David Attenborough

Sir David Attenborough chooses his favourite recordings from the natural world that have revolutionised our understanding of song. Each one - from the song of the largest lemur to the song of the humpback whale to the song of the lyrebird - was recorded in his lifetime.

David Attenborough brings to life, in unprecedented detail, the last days of the dinosaurs. Palaeontologist Robert DePalma has made an incredible discovery in a prehistoric graveyard: fossilised creatures, astonishingly well preserved, that could help change our understanding of the last days of the dinosaurs. Evidence from his site records the day when an asteroid bigger than Mount Everest devastated our planet and caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. Based on brand new evidence, witness the catastrophic events of that day play out minute by minute.

Sir David Attenborough joins an archaeological dig uncovering Britain's biggest mammoth discovery in almost 20 years. In 2017, in a gravel quarry near Swindon, two amateur fossil hunters found an extraordinary cache of Ice Age mammoth remains and a stone hand-axe made by a Neanderthal.

Never-before-seen footage shows how our living in lockdown opened the door for nature to bounce back and thrive. Across the seas, skies, and lands, Earth found its rhythm when we came to a stop.

David Attenborough and scientist Johan Rockström examine Earth's biodiversity collapse and how this crisis can still be averted.

Exploring the vital role colour plays in the daily lives of many species.

8.5/10

David Attenborough reveals spectacular scenes of courting and companionship.

Documentary using previously unseen footage of some of the greatest filming sequences of David Attenborough's career, from the Great Barrier Reef to Borneo.

Showcasing footage from around the world after an unprecedented year, “The Year Earth Changed” is a timely documentary special that takes a fresh new approach to the global lockdown and the uplifting stories that have come out of it. From hearing birdsong in deserted cities and seeing whales in Glacier Bay, to meeting capybara in suburbs across South America, people worldwide have had the chance to engage with nature like never before. In this documentary special, viewers will witness how the smallest changes in human behavior – reducing cruise ship traffic, closing beaches a few days a year, identifying more harmonious ways for humans and wildlife to coexist – can have a profound impact on nature. The documentary, narrated by David Attenborough, is a love letter to planet Earth, highlighting the ways nature’s resiliency and ability to bounce back can give us hope for the future.

Diving Deep: The Life and Times of Mike deGruy, tells the story of Mike deGruy, an irrepressibly curious and enthusiastic underwater filmmaker who died suddenly in 2012. DeGruy filmed the oceans for more than three decades becoming as famous for his on camera storytelling as for his glorious, intimate visions of the sea and the creatures who live in it. Inspired to share his legacy as a filmmaker and storyteller, and to spread his mission for protecting the ocean, his wife and filmmaking partner Mimi deGruy returned to the edit room to produce Diving Deep: The Life and Times of Mike deGruy.

7.1/10

With a million species at risk of extinction, Sir David Attenborough explores how this crisis of biodiversity has consequences for us all, threatening food and water security, undermining our ability to control our climate and even putting us at greater risk of pandemic diseases.

9/10

Sir David Attenborough and Sir Michael Palin reflect on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and what it has taught us about global co-operation in tackling some of the biggest challenges our planet is faced with.

He knows our natural world like no other, and there’s never been a more urgent time to hear his story and vision for our future.

8.9/10
10%

With a million species at risk of extinction, Sir David Attenborough explores how this crisis of biodiversity has consequences for us all, threatening food and water security, undermining our ability to control our climate and even putting us at greater risk of pandemic diseases.

David Attenborough, Hans Zimmer and Dave unite for a special Natural History event – Planet Earth: A Celebration. The special one-hour programme brings together eight of the most extraordinary sequences from Planet Earth II and Blue Planet II including racer snakes vs iguana, surfing bottlenose dolphins and rare footage of the Himalayan snow leopard. Featuring new narration from David Attenborough, new compositions and arrangements from Hans Zimmer, Jacob Shea and the team at Bleeding Fingers and performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra, accompanied by Brit and Mercury Award-winning UK rapper Dave. In these extraordinary times, there is one thing that can offer solace to everyone – the wonder of the natural world.

8.7/10

David Attenborough reveals that the animal inhabitants of this vast wilderness are every bit as extraordinary as they are bizarre. Unearthly calls of the notorious Tasmanian devil echo through the land, but following them over the course of a year reveals a surprisingly gentle side. In the dry east, rare white wallabies graze on the plains and jack jumper ants build huge nests – these venomous ants are amongst the most dangerous on earth. In the west, where it can rain nearly every day of the year, caves light up with the magical spectacle of thousands of glow-worms, and the trees are 100-metre towering monsters. Rivers are home to the peculiar platypus, and world’s largest freshwater invertebrate, the Tasmanian giant lobster. Miniature penguins come ashore to breed, and as winter approaches, the southern lights dance in the sky. Tasmania’s isolation and unique climate has created a world that is as weird as it is wonderful.

Seven Worlds, One Planet is a documentary series from the BBC Natural History Unit. The seven-part series, in which each episode focuses on one continent, debuted on 27 October 2019 and is narrated and presented by naturalist Sir David Attenborough. Over 1,500 people worked on the series, which was filmed over 1,794 days, with 92 shoots across 41 different countries

In times of rampant populism and increasing distrust of the elite, the filmmaker accompanies the 81-year-old founder of the controversial World Economic Forum over the period of one year in his efforts to implement his leitmotif: to improve the state of the world. Can the WEF contribute to solving global problems? Or is it rather an integral part of the problem?

7.2/10

More beautiful than butterflies, more spectacular fliers than hummingbirds, and with intriguing behavior as complex as mammals or birds. They’ve been flying around for hundreds of millions of years, crossing paths with dinosaurs before we mammals were even a twinkle in the eye of evolution.

Years spent recording footage of creatures from every corner of the globe is bound to produce a bit of drama. Here's a behind-the-scenes look.

8.3/10

Millions of years ago, incredible forces ripped apart the Earth’s crust creating seven extraordinary continents. This documentary series reveals how each distinct continent has shaped the unique animal life found there.

9.4/10
10%

An unprecedented UHD film on Karnataka's rich Biodiversity narrated by David Attenborough. Portraying the state with highest number of Tigers and Elephants using the latest technology - a masterpiece showcasing the state, its flora, fauna.

8.7/10

Experience our planet's natural beauty and examine how climate change impacts all living creatures in this ambitious documentary of spectacular scope.

9.3/10
9.3%

After one of the hottest years on record, Sir David Attenborough looks at the science of climate change and potential solutions to this global threat. Interviews with some of the world’s leading climate scientists explore recent extreme weather conditions such as unprecedented storms and catastrophic wildfires. They also reveal what dangerous levels of climate change could mean for both human populations and the natural world in the future.

7.6/10

David Attenborough has a passion for birds' eggs. These remarkable structures nurture new life, protecting it from the outside world at the same time as allowing it to breathe. They are strong enough to withstand the full weight of an incubating parent and weak enough to allow a chick to break free. But how is an egg made? Why are they the shape they are? And perhaps most importantly, why lay an egg at all? Piece by piece, from creation to hatching, David reveals the wonder behind these miracles of nature.

Featuring a unique conversation between The Queen and Sir David Attenborough as they walked in the garden at Buckingham Palace last summer, a landmark documentary will explore the ambition of a remarkable new initiative - a vast network of native forests across Britain and the Commonwealth, protected forever in The Queen's name.

7.5/10

Tasmania lies on the Australian continent, but is a world apart. It is home to an extraordinary cast of black devils and white wallabies. Trees here tower to one hundred metres and green lights dance in the southern sky. As the last landfall heading south before Antarctica, Tasmania's isolation, cooler climate and distinct seasons influence everything.

7.6/10

New stories from the greatest, yet least known parts of our planet – the oceans. The first two episodes from the BBC Series Blue Planet II, presented as a film by Sony BBC Earth.

Enter the microscopic world of ants guided by Sir David Attenborough, and expert filmmaker Martin Dohrn. Get an exclusive look at the one-of-a-kind camera, that has allowed us to view the world of the ant and follow the lives of the worlds hardest working insects.

Pangolins are often described as “the most endangered animal you’ve never heard of.” The world’s only scaly mammal, pangolins are now trafficked at a higher rate than rhinos, elephants and tigers combined, for medicinal use in China, Thailand and Vietnam. In Namibia, conservationist Maria Diekmann found herself on the frontline of the battle to save these wanted animals after unexpectedly becoming a surrogate mother to an orphaned baby pangolin named Honey Bun. On an emotional journey, Diekmann travels to Asia to better understand the global issues facing pangolins, before joining forces with a Chinese megastar to help build a campaign to bring awareness to the plight of these surprisingly charming creatures.

8.8/10

Conservationists Jim and Jean Thomas braved the steamy jungles of Papua New Guinea to save a tree kangaroo from extinction and ended up providing water and sanitation to ten thousand people in one of the most remote places on earth.

9.1/10

Sir David Attenborough investigates the discovery of a 200 million year old Ichthyosaur on the Jurassic Coast in southern England. Using state of the art technology and CGI David brings the story of the fossilised ichthyosaur out of the rock and shows us what this creature was really like as it lived during the Jurassic time period.

7.3/10

Exploring an unknown world 10,000 m beneath the waves. After capturing a giant squid on film, NHK's deep-sea film crew explores our planet's deepest point The Mariana Trench is nearly 7 miles deep. The water pressure is immense, and it's a world that's long been out of our reach. What creatures could survive such hostile conditions? This is an expedition to explore the earth's deepest frontier. Narrated By David Attenborough.

Whales have long been a profound mystery to us. They live in a world so removed from our own that we can barely imagine their lives. Their environment is different, their senses are different, their relationships are different. How might such almost alien creatures see the world?

Richmond Park – National Nature Reserve, presented by Sir David Attenborough, is an award-winning film by conservation charity the Friends of Richmond Park. Filmed by experienced wildlife film makers (including a leading cameraman from Blue Planet II). The film won first prize in the 2018 Charity Film Awards in the 'Documentary/Long Form' category. Sir David explains in the film: “Richmond Park is not just a local park it's London's own National Nature Reserve with thousands of species of flora and fauna; but with 5.5 million visitors each year, the Park is under immense pressure. However, as visitors we can all help to protect it through simple actions so that it will remain a wonderful place for the enjoyment of future generations”.

Super powers exist. Right here on Earth. And they are beneath our feet. They include beetles that shoot chemical fire and lift enormous weights; scorpions that glow in the dark with astonishing crushing powers; spiders that can make themselves virtually invisible and hypnotise their prey; even a bug that can transform itself into another creature entirely. Prepare to be amazed in this 3D giant screen adventure, with narration from the likes of world renowned naturalist David Attenborough, which explores the hidden world of the super-powered bugs.

David Attenborough investigates the remarkable life and death of Jumbo the elephant - a celebrity animal superstar whose story is said to have inspired the movie Dumbo. Attenborough joins a team of scientists and conservationists to unravel the complex and mysterious story of this large African elephant - an elephant many believed to be the biggest in the world. With unique access to Jumbo's skeleton at the American Museum of Natural History, the team work together to separate myth from reality. How big was Jumbo really? How was he treated in captivity? And how did he die? Jumbo's bones may offer vital clues.

7.5/10

A satirical documentary charting Geoffrey Moore and his daughter Ambra’s journey through Hollywood, as the pair track down celebrities and industry insiders in their bid to find out what it takes to become an Academy Award winner.

6.6/10

The team behind the world's first footage of a live giant squid in its natural habitat follows three marine biologists as they venture into the deep sea of the Antarctic. Equipped with custom cameras, the team embarks on the world’s first scientific research by a submersible in the Antarctic. The dive in the Southern Ocean reveals a surprising world of bountiful marine life, where many creatures are gigantic forms of their shallow-water-dwelling relatives. A hostile and previously inaccessible, world, locked away under ice and snow, finally permits us the first vivid glimpse of its long-concealed secrets.

A compilation episode of the wildlife documentary series presented by David Attenborough, uncovering the secrets of animals across the globe.

8.3/10

A film about Richard Batterham – the last of Bernard Leach’s practicing apprentices.

There is nowhere more powerful and unforgiving yet more beautiful and compelling than the ocean. Join us and explore the greatest yet least known parts of our planet.

9.3/10

Once you pass 1,000 meters, the water is completely devoid of light, and you have reached the deep ocean. Down here, temperatures plummet to 39 degrees Fahrenheit, and constantly stay near freezing. The pressures at these depths range from about 40 to over 110 times the pressure of Earth's atmosphere. We know more about outer space than the ocean floor. Want to learn more about the ocean? Start with this mind-blowing series! , narrated by ... David Attenborough

6.9/10

As Sir David Attenborough turns 90, this intimate film presents new interviews, eye-opening behind-the-scenes footage and extraordinary clips from some of his most recent films. The doc, which was made for the occasion of Attenborough’s 90th birthday, was shot over seven years and follows him as he travels to Borneo, Morocco and the Galapagos to shoot wildlife specials. Anthony Geffen, the CEO of Atlantic Productions, commented, “This is such a special Attenborough film because unusually he is the subject. As I look back over the last seven years, I never fail to be amazed by his extraordinary ambition and drive to use the very latest technology to communicate the natural world to audiences around the globe. This film gives audiences the chance to see what it’s like to be on the road with David.”

7.8/10

As part of a season of programming marking Sir David Attenborough's 90th birthday, four of his favourite films are brought together as the renowned naturalist looks back on his personal highlights.

8.2/10

David Attenborough presents a documentary series exploring how animals meet the challenges of surviving in the most iconic habitats on earth.

Thanks to a recent remarkable discovery in the BBC's Film Vaults, the best of David Attenborough's early Zoo Quest adventures can now be seen as never before - in colour - and with it the remarkable story of how this pioneering television series was made. First broadcast in December 1954, Zoo Quest was one of the most popular television series of its time and launched the career of the young David Attenborough as a wildlife presenter. Zoo Quest completely changed how viewers saw the world - revealing wildlife and tribal communities that had never been filmed or even seen before.

8/10

David Attenborough tells the story of the discovery and reconstruction in Argentina of the world's largest-known dinosaur, a brand new species of titanosaur.

7.8/10

Luminous beings, creatures with their own internal light, enchant and astonish us. Anyone who has seen a firefly or a glow-worm cannot help but fall under their spell. The sea at night sparkles as millions of luminous plankton reveal the shapes of dolphins in a truly magical light show. Join Sir David Attenborough and a team of the world's leading scientists and deep sea explorers on a quest to reveal the secrets of living lights.

8.3/10

The same submarine which successfully captured the world's first moving images of a giant squid in its natural habitat is used for exploring the deep sea cliffs off the coast of New Guinea. The team encounters true living fossil species one after another. Join this exciting deep sea adventure!

7.3/10

David Attenborough presents a documentary series exploring how animals meet the challenges of surviving in the most iconic habitats on earth.

9.5/10

In celebration of his ninetieth birthday, Sir David Attenborough shares extraordinary highlights of his life and career with broadcaster Kirsty Young, including the inspiring people he has met, the extraordinary journeys he has made and the remarkable animal encounters he has had across the globe. Joined by colleagues and friends, including Michael Palin and Chris Packham, Sir David shares some of the unforgettable moments from his unparalleled career, from capturing unique animal behaviour for the first time to the fast-paced advances in wildlife filming technology, as well as stories of the wonder and fragility of the natural world - stories that Sir David has spent his life exploring and championing.

The same submarine which successfully captured the world's first moving images of a giant squid in its natural habitat is used for exploring the deep sea cliffs off the coast of New Guinea. The team encounters true living fossil species one after another. Join this exciting deep sea adventure!

7.2/10

David Attenborough tells the remarkable story of how these " birds of paradise " have captivated explorers , naturalists, artists, filmmakers and even royalty.

8.5/10

This documentary follows the lives and hardships of several cougars (mountain lions) which have been under study by the Teton Cougar Project since 2000.

Singapore: One of the fastest growing cities in the world. Once a tropical jungle, it is now 665 square kilometres of hustle, bustle, concrete and air-con. But nestled among the urban sprawl there is a wild side; - places where pangolins, crocodiles, monkeys, otters, snakes and hornbills sit right among the skyscrapers and boardwalks. This series, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, discovers how nature has evolved within this teeming city. Wild City showcases the range of different habitats found in and around the built-up urban sprawl, then journeys around the island’s hidden wildlife hotspots – from the overlooked interior to the inaccessible coastline and islands that have become unplanned sanctuaries for Singapore’s natural heritage.

On his 89th birthday, renowned English broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough pays his first ever visit to the White House to be interviewed by one of his biggest fans, United States President Barack Obama.

7.8/10

Following his visit to the Great Barrier Reef in 1957, naturalist and broadcaster David Attenborough returns and uses the latest filming techniques to unlock the secrets of the natural wonder.

8.6/10

Groundbreaking documentary which follows a Japanese-led team of scientists as they attempt to shed light on the mysterious world of deep sea sharks. Only 50 specimens of the newly discovered 'megamouth' have ever been sighted. Over four years, scientists and film crews voyaged in midget submarines into the depths of Suruga Bay and Sagami Bay to film them. Prehistoric 'living fossil' sharks such as bluntnose sixgill sharks, goblin sharks and frilled sharks also lurk in the depths. As part of the investigation, a sperm whale carcass was placed at the bottom of the sea to attract these sharks, which were then studied and observed from the submersible vessels. Revealing in detail the previously unknown behaviour of deep sea sharks, the film unravels another of the intriguing mysteries of our planet's biodiversity.

This major landmark series looks in detail at the fascinating relationship between predators and their prey. Rather than concentrating on ‘the blood and guts’ of predation, the series looks in unprecedented detail at the strategies predators use to catch their food and prey use to escape death. Sir David Attenborough narrates.

9.3/10

Regular opening times do not apply as we accompany Sir David Attenborough on an after-hours journey around London’s Natural History Museum, one of his favourite haunts. The museum's various exhibits coming to life, including dinosaurs, reptiles and creatures from the ice age. Shot by the same 3D team that worked on Gravity, examines how the animals and creatures at the London museum once roamed the earth.

8.2/10

Sir David Attenborough takes us on a journey through the weird and wonderful world of frogs, shedding new light on these charismatic, colorful and frequently bizarre little animals through first-hand stories, the latest science, and cutting-edge technology. Frogs from around the world are used to demonstrate the wide variety of frog anatomy, appearance and behavior. Their amazing adaptations and survival techniques have made them the most successful of all amphibians.

8.6/10

Presented by David Attenborough, Life Story tells the remarkable and often perilous story of the journey through life. It is a story that unites each of us with every animal on the planet, because we all set out on this journey from the moment we are born. For animals there is just one goal in life – to continue their bloodline in the form of offspring. This series follows that journey through its six crucial stages: first steps, growing up, finding a home, gaining power, winning a mate and succeeding as a parent.

9.1/10

For the first time, and through the eyes of two special mountain lion families, the true nature of North America's big cat can finally be revealed. Set in Wyoming's spectacular Rocky Mountains, the dramatic story of two mothers struggling to raise their kittens is helping scientists rewrite our understanding of these elusive predators. This is mountain lions up-close, in-depth and more intimate than ever before.

From a mind unlike any other, Biophilia Live chronicles the multidimensional concert centered on the eighth studio album of avant-garde Icelandic artist Björk. Nick Fenton and Peter Strickland, unique voices in their own right, film Björk live in performance and punctuate her music with evocative animation and science and nature footage. The infinitely creative journey presents a culmination of work that represents one of the most original musical endeavors of a generation.

8/10
7.6%

David Attenborough narrates the charming and fascinating story of some real-life animal romantics. There are show-offs and singers, dancers and fighters, stories of undercover affairs and heartwarming devotion. These include a male polar bear that plays hard to get, a lemur whose odour bags him a mate and a lizard who is tender and faithful to the very end. It reveals that animals can be loving, complex, funny and inventive - it is all part of the mating game.

Award-winning musician Björk and legendary broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough have admired each other's work for years but this is the first time they have discussed their mutual love of music and the natural world on screen. In this remarkable documentary, Björk explores our unique relationship with music and discovers how technology might transform the way we engage with it in the future.

7.6/10

In 1908, amateur naturalist and pioneering filmmaker Percy Smith stunned early cinema goers with his footage of the juggling fly. Hailed as the father of Natural History film, Smith was a hugely influential visual pioneer, inventing many techniques that are still used today. Being both a genius and an eccentric, we follow his life from his earliest films, to the collapse of his house from his mould experiment to his ultimate suicide. We also meet Natural History icon Sir David Attenborough, who was so amazed by Smith’s films in the 1930s that they inspired him to get into natural history.

8/10

Sir David Attenborough recalls moments from his early television career and discusses the stories behind them. Among the highlights are Sir David's first encounter with Born Free's Elsa the lioness, and being the first to film Indri lemurs using recordings of their calls to entice them out of hiding. Having recently completed the landmark natural history series Africa (2012), Sir David also talks about his very first trip to the continent in 1955 when filming 'Zoo Quest to West Africa'.

7.6/10

Sir David shines the spotlight on some of nature’s evolutionary anomalies and reveals how these curious animals continue to baffle and fascinate.

8.5/10

In 1968, John Weiley shot 'Autopsy on a Dream' - a film about the Sydney Opera House detailing its construction process and the politics of Jorn Utzon's dismissal. Weiley's film was controversial; it was screened once and then he was told it had been destroyed. Forty five years later a copy was discovered in the BBC vaults by an ABC producer looking for archive footage of the Opera House. Weiley was contacted and told about a film that had no sound track. Weiley was overjoyed; for years he had kept the original sound. So began the painstaking process of restoring this record of a unique moment in Australian culture to its former glory, complete with updated voice-over from the original narrator, Bob Ellis. It is set in context by a 30 minute prologue entitled 'The Dream of Perfection'. Made by the same filmmaker, John Weiley, forty-five years on, 'Dream of Perfection' tells the story of the 1968 film - from commission to destruction, to surprise resurrection.

8/10

David Attenborough embarks on a remarkable 500 million-year journey revealing the extraordinary group of animals that dominate our world, and how their evolution defines our human bodies.

8.6/10

It s a small world after all. In this revolutionary new series, David Attenborough reveals the marvellous adaptability of the most successful group of animals on the planet. Using pioneering macroscopic filmmaking techniques, he explores in unparalleled detail the intricate, sophisticated behaviours of these fascinating creatures and the complexity of the environments they build and inhabit, in a world normally hidden from the human eye. From armies of killer ants to spiders weaving silken trap doors, ferocious scorpions with paralysing stings, beetles shooting boiling chemicals at their enemies, bees communicating with a waggle dance and assassin bugs that clothe themselves in their victims corpses; David Attenborough will as never before take viewers deep into the macroscopic world of bugs.

8.4/10

David Attenborough uses pioneering 3D-techniques and technology to explore the unique environments and species of the Galapagos.

8.6/10

Africa, the world's wildest continent. David Attenborough takes us on an awe-inspiring journey through one of the most diverse places in the world. We visit deserts, savannas, and jungles and meet up with some of Africa's amazing wildlife.

9/10

David Attenborough narrates this close up look at these tiny pollinators captured in flight as never before. Acrobats of the air - flying jewels - iridescent partners of countless plants: hummingbirds are amongst the most remarkable creatures on our planet.

8.4/10

Various actors, presenters, directors and other staff who have worked at the iconic BBC Television Centre at Shepherd's Bush in London reminisce about their time there.

8.4/10

Sir David discovers a microscopic world that’s invisible to the naked eye, where insects feed and breed, where flowers fluoresce and where plants communicate with each other and with animals using scent and sound.

8.5/10

Rick Rosenthal goes on a quest that plumbs the secrets of the legendary bluefin tuna. This fish can weigh up to 1,500 pounds and can move up to 50 miles per hour. Here he catches a bluefin tuna on camera.

8.6/10

South Georgia - alone in a vast ocean. 900 miles from Antarctica, and a mere 100 miles long. A wild rugged landscape with mountain ranges, vast glaciers, windblown plains half buried beneath snow and ice. Three years ago, the Penguin King left home. Now he is returning to the place where he was born and raised: Penguin City. One of the most densely-packed, sought-after pieces of real estate in the entire southern hemisphere and somehow he must establish his own place in it. He must find a mate.

5.4/10
5.4%

Sir David Attenborough looks back at the unparalleled changes in natural history that he has witnessed during his 60-year career.

8.4/10

The underwater cinematographer, Rick Rosenthal follows the threatened Bluefin Tuna in their search for a safe refuge along the Atlantic.

7.5/10

Aided by some of the world's leading scientific figures, this new five-part series examines how 21st century scientists are battling the world's big killer diseases, breaking down the barriers between man and machine and expanding our understanding of the universe.

8.3/10

Animals across the globe reveal themselves to be natural architects and engineers in this special highlights their unique construction skills.

7.7/10

A cinematic experience bringing you the most amazing human stories in the world. Humans and wildlife surviving in the most extreme environments on Earth.

9/10

Over 80 per cent of Madagascar's animals and plants are found nowhere else on Earth. Discover what made Madagascar so different from the rest of the world, and how evolution ran wild here.

8.5/10

Living in the depths of the New Guinean Rainforest are birds of unimaginable color and beauty. When Europeans first saw the plumes of these fabulous creatures in the sixteenth century they believed they must be from heaven and called them Birds of Paradise. The people of New Guinea make even greater claims. They say the birds possess supernatural powers and magic. But to find these birds in New Guinea is one of the toughest assignments and to witness their extraordinary mating displays is even tougher. David Attenborough introduces a young team of New Guinean scientists on a grueling expedition to find and film these Birds of Paradise; the holy grail of wildlife filmmakers.

7.5/10

Sir David Attenborough unveils the two stunning underwater realms of Saudi Arabia - the flamboyant Red Sea and the contrasting hot muddy Gulf, capturing for the first time the rare event of Palolo worms spawning at night.

7.8/10

David Attenborough travels to the end of the earth, taking viewers on an extraordinary journey across the polar regions of our planet.

9/10

David Attenborough returns to the island of Madagascar on a very personal quest. In 1960 he visited the island to film one of his first ever wildlife series, Zoo Quest. Whilst he was there, he acquired a giant egg. It was the egg of an extinct bird known as the 'elephant bird' - the largest bird that ever lived. It has been one of his most treasured possessions ever since. Fifty years older, he now returns to the island to find out more about this amazing creature and to see how the island has changed. Could the elephant bird's fate provide lessons that may help protect Madagascar's remaining wildlife? Using Zoo Quest archive and specially shot location footage, this film follows David as he revisits scenes from his youth and meets people at the front line of wildlife protection. On his return, scientists at Oxford University are able to reveal for the first time how old David's egg actually is - and what that might tell us about the legendary elephant bird.

220 million years ago dinosaurs were beginning their domination of Earth. But another group of reptiles was about to make an extraordinary leap: pterosaurs were taking control of the skies. The story of how and why these mysterious creatures took to the air is more fantastical than any fiction. In Flying Monsters 3D, Sir David Attenborough the world’s leading naturalist, sets out to uncover the truth about the enigmatic pterosaurs, whose wingspans of up to 40 feet were equal to that of a modern day jet plane.

7.5/10
10%

Documentary which takes a fantastic voyage through the rich heritage of science TV in the UK, from the real science of The Sky at Night to the science fiction of Doctor Who.

7.3/10

Following David Attenborough as he travels the globe to film his series, David Attenborough's First Life, in which he explores the very origins of life on Earth. David journeys to the parts of the world which have had special meaning to him during his 50 years of broadcasting. Beginning near his boyhood Leicestershire home, where he first collected fossils, he then travels to Morocco's arid deserts, the glaciers of Canada and crystal clear waters of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. As a prelude to the First Life series, Attenborough's Journey provides a unique insight into the mind and character of one of the world's most iconic broadcasters as he shares his passions for the natural world. Combining his global journey for First Life and archive material looking back at his illustrious career both as a programme maker and a controller of the BBC, the film reveals what makes him tick.

7.7/10

Documentary telling the little-known story of how Darwin came to write his great masterpiece, On the Origin of Species, a book which explains the wonderful variety of the natural world as emerging out of death and the struggle of life. In the twenty years he took to develop a brilliant idea into a revolutionary book, Darwin went through a personal struggle every bit as turbulent as that of the natural world he observed. Fortunately, he left us an extraordinary record of his brilliant insights, observations of nature, and touching expressions of love and affection for those around him. He also wrote frank accounts of family tragedies, physical illnesses and moments of self-doubt, as he laboured towards publication of the book that would change the way we see the world. The story is told with the benefit of Darwin's secret notes and correspondence, enhanced by natural history filming, powerful imagery from the time and contributions from leading contemporary biographers and scientists.

7/10

Explores the story behind the discovery of an early primate fossil, Darwinius masillae, nicknamed Ida, in a shale quarry in Germany. The fossil is believed to be around 47 million years old, and is extraordinarily well-preserved. Originally unearthed in 1983, Ida lay in the hands of a private collector for 20 years before it was shown to a Norwegian paleontologist, Dr Jørn Hurum. Realising that Ida could turn out to be a significant missing link between modern primates, lemurs and lower mammals, he persuaded the Natural History Museum in Oslo to purchase the fossil and assembled an international team of experts to study it. Their findings were announced in a press conference and the online publication of a scientific paper on 19 May 2009.

7.9/10

Documentary series looking at the most dramatic wildlife spectacles on our planet, showing how life responds to natural events which can dramatically transform entire landscapes.

9/10

David Attenborough looks at the extraordinary ends to which animals and plants go in order to survive. Featuring epic spectacles, amazing TV firsts and examples of new wildlife behaviour.

9.1/10

Darwin's great insight – that life has evolved over millions of years by natural selection – has been the cornerstone of all David Attenborough’s natural history series. In this documentary, he takes us on a deeply personal journey which reflects his own life and the way he came to understand Darwin’s theory.

8.5/10

Superfish 50 min The billfish are the biggest, fastest, and most dangerous gamefish in the sea. All have captured man's imagination like few other creatures, whether it's the graceful sailfish, the menacing swordfish or queen of them all, the marlin, immortalized by Hemingway in 'The Old Man and the Sea'. Marine biologist and film-maker Rick Rosenthal has travelled three oceans in his attempt to capture them all on film, and in doing so has become a passionate champion for these endangered yet little-known ocean giants.

David Attenborough narrates the lives of four growing tiger cubs using footage collected by hidden-camera-carrying elephants. Over two years, the elephants help capture the most intimate portrayal of tigers ever filmed.

8.3/10

BBC The Natural World. In 2004, a team from the Planet Earth series captured the first ever film of a wild snow leopard in the mountains of Pakistan. For Nisar Malik, who led the expedition, these images sparked a passion that compelled him to return. With cameraman Mark Smith, he spent two years documenting the snow leopard's daily life, finally lifting the veil on the most elusive of all cats.

8.3/10

David Attenborough reveals the surprising truth about the cold-blooded lives of reptiles and amphibians. These animals are as dramatic, as colourful and as tender as any other animals.

9/10

Sir David Attenborough takes a look at the potentially devastating impact of climate change.

David Attenborough recounts his very personal experiences with the mountain gorillas of Rwanda. Ever since they were discovered over a century ago, these remarkable creatures have been threatened by loss of habitat, poaching, disease and political instability. But despite all odds their numbers have increased. David tells the extraordinary tale of how conservationists like Dian Fossey have battled to save the mountain gorilla from the brink of extinction.

Each year over 1.2 million wildebeest travel across the vast Serengeti plains and Kenya's Masai Mara on a 1,800 kilometer circular journey, relentlessly followed by every big African predator. Revolutionary spy cams - airborne, swimming or disguised as rocks, skulls or dung - reveal the Great Wildebeest Migration from entirely new perspectives. This 2-part series focuses on the growing-up of a calf as he takes his first steps, faces his first deadly perils and tries to cross crocodile-infested rivers. It combines natural humor with exciting drama and gripping music.

7.9/10

David Attenborough celebrates the amazing variety of the natural world in this epic documentary series, filmed over four years across 64 different countries.

9.4/10
9.5%

When Charles Darwin published his theory of evolution nearly 150 years ago, he shattered the dominant belief of his day – that humans were the product of divine creation. Through his observations of nature, Darwin proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection. This caused uproar. After all, if the story of creation could be doubted, so too could the existence of the creator. Ever since its proposal, this cornerstone of biology has sustained wave after wave of attack. Now some scientists fear it is facing the most formidable challenge yet: a controversial new theory called intelligent design.

8/10

In the second of a two-part documentary, David Attenborough explores just how much climate change is altering our planet. He looks ahead to find out what needs to be done to save Planet Earth from the worst impact of global warming and discovers what could happen to the planet once a 'tipping point' of carbon emissions is reached. He also discusses the solutions we can all adopt to prevent catastrophic change.

8.2/10

David Attenborough reveals the amazing stories behind the tiny lives of invertebrates, exploring their incredible miniature world with ground-breaking camerawork and technology.

9/10

Each home has a built in pool or water tank that lies partly inside, partly outside its’ walls… A continuous stream of spring water is piped right into a basin, so freshwater is always available. People rinse out pots in the tank and clean their freshly picked vegetables. If they simply pour the food scraps back in the water, they risk polluting the whole village supply. However, carp can scour out even the greasy or burnt pans. They do the washing up in Satoyama villages. This traditional arrangement is called the riverside method. It’s used all over Japan. Cleaned up by the carp, the tank water eventually rejoins the channel.

8.1/10

Attenborough's team travels the globe for up-close looks at polar bears, grizzlies, pandas and other fascinating bear species.

8.1/10

Deep Blue is a major documentary feature film shot by the BBC Natural History Unit. An epic cinematic rollercoaster ride for all ages, Deep Blue uses amazing footage to tell us the story of our oceans and the life they support.

7.4/10
6.7%

David Attenborough narrates this BBC Wildlife Special smart sharks swimming with roboshark.A 6-foot-long animatronic shark featuring on-board cameras, Robo Shark is designed to blend in with real sharks and capture never-before-seen wild shark behavior. Footage shown in this television special includes the deep-sea thresher shark in the Philippines; giant whale sharks feeding off the coast of Belize; and deadly hammerheads, great whites and bronze whaler sharks in South Africa.

A completely fantastic programme, charting the time of our favorite presenter at the head of the then struggling and controversial BBC2. Packed chock full of interviews, clips and reminiscences both old and new, including the very tasty Joan Bakewell of the 60s. Sir David Attenborough's reign as controller of BBC TWO, from 1965 to 1973, is still thought of as the golden age of television. He was responsible for a number of programme strands that were, and many argue still remain, the high point of public service broadcasting. Match of the Day and Pot Black sat alongside comedy such as The Likely Lads and Not Only But Also. Horizon, Man Alive, One Pair of Eyes, Masterclass, The Forsyte Saga and The Money Programme set the standard for years to come. Sir Attenborough also commissioned series on a grand scale: Kenneth Clark's Civilisation and Jacob Bronowski's Ascent of Man remain two of the great creations of television.

Life on Air: David Attenborough's 50 Years in Television is a BBC documentary film that recounts David Attenborough's television career. It is presented by Michael Palin and produced by Brian Leith. The BBC first transmitted the documentary in 2002 and is part of the Attenborough in Paradise and Other Personal Voyages collection of 7 documentaries. It includes interviews with Attenborough and several of his former colleagues, along with archival footage.

8.5/10

David Attenborough sets out on a journey across the seven continents in search of the most impressive and inspiring natural wonders of our planet.

7.6/10

David Attenborough presents a nature documentary series looking at why mammals are the most successful creatures on the planet.

9.1/10

David Attenborough narrates a natural history of the oceans.

9/10

A nature documentary narrated by David Attenborough and published by BBC broadcasted as part of BBC Wildlife Specials in 2000. A motorised camera with state-of-the-art microphones disguised as a rock covered in leaves. It was invented specifically for this project of infiltrating a pride of lions to record their lives over a period of a couple of years.

7.9/10

The male bowerbirds of Australia and New Guinea display an incredible artistic talent -- and all in the name of love! Collecting 'jewels' they set them in specially-built showcases and some even paint the walls with mashed berries. If all this isn't enough to woo potential mates, they also perform a most bizarre stiff-winged dance. But displaying darker emotions associated with sex, such as envy and jealousy, males will sometimes destroy a rival's construction and steal his jewels.

Is there a connection between animal sounds and the music that humans create? Using a surprising and wide variety of evidence from the animal kingdom -- including the humpback whale, the lyre bird, the siamang gibbon and the great reed warbler -- Sir David Attenborough seeks to prove that the origions of music lie in territory, emotion and sex.

A simple, carved figure bought at an auction in New York leads David Attenborough on a global journey from Russia to Australia, from England back to the Pacific. On the way he delves into a history of the stunning stones on Easter Island.

8.2/10

David Attenborough examines the ecological and conservation crises that threaten the world

8.4/10

A natural history of bird life narrated by David Attenborough.

8.9/10

This is the story of the incredible struggle for survival of the dragons of the Galapagos. On the island of Fernandina, each year Land Iguanas migrate up the steep slopes of the 5000ft active volcano to lay their eggs in the warm soil. If the rim of the crater is fully occupied they have to climb 1 km down the steep crater walls to the floor below. Many are killed finding a path down as the walls are steep & dangerously unstable causing many landslides.

8.6/10

Latest research shows the humpback whales’ song to be a weapon used in verbal exchanges between bulls fighting over females. These battles can sometimes turn physical, sometimes endangering mothers with vulnerable calves.

In this documentary produced by the BBC, Sir David Attenborough leads us through an examination of the lives of two leopards living in Zambia’s Luangwa Valley.

Wildlife film about sperm whales, revealing the secret lives led by these often misunderstood ocean giants. Scientists all over the world are now learning about the secret lives of sperm whales, the world's largest hunters that spawned the legendy of Moby Dick. Although Mellville painted them as fearsome beasts of the sea, they are actually shy creatures, and cameraman Rick Rosenthal needed patience and persistence to film them at close quarters. They turn out to be efficient hunters with a close family network involving sophisticated and vocal social lives.

Standing almost alone in the great Southern Ocean, South Georgia island plays host to some of the largest concentrations of animals anywhere on Earth during the spring and summer months. This is the story of these vast animal cities, and of the order that lies beneath their seeming chaos.

8.3/10

David Attenborough travels to the forests of Papua New Guinea, where 38 of the 42 kinds of bird of paradise are found.

8.5/10

Sir David Attenborough presents and narrates this wildlife series, a visual encyclopedia of the natural world. This episode looks at the fast, sleek and elegant cheetahs - supreme athletes and hunters of the animal world. Also the leopard, another deadly hunter, is observed in its natural habitat.

David Attenborough documentary series exploring the life cycle of plants.

9/10

The BBC Wildlife Specials are a series of nature documentary programmes commissioned by BBC Television. The Wildlife Specials began with a pilot episode in 1995. 20 programmes have been made to date, with three of the recent ones being in multi parts. The earlier programmes were produced in-house by the BBC's specialist Natural History Unit, but the more recent Spy in the... titles were made by the independent John Downer Productions. The first 18 programmes, up to 2008, were narrated by David Attenborough. The most recent two were narrated by David Tennant. "The world's leading natural history filmmakers meet the world's most charismatic animals" — BBC tagline

8.4/10

Sir David Attenborough looks at the natural history of the Antarctic continent

8.6/10

A study in animal behaviour, it was the third in a trilogy of major series (beginning with Life on Earth) that took a broad overview of nature, rather than the more specialised surveys of Attenborough's later productions. Each of the twelve 50-minute episodes features a different aspect of the journey through life, from birth to adulthood and continuation of the species through reproduction. The series was produced in conjunction with the Australian Broadcasting Service and Turner Broadcasting System Inc. The executive producer was Peter Jones and the music was composed by George Fenton. Part of David Attenborough's 'Life' series, it was preceded by The Living Planet (1984) and followed by Life in the Freezer (1993).

8.9/10

David Attenborough presents a series on fossils and palaeontology.

8.4/10

David Attenborough presents the history and natural history of the Mediterranean lands.

7.8/10

Twin zoologists lose their wives in a car accident and become obsessed with decomposing animals.

7.4/10

David Attenborough examines the ways in which animals and plants adapt to their surroundings.

9/10

Natural World is a nature documentary television series broadcast annually on BBC Two and regarded by the BBC as its flagship natural history brand. It is currently the longest-running series in its genre on British television, with more than 400 episodes broadcast since its inception in 1983. Natural World is produced by the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol, but individual programmes can be in-house productions, collaborative productions with other broadcasters or films made and distributed by independent production companies and purchased by the BBC. Natural World programmes are often broadcast as PBS Nature episodes in the USA. Since 2008, most Natural World programmes have been shot and broadcast in high definition.

8.6/10

The story of life, from the first primitive cells to the plants and animals that now live around us.

9.1/10

David Attenborough explains the enormous growth of interest in tribal art, and explores the emotions which lie behind the masks and decorations of primitive people.

7.9/10

A collection of seven David Attenborough specials, Attenborough in Paradise represents some of the famed naturalist's most personal quests and passionate enthusiasms. Programming includes Attenborough tracing a piece of amber in The Amber Time Machine, discovering the history behind a strange figurine in The Lost Gods of Easter Island, and realizing a childhood dream by visiting New Guinea to record the spectacular courtship displays of the birds of paradise. The set also includes Life on Air, a 2002 tribute to Attenborough, chronicling the world-renowned natural history expert's 50-year career at the BBC, presented by Michael Palin

In his now well-known role of narrator of wildlife expeditions, Attenborough accompanies a government-sponsored trek into the central New Guinea highlands to make contact with a group of natives never before seen by Europeans.

8.1/10

The Miracle of Bali is a BBC series of cultural documentaries narrated by David Attenborough and first shown in 1969. The series comprises three programs about the culture of Bali. The complete series is available as a special feature on the DVD release of David Attenborough's 1975 series The Tribal Eye.

6.8/10

Long-running travel programme

6.2/10

The People of Paradise is a six-part documentary film series produced and presented by David Attenborough. The series exhibits the people and geography of Oceania; particularly, of Fiji and Tonga. BBC Television Service transmitted The People of Paradise in 1960. The year the series aired, Harper & Brothers published a corresponding book, People of Paradise, in the United States. Its Library of Congress catalog card number is 61-10234.

8.7/10

Documentary series starring David Attenborough who follows zoo keepers on a quest to find different animals to be added to the zoo. David Attenborough and a team from London Zoo travel in search of exotic animals. Their aim is to capture them and bring them back to the UK for exhibit in the zoo.

7.4/10

Kirsty Young takes a unique look at the story of the Royal Christmas broadcast and how the tradition started by King George V in 1932 has found a place at the heart of Christmas Day.

Sir David Attenborough narrates an astonishing underwater look at the ocean giants thriving in the coldest place on Earth, Antarctica. Among them is a huge and legendary squid.

David Attenborough narrates the story of Rodrigo Medellin, Mexico's very own 'Bat Man', who has dedicated his life to saving bats. Now the legendary drink tequila is also at stake.

9/10

At any given moment on planet Earth, billions of animals are on the move. Captured with spectacular and innovative cinematography, this nature documentary series unravels the mysteries of how and why animals migrate to reveal some of the most dramatic and compelling stories in the natural world.

9.5/10
10%

With exclusive access across two years, this film is an intimate portrayal of Prince William, following him as we’ve never seen him before on a global mission to champion action for the natural world and celebrate the pioneering work of local heroes.

This documentary series about plants is the first immersive portrayal of an unseen, inter-connected world, full of remarkable new behaviour, emotional stories and surprising heroes in the plant world. Planet Earth from the perspective of plants.

Upcoming five-part series that will introduce viewers to fauna and flora across Britain and Ireland, focusing on four main areas: woodlands, grasslands, freshwater and marine.

The third series of this nature documentary uses the very latest in underwater filming techniques to reveal brand new and untold stories from magical underwater worlds focusing on five major underwater habitats: the tropical seas, temperate seas, polar seas, high seas and deep seas.

9.3/10