Documentary maker Gordon Buchanan gets near to the action in his latest TV mini-series, which sees the presenter get scarily close to his latest subject - polar bears.

Buchanan's follow-up to his highly-rated The Bear Family and Me, which involved him monitoring black bears in Minnesota, finds him documenting the lives of bears living in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard.

Watch the clip of Buchanan getting attacked by the polar bear:

youtubeView full post on Youtube

Buchanan's show will attempt to bring extreme close-up visuals of a polar bear family with two cubs across three seasons.

A team of survival experts join the filmmaker as he follows the lives of mother Lyra and offspring Miki and Luca from their birth den in the spring, all the way through to winter.

Human, Vertebrate, Textile, Winter, Jaw, Fur, Snout, Bear, Facial hair, Freezing, pinterest
Gordon Buchanan

To get as close to the action as possible, Buchannan films from a Perspex cage that can protect him from the bears. However, when one animal sniffs at his box and attempts to attack the cameraman and break the cage, things quickly become scary for the TV presenter.

Nature, Polar bear, Daytime, Natural environment, Yellow, Vertebrate, Bear, Photograph, Carnivore, Atmospheric phenomenon, pinterest
Gordon Buchanan

The series, which airs across the week on the BBC, will have unprecedented access to the animal, as Buchanan secures tracking collars on the mum and cubs, who are trying to survive in tough conditions.

Clothing, Winter, Cheek, Sleeve, Happy, Freezing, Jacket, Jaw, Snow, Street fashion, pinterest
Gordon Buchanan

The Polar Bear Family and Me airs tonight (January 7) at 9.30pm on BBC Two.