During the filming of Frozen Planet, the team got unprecedented access to film the story of the South Pole Station - the most extreme and remote scientific research base on earth. This film traces the history of the base, which began unwittingly with early explorers like Scott and Amundsen and their quest to be the first humans to reach the South Pole, dragging tools and supplies behind them. Today, modern scientists have access to much more hi-tech instruments and we meet a team working on one of the most extreme scientific projects on earth.

A look at the four months the team spent in Cape Crozier, filming penguins and the perilous winds that occur there.

Trials and tribulations filming Antarctica's most spectacular bellyflop.

This Frozen Planet Christmas Special brings together the very best highlights of the series, taking viewers on a spectacular journey through the entire polar year - from the depths of winter to the melting world of the polar summer. In the south, spring starts with the comical stone-stealing Adelie penguin males. In summer the females return and the parents struggle to raise their chicks before the big freeze of autumn. In the north, tiny polar bear cubs begin their lives under the snow, while the male faces the harshest winter on Earth. Will all three cubs survive as the ice melts beneath their feet? These stories, together with unforgettable moments from Frozen Planet's other characters, play out against breathtaking polar scenery in this one-hour special.

Three years of dedication and exposure to extreme seasons and bitter cold were required of the film crew that captured the scenery and wildlife of "Frozen Planet."