How to Watch BBC’s The Planets Live Online

The Planets premiered yesterday on BBC Two, and it was mind-blowing, to say the least. Regardless of my geo-location, I managed to access BBC iPlayer with the help of a VPN service provider. If you’re interested in streaming The Planets anywhere, you’ll find this guide helpful.

The Planets, BBC iPlayer is unavailable outside the UK. But in this article, I’ll show you how to unblock the channel from anywhere in the world using a VPN or a Smart DNS proxy. This way, you can watch every episode as it airs.

The Planets on BBC

You can stream this groundbreaking new series on BBC iPlayer anywhere. Although the streaming service is only available for viewers who reside in the United Kingdom, international users can still access it. Therefore, allow me to save you some time and show you what happens if you try to access it from abroad. “This content is not available in your location,” is what will pop up on your screen.

The problem is that your IP address reveals your location to the World Wide Web. And when BBC iPlayer figures that out, you’ll get terminated. This whole thing is due to copyright issues. But, don’t worry guys, VPNs and Smart DNS proxies can help.

How to Stream The Planets with VPN

The best way to watch The Planets from outside the UK is with a virtual private network. This tool can spoof your global position by hiding your IP address. Firstly, the VPN reroutes your online traffic to your choice of a network even if it’s abroad. Then, it changes your IP address to match the region that you chose.

Consequently, you’ll appear as if you were inside the country, and any restricted website from that area will become accessible. In other words, you’ll be able to connect to a UK server no matter where you are and get a new UK IP address. This will trick BBC iPlayer into thinking that you are inside its viewing area. It will unblock its content, including The Planets.

Unblock BBC iPlayer – VPN

Just follow the steps below, and you’ll be alright:

1. If you don’t have an account with a VPN service, you have to subscribe. I recommend you use ExpressVPN.
2. Set up the app on your PC, iOS, Android, Mac, or any other device.
3. Connect to a UK server and get a British IP address. 
4. Make sure your VPN managed to change your IP address by visiting WhatIsMyIP.network successfully.
5. Go to the BBC iPlayer site or application, depending on which device you want to use.
6. Enjoy the significant landmark series The Planets.

Best VPNs to Unblock BBC iPlayer

If you’re a VPN beginner, let me tell you beforehand that there are a lot of providers out there. However, not all of them deliver as they promise. Therefore, if you don’t feel like researching for the best service provider, you can check out the table below. This list features the highest-ranked brands in the industry, so any of them would do just fine.

Rank

VPN Provider

Features

Links

• Best for streaming and privacy
• High speed servers in 160 VPN locations
• Works for Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu
• 24/7/ live chat support
• 3 extra months free on annual plan

Visit ExpressVPN Try risk-free for 30 days Read our review

• UltraHD streaming
• Free Smart DNS proxy
• Unblocks all major streaming services
• Limited Time 72% Discount

Visit BulletVPN Read our review

• Unlimited VPN connections
• Over 1000 servers
• Ad-blocking feature available

Visit Surfshark Read our review

4

• User-friendly application
• Exclusive Smart VPN feature
• Standalone Smart DNS subscription available

Visit Unlocator Read our review

5

• Extra security features
• Extensions for Firefox and Chrome
• Split-tunneling available

Visit NordVPN Read our review

ExpressVPN

Of course, some providers are better than others, which is why I selected ExpressVPN as our number one pick. Firstly, the company owns more than 1,000 servers in 94 countries, with the inclusion of the UK. This is one of the largest networks in the business, and it grants you access to any UK channel, including BBC iPlayer. So you can stream The Planets from anywhere in the world. Second, ExpressVPN has one of the fastest servers, a perfect feature for streaming HD programs. You won’t face any buffering or loading problems, even if the servers you connected to are far.

Moreover, it provides the most reliable security features for its users, including AES-256 encryption. This strict protocol ensures users’ utmost privacy. No third parties, like the government or ISP, can access users’ data. Other protective measures include split tunneling, DNS leak protection, and a kill switch. As far as privacy goes, the company keeps no logs and does it track users’ history. It clearly states on its website: “We never keep traffic logs, and we also don’t keep any logs that might enable someone to match an IP and timestamp back to a user. We work entirely based on shared IPs, meaning that a single IP does not track back to an individual user.”

And finally, ExpressVPN allows torrenting and P2P file-sharing activities, which means you can safely download/upload anything you want. Oh, and if that’s not enough, the company gives you access to all Netflix libraries, even the US version. And for a full list of the company’s features and benefits, check out the ExpressVPN review.

Watch The Planets with Smart DNS proxies

If you don’t like VPNs, your only other option to watch The Planets is a Smart DNS proxy. This software only redirects the URLs that expose your location so that it won’t tamper with your connection. For example, Smart DNS proxies do not hide your IP address, which means your online identity will be visible to all. Furthermore, they don’t encrypt your traffic so that no one can monitor your traffic and data. While this allows you to access local content without any connection speed drop, it is also significant security and privacy risk.

Moreover, Smart DNS proxies aren’t very efficient. They don’t function properly if your ISP uses transparent proxies or employs DNS hijacking. Also, installing them on your device isn’t a walk in the park because they don’t have dedicated apps. For that reason, you have to configure them manually, but you’ll have plenty of setup guides to help you.

Steps with Smart DNS

Finally, here is how you can unblock BBC iPlayer with a Smart DNS proxy:

1. Subscribe to a decent Smart DNS service such as Unlocator.
2. Ensure that the service is compatible with your devices.
3. Configure the Smart DNS on your PC, laptop, smartphone, or tablet. Alternatively, you can install it on routers, gaming consoles, or Smart TVs.
4. Access and stream UK-restricted channels despite your geo-location.

BBC’s The Planets

In this new series, Professor Brian Cox tells the extraordinary narrative of our solar system. The first episode talked about the development of Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, the closest planets to the sun. And honestly, I can’t wait for episode number two. So if you’ve ever wondered about how it all began, you don’t want to miss this one.

The Planets premiered on May 28 on BBC Two. If you want to watch the first episode again, you can replay it on BBC iPlayer. But if you have no idea what the show is about, read what the content providers have to say:

Premise

“In this major landmark series, Professor Brian Cox tells the extraordinary life story of our solar system. For four and a half billion years, each of the planets has been on an incredible journey, filled with astonishing spectacle and high drama. Using the data from our very latest explorations of the solar system combined with groundbreaking CGI, this series reveals the unimaginable beauty and grandeur of eight planets whose stories we are only just beginning to understand. 

The first episode traces the development of the four rocky worlds closest to the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. Born together, they battled the unbelievable violence of the early solar system to become stable planets. For a while, each had a moment of hope when they enjoyed almost earth-like conditions. Yet today, Mercury is a scorched barren world. Venus is a runaway greenhouse world with a scorching atmosphere, and Mars is a frozen desert. Only on Earth do oceans – and life – persist. 

Why has Earth thrived while the others have faded away? The most advanced space missions ever mounted allow us to reveal the moments when the fate of each world turned. Mercury was flung across the solar system in a collision of unimaginable ferocity. A young Venus resplendent with oceans was locked in a battle with the sun. And an early wet Mars was robbed of the material it would need to survive. 

Only Earth found itself far enough away from the sun for life to hold on. But it can’t last forever. Billions of years from now, our world will follow the fate of its sister planets as the sun expands to become a red giant. But as it does other oases may awaken on the faraway moons of the gas giants – like Saturn’s moon Titan. In the far future, it too may enjoy its moment in the sun.”

Trailer

Here’s what you should expect.

BBC’s The Planets – Conclusion

The Planets series reveals the history of 4.5 billion years of the solar system in incredible detail. Using the data from the latest space, explorations and state-of-the-art CGI will expose the mysterious beauty of each planet. There will be discussions regarding whether or not life exists on other planets as well.

Whether you’re into science or not, The Planet is not a series you want to miss out on. So, if you live outside the UK, you have to get either a VPN or a Smart DNS proxy to unblock BBC and get on with the streaming. Would you use a VPN or Smart DNS? Let’s hear what you have to say in the comments.