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Life On Air
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The Pattern of Animals was David Attenborough's first series featuring zoo animals - a rather stiff programme presented by Sir Julian Huxley sitting behind a desk and discussing animals in cages. Zoo Quest was more adventurous, combining footage of animals in the wild with live studio sequences. It was devised by David and London Zoo's Curator of Reptiles, Jack Lester. |
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At under 40 years of age, David Attenborough was brought in to salvage BBC2 and later became controller of programmes. During his eight years in management he was responsible for introducing colour television to the UK and producing bold and innovative programmes. However the pull of the wild was too much and he asked to return to programme making. |  |
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David Attenborough's involvement in programme making takes him to all corners of the world. From his first trips abroad he accumulated souvenirs and eventually became a serious collector of tribal art. Immediately after resigning from his job as Director of Programmes, he suggested that there was room on the television for totem poles and masks as well as old master paintings. Tribal Eye was
commissioned and David's resulting programme took viewers to exciting places
and showed them intriguing things. |
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This is considered to be the series that made David Attenborough a household name. In his own words: "Life on Earth was gratifyingly well received. Its ability to take the viewer in a fraction of a second from one continent to another, the systematic and serious way in which we had surveyed the natural world, not taking shortcuts and featuring groups of animals that had hitherto been largely neglected... made a great impression. The critics were unstinting in their praise, the audience huge." |
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From the perishing cold of the Arctic to the fiery heat of the world's most ferocious volcanoes, The Living Planet explored the habitats of the Earth. David had to learn some new and demanding skills, and putting the famous 'vomit comet' to use, he demonstrated the power of flight for the series. | |
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This was a controversial series as it tackled subjects that were considered unacceptable. Scenes such as the ones featured in this clip led to David being criticised. And yet he was showing the natural world for what it is in a raw but highly edited form. Viewers might have been horrified at the amount of footage that fell on the cutting room floor. |
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Devoting a series to plants had the Head of the BBC’s Natural History Unit worried. But David managed to take viewers into realms of the natural world few programme makers dared to go. Many doubted that a series dedicated to subjects that showed no behaviour or action could be so successful at seizing viewers' interest. Employing the innovative techniques and talented team of the Natural History Unit at Bristol, the series brought plants to life in a way few could have imagined.
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Behind the scenes, David has worried about the world and the damage we are doing to our environment. Through organisations world-wide he has tried to help, being against overtly campaigning programmes. But in this series he revealed his true feelings, giving his personal view of the world whilst continuing to stimulate our love of the natural world.
Go to the State of the Planet site
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Some memorable moments during filming, some of which did not appear in any programmes. |
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