In 1980 the satirical show Not the Nine O'clock News did a sketch called Gerald the Gorilla; it had Pamela Stephenson playing an interviewer, interviewing a renowned professor (played by Mel Smith) and his captured gorilla Gerald (Rowan Atkinson). The gag involved Gerald not only being able to talk, but also being quite a sociable type, as he liked to hang out with his mates and listen to Johnny Mathis records.

As the sketch developed, it was clear that the professor resented Gerald for a lot of things, but is certainly riled when Gerald talks fondly of his mate Dave, to which the professor replies "David bloody Attenborough!"

It was a gentle nod to the popularity of the Beeb's most famous face and voice of their Natural History unit. He had been presenting wildlife programmes for years for the channel, but his profile hit new heights when his epic Life on Earth show aired in 1979. The rest, as they say, is natural history history.

Thirty years on and David Attenborough, at the ripe old age of 85, is still very much the jewel in the BBC's crown. If anything his popularity has grown in recent years with the advent of high definition television; possibly no other genre looks quite as impressive on HD TVs as wildlife shows do. And if you want to put your high definition setup through its paces then this is a must-have title.

They may not pack him off to the ends of the earth as much as they did, but that doesn't stop them from having him narrate, as they do here with this sublime series.

Listen Malcolm, what have I told you about being outside without suncream on?! You won't be so chirpy if you burn again.

As the title suggests, this series focuses on the chillier climes on our planet. Camera teams have put on their thermals to film creatures over the course of a year, through all four seasons, to see how they cope throughout. Although they shot at both ends of our planet, and many of the creatures are literally poles apart, they share two common themes: living in extremely cold temperatures, and surviving them.

This series, much like many that have gone before it, follows a tried and tested formula. Behind the camera, Attenborough narrates stories almost in a Johnny Morris fashion, as he describes the lives of certain animals. It may feature some cuddly characters, none more so than polar bears, but don't let that deceive you; you'll find more sex and violence in this series than you would see in the average Hollywood film. Probably even more than the raciest of HBO dramas. So although the series is exempt from certification, there are most definitely scenes that are not suitable for children – or adults for that matter – of a sensitive nature.

The series may have adopted a less scientific approach than earlier shows, embracing as it now does a more character and story-based route, but the high quality of the footage shown is unprecedented. Only in a show like this can the formation of snowflakes be so breathtaking. The fact that it's all shot in HD means that even those still using boring DVDs can appreciate the richness of the images.

The series isn't just a tour de force visually, it also manages to be highly educational; the information that Attenborough gently whispers to the audience are nuggets of natural history gold that are bound to delight any member of a pub quiz team. Learning has never been so much fun.

After all these years, this series proves that "David bloody Attenborough" is still very much on top of his game and a natural wonder of the world of our very own.