Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday: BBC marks the century that reshaped nature television
Sir David Attenborough has marked his upcoming 100th birthday milestone with a major announcement reflecting on his life and extraordinary career.
Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday will not simply mark the passing of time, but a century that transformed how television tells the story of the natural world.
The BBC has announced a week-long celebration of the broadcaster’s life and work, beginning on his birthday, May 8, to honour what is described as his “extraordinary milestone”. But the tribute is less about nostalgia than recognition of a career that fundamentally altered science and natural history broadcasting.
Few television careers have reshaped a genre.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.When Life on Earth first aired in 1979, it set a new benchmark for scale and ambition. Sir David travelled to 40 countries to film 600 species, turning what had once been niche programming into global appointment viewing.
Making Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure
A new documentary, Making Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure, will revisit the creation of that landmark series.
It will feature new interviews with Sir David and members of the original production team as they reflect on the making of Life on Earth and the extraordinary challenges encountered along the way — including a coup in the Comoros, being shot at, and Sir David’s now-iconic encounter with gorillas in Rwanda.
Secret Garden
Another new series, Secret Garden, will see Sir David explore the hidden worlds within Britain’s gardens.
Across five episodes filmed throughout the UK, the program will capture biodiversity thriving in back gardens while encouraging audiences to consider how they can help protect struggling species.
David Attenborough’s 100 Years on Planet Earth
The presenter will also appear in David Attenborough’s 100 Years on Planet Earth, a live event at London’s Royal Albert Hall featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra and special guests.
The tribute week will be rounded out with special episodes from Sir David’s most celebrated works, including Planet Earth II; Seven Worlds, One Planet, Blue Planet II, Planet Earth III, Frozen Planet II, and his recent film Wild London.
The BBC will also curate a collection of 40 of his most-loved programs on iPlayer.
Jack Bootle, head of commissioning for specialist factual at the BBC, said: “It’s impossible to overstate what Sir David Attenborough has given us.
“His programs have not only defined science and natural history broadcasting, but they have also changed how we see our planet and our place within it.
“This special week is a celebration of an extraordinary milestone and of a body of work that continues to inspire awe, curiosity and care for the natural world.
“It’s also a moment for all of us at the BBC to say thank you to David - for his generosity, for his brilliance and for a lifetime spent bringing the wonders of nature into our homes.”
At 100, Sir David remains not simply a presenter but the enduring voice of the planet but the man who helped turn wildlife filmmaking into both spectacle and conscience, and whose century has become inseparable from the story of modern nature television itself.
With AAP
