As Sir David Attenborough turns 99, he’s showing no signs of slowing down with his next ‘landmark’ show already on the horizon.
The beloved natural history TV presenter has already confirmed his return to the screen later this week with his new Disney+ feature documentary, Ocean with David Attenborough.
The movie will address his most urgent message about the health of the world’s oceans as he ‘nears the end of his life’, sharing a ‘story of optimism’ about recovering their former glory.
But his next project is already set to follow hot on its heels with a five-part documentary coming to the BBC this summer.
The new nature series, Parenthood, will trace the ‘extraordinary’ lengths different species will go to ensure the survival of their children in the high-stakes wildlife world, per the Mirror.
BBC specialist factual commissioning boss Jack Bootle told the publication: ‘This is a wonderful, warm, engaging and surprising series, made by some of the very best wildlife filmmakers in the world, and I’m thrilled Sir David is joining us again to narrate it.’
And comes from the creators of shows like Wild Isles, The Hunt and The Mating Game, Silverback Films, who have done a ‘deep dive’ over the course of two and a half years.
Series producer and director, Jeff Wilson, added that the show is ‘the ultimate celebration of the joys and challenges of raising offspring in the natural world.’
He also promised that the ‘landmark series has something for everyone’ including ‘moments of heart-warming tenderness, high stakes narrative , and a timely guide from a huge cast of unbelievably engaging cast of characters on how to navigate the complex world of Parenthood.’
The show does a sweep of the vast wildlife that inhabits our planet, from adopted lion cubs to hunting blue whales to hippos surviving a brutal night.
There are elephants, cardinalfish, orangutans and plenty more species for audiences to discover – need we go on?
Where to watch the best David Attenborough’s documentaries
Available on BBC iPlayer:
Planet Earth trilogy, Blue Planet I and II, Frozen Planet 1 and II, Africa, Asia, Life (of Birds, on Earth), Zoo Quest in Colour, Dynasties I and II.
The full collection can be found here.
Available on Netflix:
David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet; Secret Lives of Orangutans; Life in Colour; Our Planet I and II.
Available on Disney+:
Secrets of Wild India; Ocean with David Attenborough (from May 8)
Last week he shared a sneak peek at his upcoming Ocean documentary, the well-known conservationist said: ‘When I first saw the sea as a young boy, it was thought of as a vast wilderness to be tamed and mastered for the benefit of humanity.
‘Now, as I approach the end of my life, we know the opposite is true. After living for nearly a hundred years on this planet, I now understand that the most important place on Earth is not on land, but at sea.’
He has been a staple of the screen for seven decades, hosting his first ever show called Zoo Quest in the 1950s and going onto create iconic franchises like Blue Planet and LIfe on Earth.
Although the Planet Earth host no longer travels around the globe with his new documentaries, he is showing no signs of ending his stalwart narration.
In 2023, Planet Earth III producer Mike Gunton told The Independent: ‘Working with him in his nineties is not that hard, because he can do almost anything.’
In 2018, he even outlined why retirement isn’t on the cards for him if he can help it.
‘I do dread not working, although there are things I can do without running up steps six times – books to be written, things I never got round to,’ he said.
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And then added to Radio Times: ‘If I think I’m not producing commentary with any freshness, or which is apposite or to the point, I hope I would be able to recognise it before someone else told me.’
And has previously said he ‘sees no reason why I can’t live past 100’.
There are hopes he will narrate Blue Planet III, which is tipped to come out in 2026 after his centenary celebrations.
‘As long as David wishes to continue doing narrations, we are of course delighted to have his brilliant contributions,’ a source told i paper about his ongoing contributions.
Ocean with David Attenborough comes out on May 8. Parenthood will air this summer.
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