A FROZEN WORLD: STEVE BACKSHALL AND MICHAELA STRACHAN TO FRONT CHANNEL 5 SERIES

Ice Age: A Frozen World, fronted by naturalist and explorer Steve Backshall, wildlife presenter Michaela Strachan and geologist Chris Jackson will tell this epic story using state of the art technology to bring this frozen world to life.

The factual thriller will take viewers on a gripping journey through time, with a mixture of on location pieces, breathtaking Virtual Studio production and expert interviews. The series will unravel the hidden secrets of the Ice Age and how it created the world we now live in.

Made up of three parts the programmes will document the rise of the mega-beasts that once bestrode our world, from Saber Tooth Tigers to Wooley Mammoths; the David and Goliath story of Neanderthals versus Homo Sapiens and the ultimate irony that global warming could trigger the next Ice Age.

Steve Backshall and Michaela Strachan dive into the Ice Age like never before, as they witness the rise of mega-beasts such as the woolly mammoth and sabre-toothed cat. Using virtual production, these titans of the Ice Age are brought back to life.

The programme reveal what made these mighty creatures so perfectly adapted to face the savage environmental extremes — and what led to their extinction. Deep within the Arctic Circle, Michaela is in freezing Svalbard solving the puzzle of why the Ice Age started in the first place.

Meanwhile, Steve is in the UK discovering which Ice Age mega-beasts used the UK as their stomping ground. Joined by Prof Danielle Schreve, Steve is introduced to the bones of a mammoth, arctic foxes and even a massive Ice Age hyena. But Danielle has an even bigger discovery, and only now is she prepared to let the cameras in!

She and her team uncovered the remains of almost a dozen Ice Age creatures all found in the same small cave near Plymouth. What could have killed these titans? Did they all fall victim to natural disaster or was one apex predator responsible for their deaths? It’s an Ice Age murder mystery for Steve to solve.

The most famous predator of the Ice Age was the sabre-toothed cat, and Michaela discovers why this fearsome creature was such an effective hunter. But as she examines this beast’s skull and giant fangs, she discovers it had one major weakness. Could this have been the reason it went extinct?

In Sweden, Steve gets under the skin of the mammoth by investigating its DNA. With the help of world-leading geneticist Prof Love Dalén, Steve explores why this titan of the Ice Age died out.

Ice Age: A Frozen World (3x60’) will air on Channel 5 and My5.