The story of planet Earth is to be told in a new landmark series for BBC Two.

Earth: The Biography (working title) will look at the major events which have shaped the Earth's history.

Presented by Dr Iain Stewart, who presented Journeys from the Centre of the Earth and Journeys Into the Ring of Fire, each episode will reveal a different force critical to the development of Earth including volcanoes, the ocean, the atmosphere and ice.

Phil Dolling, executive producer, said: "The series will be a fascinating history of the living planet and how all its incredible systems work together to maintain our rare and extraordinary world. This is the story of Earth and how, even if humankind may not last forever, our planet is a born survivor."

The five-part series is an in-house BBC production commissioned by Emma Swain, and will be broadcast on BBC Two in late 2007.