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. We 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.

It was during the Ice Age that humanity as we know it was forged. Two rival species competed until only one was left standing. Steve Backshall and Michaela Strachan travel the world to discover how Neanderthals and Homo sapiens survived at a time of brutal environmental change and uncover why we, Homo sapiens, survived while the Neanderthals were wiped off the face of the Earth. Steve heads to southern Germany, which is a hotbed of early human discoveries. In the freezing temperatures of the snow-lined valleys, Steve throws himself into Ice Age life, exploring how early humans evaded the mighty Ice Age predators such as the supersized cave bears and giant hyenas that stalked the freezing wastelands. In a battle against the elements and predators, Steve discovers how Neanderthals made fire in a surprisingly sophisticated way and crafted tools so sharp you could shave with them! Meanwhile, Michaela gets to grips with the differences between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens.