The Most Extreme: Season One

One of the top-rated programs on Animal Planet, The Most Extreme lives up to its title by detailing the amazing feats and remarkable characteristics of some of Earth's most hardy creatures. The 13 hour-long episodes collected in this three-disc set put critters in a number of categories: survivors, fighters, builders, lovers, biters, and so on—including an installment devoted to “horrors” (the Great White Shark, as you might imagine, falls under this classification). From a beetle capable of lifting more than 850 times its body weight, to a falcon that dives at speeds of 200 mph, the wildlife footage here—much of it captured under difficult and occasionally dangerous conditions—is generally compelling, and the series should appeal to nature aficionados with its solid mix of education and entertainment. Recommended. (E. Hulse)