No other broadcaster has influenced generations of wildlife filmmakers and naturalists the way Sir David Attenborough has. On his birthday, we list our top ten Attenborough picks – books, documentary series, and even an ecological musical – from his gloriously illustrious career, spanning over half a century.
Zoo Quest to Guiana (1956)
Sir David Attenborough’s very first book, written early in his career as a BBC presenter, showcases his intuitive understanding of animals for the first time. He tells the story of the BBC-London Zoo expedition to British Guiana, with delightful anecdotes about animals, people and the world we all live in.
Life on Earth (1979)
A watershed series that was ahead of its time, and made Sir David Attenborough an iconic figure. We follow him traversing the world and exploring the story of evolution in this thirteen-episode series, which set the global benchmark for wildlife film-making.
The Living Planet (1984)
A sequel to Life on Earth, this is a BBC nature documentary series which looks at how every living thing interacts with its environment, in every part of the world - Sudan, the Himalayas, South America, Norway and even the inside of a NASA reduced-gravity aircraft.
Yanomamo (1988)
It’s hardly surprising that Sir David Attenborough was a part of the world’s first ecological musical. Yanomamo is centred on the destruction of the Amazon rainforest and its impact on the oldest tribe living there. What role did he play? That of narrator, of course.
The Private Life of Plants (1995)
Part of David Attenborough’s Life series, each episode uses time-lapse photography to show us how dynamic plant behaviour really is. The series makes almost no use of animation, and highlights how plants evolve to adapt with their environment, cooperate with other organisms and protect themselves from harm.
The Blue Planet (2001)
Considered the first ever in-depth series on the world’s oceans, The Blue Planet is an award-winning series that examines different aspects of marine life for the first time. Understandably, this took incredible innovation and patience - from diving into a 1.5-kilometre deep trench to waiting three years to spot blue whales.
Planet Earth (2006)
The biggest nature series made for television, the most expensive nature documentary ever and the first to be filmed in high definition - many firsts mark the significance of this game-changing series. Words can’t capture the experience of this visual treat - go watch it now if you haven’t already!
Amazing Rare Things: the Art of Natural History in the Age of Discovery (2007)
Along with Susan Owens, Sir David Attenborough explores the connections between art and nature in this book by looking at the work of four great artists - Leonardo da Vinci, Alexander Marshal, Maria Sibylla Merian and Mark Catesby.
Attenborough’s Journey (2010)
Watch this if you want to learn more about the man behind the voice that’s captured the imaginations of generations. Narrated by Sir Attenborough himself, this documentary takes us through his life as a presenter at the BBC and on the road filming First Life.
David Attenborough: The Early Years (2013)
Sir David Attenborough recalls his experiences from the early years of his career - being the first to capture an indri lemur on camera, meeting Elsa the lioness of Born Free fame, and going to Africa for the very first time.
