Spring

Gordon arrives in the forests of Minnesota in spring just as the bears are coming out of their dens. Before he can start filming he faces a major challenge - to earn the bears' trust. Gordon like many people fear black bears but once he meets Lily, an easy-going young mother bear and her cub, Hope, Gordon is smitten.

Summer

Second programme in this series following wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan as he spends a year with a family of wild black bears. As summer arrives, Gordon returns to Minnesota and discovers that the tiny bear cub Hope has been abandoned by her mother. He tracks down the starving cub, but her life hangs in the balance and Gordon steps in to try keep Hope alive. As he follows every twist and turn of the bears' lives, we witness a wild bear family from the inside, closer than we've ever seen before.

Autumn

Gordon returns in early autumn to discover that the life of abandoned bear cub Hope has taken an unexpected turn. The bear family are in danger as hunters move into the forest. Gordon's role changes from cameraman to bodyguard as he walks with the bears to try to keep them safe. Will Hope and her mother Lily survive hunting season to den safely for the winter?