A rain forest is the richest habitat on Earth. Exactly how many species rain forests contain is unknown, but it runs into millions. And new ones are discovered every week. There are some, like the clouded leopard, we still know virtually nothing about. Although they cover just seven percent of the world's land area, jungles play a vital role in the health of the planet . Jungles and rainforests are home to an incredible variety of species like preening birds, intelligent orangutans and remarkably ambitious ants.
The second episode of the series looks at dreams and tries to explain what happens in the brain and body after we go to sleep. It looks at the significance of dreams and what dreams can teach us about ourselves. It talks to neuroscientists who discuss slow-wave sleep and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep during which dreams occur. It looks at the history of dream interpretation and its validity.
Sam Smith's book 'The Jordan Rules' exposes the darker side of Michael Jordan's competitiveness, and questions arise about whether he has a serious gambling problem, but he remains focused on winning a new title in 1993. Dealing with the pitfalls of fame and attempting to complete the first three-peat leave Jordan increasingly exhausted and isolated.
In the 1998 NBA finals, the defending NBA champion Chicago Bulls played against Utah Jazz in a repeat of the previous year's Final. With Utah leading 86-85 and few seconds remaining of the definitive match, John Stockton passed the ball to Karl Malone but Jordan stole the ball away and dribbled down the court to hit a 20-footer to end the finals. Battered and exhausted, the Bulls conclude their 'Last Dance' with a sixth championship. Michael, Phil Jackson and others reflect on the end of the dynasty.
This second instalment looks at how Vladimir Putin arrived in the Kremlin as a vulnerable and unknown president, whom the Russian oligarchs expect to control. The programme reveals how he asserted his hold on power and ultimately surrounded himself with his KGB peers, as well as his philosophy as regards traitors and enemies. The film also examines the stories of businessman Boris Berezovsky and defector Alexander Litvinenko, who both stood up to Putin and wound up dead on British soil.
Putin returns to power under a storm after a four-year absence, but his attempts to improve his popularity are hobbled by accusations of corruption. The final part of this sinister history doesn’t quite come up to date with Vladimir Putin’s recent moves to 'reset' the Russian constitution so he can rule, theoretically, until at least 2036 – longer than Stalin. But it does walk us through some of his other moves to entrench power, including vote-rigging in parliamentary elections that was so brazen, his approval ratings fell amid mass street protests. Leading the protests was opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who was then simply gunned down on a street near the Kremlin. These days, we are told, the world stage interests Putin more than the Russian one, and with various 'mini-Putins' installed around the world, his legacy looks safe.
Jungles and rainforests are home to an incredible variety of species like preening birds, intelligent orangutans and remarkably ambitious ants.