ITV - In the Wild: Collection One (2000)

It's an irresistible combination that makes IN THE WILD a must-have primetime entertainment series. See some of the biggest names in film and television upstaged by their wild and usually uninhibited co-stars. Each of the actors has chosen an animal for which they have a special attraction or empathy. That's the easy part. Going into the wild to find that animal and tell its story is much, much harder.

Part 1: Orang Utans with Julia Roberts
The 'Man of the Forest' is almost identical to ourselves, sharing 97% of our genes. They mate face-to-face, they look after their young for up to nine years; they use tools and have an uncanny talent for imitation. They have a long attention span and make many conscious decisions in their daily lives. Julia's first stop is Balikpapan and the Wanariset Reintroduction Centre. Willie Smits heads the operation which has achieved a remarkable record in returning orangs to the wild. Next, Julia flies to Pangkalanbun. From there she will glide upstream on the jet waters of the Sekonyer River to Tanjung Puting, the home of orphaned orangs set up by Dr Birute Galdikas. But what about seeing orangs in the wild? The next leg takes Julia along more rivers in the heart of the Gunung Palung Reserve, where there is the highest density of orangs in Borneo. Orangs are migratory in this region, so being able to find them depends on which trees are fruiting, but that's the adventure of In The Wild.

Part 2: Asian Elephants with Goldie Hawn
Hollywood actress, Goldie Hawn embarks on a personal search into the wilds of India to find an Asian elephant she last saw seven years ago. The female elephant she is looking for, deep in the forests of Southern India, is blind in one eye and seven years ago had a baby calf. Her journey of discovery begins in the colourful Indian state of Rajasthan, where she sees for herself the powerful influences the elephant has had on the spiritual life of India. She is joined by passionate elephant conservationist Mark Shand and his elephant Tara, who teaches her almost everything there is to know about riding and caring for a domesticated elephant. Finally, she ventures back into the forests of India's largest elephant reserve to try and find her elephant again.

Part 3: Lions with Sir Anthony Hopkins
It is said in Africa that when a lion roars a ruler is born. For centuries man has been in awe of the big cats. During the programme Hopkins will follow the route of the first safaris, by railway from the coast, to the frontier town of Arusha, onto Tarangire, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater. During his journey he will encounter lions and other fascinating creatures, he will also meet the Maasai people. The Maasai are a majestic tribe who dominate most of Tanzania, and know just about all there is to know about lions. The lion has traditionally reigned as 'King Of The Beasts', but just how powerful a monarch is he?

Part 4: Mongolian Horsemen with Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts was brought up looking after the horses at her family's ranch. Even today, her true sanctuary is her own ranch and horses in New Mexico. The unique bond between humans and horses has always fascinated her, a quest that takes her half way round the world to where it all began, Mongolia. The vast Mongolian steppelands are the true cradle of the equine race. They have supported huge horse herds for thousands of years, and even today every domestic horse in Mongolia is a distant relative of the Asiatic Wild Horse. Julia Roberts immerses herself in Mongolian nomadic culture to get to the core of man's relationship with the horse. She lives with the nomads in a ger, moves with them to new pastures, herds their semi-feral horses, and even milks the mares. It is an elemental relationship that is lost in our society. Julia Roberts is truly going back to her and the horse's roots.

Part 5: Operation Lemur with John Cleese
Cleese had a lifelong obsession with the lemurs of Madagascar, and he first fell in love with a ringtail lemur at the tender age of 12. Last year, he raised money to release five black and white ruffed lemurs born in captivity back into the rainforests of Madagascar. The U.S.-bred "Carolina Five," as these lemurs are affectionately known, are the first lemurs ever to be released into the wild. The hope is that they will survive and eventually mate with the existing population of lemurs to introduce new genes into the population. Then came the difficult bit. John Cleese set out on a three-week trek to go out and find the lemurs…

Part 6: Grey Whales with Christopher Reeve
We follow Hollywood actor Christopher Reeve out in the wild where he gets up close and personal with an animal that has always fascinated him- the grey whale! The film follows the whales’complete migratory trip, starting as they head north to the Arctic and the rich feeding ground where they put on 5000 kilos in weight to nourish their calves. When the autumn storms begin, the whales head south running the gauntlet of the killer whales off Vancouver Island. Unlike the killers, gray whales do not have echo location and are in great danger. At one point a whale comes close to Reeve in his boat. So close he touched her. She inspected him, parked her new born baby by his boat and went off to feed. Christopher Reeve found himself with a week old gray whale to look after. Reeve stared straight into the eye of a whale - curious, wise, friendly and absolutely unforgettable.