As Sir David Attenborough reaches his 100th birthday, his voice, storytelling, and groundbreaking documentaries remain woven into the fabric of British television. For more than seven decades, Sir Attenborough has brought audiences closer to the natural world than ever before, transforming wildlife filmmaking with unforgettable and captivating moments on screen.
From the pioneering days of Zoo Quest to the breathtaking spectacle of Wild Isles, we delve into the archives to revisit the landmark series that defined Attenborough’s unparalleled broadcasting career, which inspired generations to see the planet differently.
1. Zoo Quest (1954–1963)
David Attenborough was in his mid-20s when he first worked in TV production and became friends with Jack Lester, curator at London Zoo. The two collaborated to document an expedition to Sierra Leone where Lester hoped to capture a white-necked rockfowl. The plan had been for Lester to present the series, but ill health forced Attenborough to step in. The rest, as they say, is history.
2. Wildlife on One (1977–2005)
Attenborough became synonymous with wildlife TV through the 1960s and 70s, but in 1977 came the programme that regularly drew audiences of up to 10 million. Wildlife on One ran for 33 series, with Attenborough narrating all 253 episodes. The 1987 episode ‘Meerkats United’ was one of the most popular, but it was ‘Return of the Sea Eagle’ in 1981 that captured my own imagination.
3. Life on Earth (1979)
A million-pound budget and groundbreaking techniques took wildlife TV to new heights in 1979. Life on Earth saw Attenborough travel the globe and visit more than 100 locations to explore the evolution of species. The 13 episodes included a mesmerising gorilla encounter and slow-motion bat-flight, filmed inside a wind tunnel.
4. The Living Planet (1984)
A sequel to Life on Earth, these 12 episodes delved even deeper into nature. The Living Planet was another multi-location production involving some epic filmmaking and daring camera work. The crew waited two years for the opportunity to film an erupting volcano, while a team of geese were trained from chicks to be filmed in flight.
5. The Blue Planet (2001)
A new millennium brought a series centred upon the oceans. New technologies were harnessed across five years of production to reveal previously unknown behaviour, such as the migration routes of the blue whale. In the deep sea, species like the dumbo octopus were captured on film for the first time. The Blue Planet was hugely popular, with UK audiences exceeding 12 million.
6. David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet (2020)
In an 83-minute film Attenborough described as a “witness statement”, he explored the changes to the planet during his lifetime, and reflected upon a bleak future if patterns did not change. He also pondered the impact of a growing human population, and how a holistic approach to renewable energy may benefit us all. On Netflix.
7. Wild Isles (2023)
Attenborough kept his passport in the drawer this time, next presenting a celebration of wildlife across the British Isles. This five-episode series had a sixth episode, ‘Saving our Wild Isles’, that appeared online. The spectacular footage included orca hunting seals in the Northern Isles, white-tailed eagles in the Hebrides taking advantage of the winter influx of barnacle geese and the incredible relationship between large blue butterflies and red ants.
Head over to the iPlayer to watch many of these series, plus more on David Attenborough throughout May
Top image: Sir David Attenborough attends the "Our Planet" global premiere at the Natural History Museum on April 04, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Dave J Hogan/Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
