The format of Saving Planet Earth was something of a departure for the Unit, using celebrities not normally associated with natural history programmes rather than selecting a familiar face from its pool of specialists.

The season began with a special hour-long programme on BBC One entitled "Sharing Planet Earth", a clarion call for action to conserve nature, presented by David Attenborough. It was followed by nine documentaries broadcast nightly over the course of a fortnight, in which celebrities investigated the plight of endangered species. Each programme was introduced by Alan Titchmarsh and featured a short narration by Attenborough to provide some background information on the featured species.

Along with the BBC One programmes, a five-part series entitled Saving Planet Earth - UK was broadcast in parallel onBBC Two. Presented by Michaela Strachan, it aimed to show audiences the threats facing British wildlife, and how they could help by becoming directly involved in conservation.

A second five-part series on the CBBC Channel followed seven young competition winners on their own personal journeys to destinations including Brazil and Borneo to report on threatened species.

The season culminated with a live fundraising evening to raise money for a newly established conservation charity, the BBC Wildlife Fund.