David Attenborough meets the original masters of disguise. No CGI needed.
An incredible look at cephalopods – squids, octopi, and cuttlefish, from the Wildlife on One series. Filmed from Hawaii to the Gulf of Mexico, and using computers, scientists study the shape and color-changing abilities of these bizarre animals. Narrated by David Attenborough. (This film was shown on BBC as Season 12, Episode 2 of Wildlife on One. This listing is for the 16mm film release.)
Cinematography
Early computer-assisted filming capturing color-shifting skin cells in action.
Production
Pre-CGI era ingenuity: how do you film something invisible against any background?
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This 1983 episode predates the discovery that octopuses can edit their own RNA on the fly—a superpower that makes their genetic code even more alien than Attenborough imagined.
The 'Wildlife on One' format—25 minutes, no filler, Attenborough's voice as your only guide—invented the modern prestige nature documentary template that Netflix now spends millions to replicate.
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