David Attenborough's best episodes and moments
Sir David Attenborough has long been one of the most recognizable voices in the world with a personality and career that is beyond inspiring. The 96-year-old British naturalist and historian's tenure with the BBC began in the 1950s and the last seven decades of natural wonders and environmental advocacy have educated and entertained us. He has been the face (and voice) of wildlife documentaries and nature preservation for generations, gracing us with memorable stories and images of our world.
Recently, Attenborough was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award in Documentary Filmmaking as part of the 43rd Annual News & Documentary Emmy Award ceremony. EW celebrates this well-deserved distinction and Attenborough's illustrious career by looking back at some of his best moments, episodes, and documentaries that continue to enlighten and mesmerize.
<i>Planet Earth</i> (2006) - Polar bear vs walrus from the episode "Ice Worlds"
Planet Earth itself is filled with dazzling imagery and never-before-seen footage of our home that has charmed audiences for over a decade and a half.
In the episode, "Ice Worlds," a desperate polar bear searching for its "first meal in months" comes head to head with a herd of walruses. The ensuing battle is tense and features incredible narration from Sir David Attenborough. "There must be a chink in the armor somewhere," Attenborough narrates as the largest land carnivore looks for a weak spot in his prey.
Available on: HBO Max
<i>Frozen Planet</i> (2011) - Orcas and the episode "To the Ends of the Earth"
As fans are treated to a new installment of Frozen Planet airing on the BBC this fall, the fight between Orcas and a single Minke whale in the episode "To the Ends of the Earth" from the original series is told with dramatic flair and stupendous writing from Sir David Attenborough. The whole series is a wonderful look at the incredible poles of the Earth and the extraordinary life that survives and thrives there.
Available on: HBO Max
<i>Zoo Quest</i> (1954) - episode "Zoo Quest for a Dragon"
A young David Attenborough went to Indonesia to capture a Komodo dragon in one of his first series, Zoo Quest, a collaboration with Jack Lester and the London Zoo that features stunning early wildlife videography. The capture of a curious and rather cute Komodo unfolds with suspense and drama, an early foray into the engaging documentary career that has continued on for decades.
Available on: YouTube
<i>Blue Planet II</i> (2017) - Protecting leatherback turtles from the episode "Our Blue Planet"
While his voice may be the most recognizable, and important, element of his career, Sir David Attenborough makes an instantly iconic physical appearance in an episode of Blue Planet II, as he's sprawled out in the sand next to a leatherback turtle.
On a Trinidad beach, one man, Len, changed public opinion and educated people about the importance of saving the turtles in a feature that puts not only the incredible species in the forefront but the heroic people around the globe helping save endangered species. "Good luck little leatherback," Attenborough says as he places a baby turtle onto the sand to start its perilous journey into the ocean.
Available on: HBO Max
<i>Seven Worlds, One Planet</i> (2019) - episode "Antarctica"
From the first episode of the BBC's Seven Worlds, One Planet, Attenborough takes us into the unbelievable continent of Antarctica, "where life thrives against all odds." The whole series is a breathtaking look at each of the seven continents, but it's the in-depth scenes in the frozen world of Antarctica that stand out.
With close-up looks at Weddell seals giving birth, noisy colonies of penguins hunted by every large predator, and sea anemones rooted to the colorful ocean floor, Seven Worlds is an important series, one that focuses on the significance of diversity in our ecosystem by showing how the effects of climate change will impact us all beyond the borders of Antarctica.
Available on: HBO Max
<i>The Lost Gods of Easter Island</i> (2000)
Attenborough takes to Easter Island in this investigative documentary about the history of the remote island. After he purchased a wooden figurine in New York in the 1980s, he sets off in search of the higher meaning and power that the carving came from in a documentary that combines mystery with art, anthropology, and history.
Available on: Dailymotion
<i>Our Planet</i> (2019) - episode "Jungles"
In this episode from Netflix's Our Planet, the sequel series to Planet Earth, audiences are treated to wonderful images from expansive jungle canopies to the most miniscule insects of the jungle floor, reminding us of the beauty we can find over every inch of the world. "Jungles" features glimpses of intelligent orangutans and a shocking hi-definition look at an ant falling prey to a parasitic fungus that is shown with incredible detail and Sir David Attenborough's storytelling flair that makes it look right out of a sci-fi movie.
Available on: Netflix
<i>The Living Planet</i> (1984) - episode "New Worlds"The Living Planet</i> (1984) - episode "New Worlds"
In the final installment of this 12-episode series written and presented by David Attenborough about how organisms adapt to the world, the narrator steps foot in Jordan, a place where 9,000 years ago, man made "a crucial step" when we started to shape the world around us by domesticating animals and plants.
In the 1980s, an in-depth look at the way humanity shaped the past and how it continues to shape the future was all too important to overlook. Attenborough's narration and the hands-on approach in filming the episode accentuate how dire the situation was and maintain its relevance in the 21st century.
Available on: YouTube
<i>The Trials of Life</i> (1990) - episode "Arriving"
The 1990 series The Trials of Life aptly starts where life begins. The camera pans to the rocky, desolate shore of Christmas Island where Sir David Attenborough stands haphazardly, introducing the red crab and the "thousand million lives" that they will deposit into the crashing sea. The episode sets a tone of awe at the natural world with incredibly close-up videos of the beginning of life that the rest of the series would dazzle and amaze with.
Available on: Amazon
<i>Life Story</i> (2014) - episode "First Steps"
"This is the story of life, and for these little creatures it's just beginning," Attenborough says, laying next to a burrow with baby meerkats chirping away. His passion and excitement for the animal kingdom is on full display. Life Story takes a look at the infancy, the first steps of many animals, including the Long-eared jerboa, a species never before captured on camera.
Available on: HBO Max
<i>Nature's Most Amazing Events</i> (2009) - Bears catching salmon from episode "The Great Salmon Run"
"This is going to be the end of the road for a lot of salmon." Attenborough's moving writing combined with incredible video footage of grizzly bears catching salmon in a waterfall on their pilgrimage upstream is some of the most iconic wildlife video and impossible to take our eyes off. The somber music adds to the tone of life and death that make the natural world even more fascinating.
Available on: HBO Max
<i>Life of Mammals</i> (2002) - Interaction with a sloth from the episode "Plant Predators"
After slowly rising up the steps into a forest tree, Sir David Attenborough chirps a playful "boo" at an unsuspecting sloth in the tree, startling nothing except our hearts into more joy.
From his pronunciation of the word "sloth" to comparing his day to that of the slow mammal, this segment is endearing and a testament to the filmmaker's deliberate and thoughtful choices in crafting a story. And even Attenborough acknowledges the limits of our grasp on nature, as he notes that no one knows why the sloth risks danger to relieve himself in the same spot on the forest floor once a week.
Available on: YouTube
<i>Africa</i> (2013) - episode "Congo"
The world is sometimes too big to capture in its glory. In the 2013 series Africa, Attenborough takes us on a journey through the most diverse place in the world. The third episode in the series, "Congo," a place with a greater concentration of animals than anywhere in the continent, features breathtaking close-ups of the beautiful insects, dangerous plants, and even the "sexual fury" of elephants that lurk in every corner of the densely populated jungles.
Available on: Amazon
<i>Life on Earth</i> (1979) series
The first in many series where Attenborough traces the evolution of life on our planet, Life on Earth helped establish Sir David Attenborough's credibility and cultural significance.
The series takes Attenborough around the globe with impressive 20th century filming techniques and some iconic sequences. Perhaps the most memorable of these is Attenborough on all fours coming face to face with a female gorilla, a mother who would remember him the next day and groom and play with him.
Available on: Paramount+
<i>The Blue Planet</i> (2001) - episode "The Deep"
The deepest, darkest trenches of the ocean may be even more terrifying than outer space. In the episode "The Deep" from 2001's The Blue Planet, David Attenborough investigates the otherworldly creatures that lurk in the corners of the ocean. Yet the bioluminescence and colorful sea creatures are so undeniably beautiful that it's wonderful to view them through Attenborough's characteristic awe and passion.
Available on: HBO Max
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