming on the planet, from the BBC’s award-winning natural history unit,” said Sarah Barnett, president, entertainment networks at AMC Networks.


"We are delighted to renew our successful partnership with BBC Studios, and to continue to co-produce these groundbreaking series. To bring together audiences for this kind of transcendent event television is a true privilege. We couldn't be happier to continue to do this for the next five years."


The extension of the partnership and new shows comes as Netflix prepares to launch its own nature documentary series, Our Planet, due April 5. That series is narrated by David Attenborough — the voice of Planet Earth and its sister series Blue Planet — and produced by Alistair Fothergill, who also produced the first installments of Planet Earth and Frozen Planet.


Attenborough will also narrate One Planet: Seven Worlds. The voice of Frozen Planet II and Planet Earth III hasn't been announced yet.


Planet Earth II won two Emmy Awards in 2017, for outstanding documentary series and for cinematography. Frozen Planet won those same honors in 2012, along with honors for sound editing and picture editing.


The new editions of Frozen Planet and Planet Earth are produced by BBC Studios' Natural History Unit, co-produced by BBC America and The Open University.