David Attenborough

Acting

David Attenborough

Born 1926-05-08 · London, England, UK

Sir David Attenborough (born May 8, 1926) is a broadcaster and naturalist. His career as the respected face and voice of natural history programmes has endured for more than 50 years. He is best known for writing and presenting the nine "Life" series, in conjunction with the BBC Natural History Unit, which collectively form a comprehensive survey of all life on the planet. He is also a former senior manager at the BBC, having served as controller of BBC Two and director of programming for BBC Television in the 1960s and 1970s. He is the younger brother of director, producer and actor Richard Attenborough.

Acting credits

David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet poster
8.4

The story of life on our planet by the man who has seen more of the natural world than any other. In more than 90 years, Attenborough has visited every continent on the globe, exploring the wild places of our planet and documenting the living world in all its variety and wonder. Addressing the biggest challenges facing life on our planet, the film offers a powerful message of hope for future generations.

David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet

2020

Ocean with David Attenborough poster
8.0

David Attenborough takes viewers on a breathtaking journey showing there is nowhere more vital for our survival, more full of life, wonder, or surprise, than the ocean. Through spectacular sequences featuring coral reefs, kelp forests and the open ocean, Attenborough shares why a healthy ocean keeps the entire planet stable and flourishing.

Ocean with David Attenborough

2025

The Year Earth Changed poster
7.9

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.

The Year Earth Changed

2021

A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough poster
7.8

Veteran naturalist Sir David Attenborough tells the story of a remarkable group of gorillas, from his first encounter in the '70s to the present day.

A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough

2026

Wild London poster
8.3

After a life spent travelling the globe, the world’s most famous naturalist turns his attention closer to home to explore the wildlife of England’s iconic capital. Having lived in London for 75 years, Sir David has an intimate knowledge of the city’s natural history, and there's no better guide to introduce us to its most spectacular wildlife secrets. Captured over his centennial year, this personal and poignant film is a timely insight into how cities can become homes for wildlife as well as ourselves.

Wild London

2026

Deep Blue poster
6.9

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.

Deep Blue

2003

Diving Deep: The Life and Times of Mike deGruy poster
7.0

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.

Diving Deep: The Life and Times of Mike deGruy

2020

Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet poster
7.5

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

Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet

2021

A Zed & Two Noughts poster
7.0

Identical twin zoologists lose their wives in a car crash caused by a white swan. They become obsessed with the death and decay of animals, and develop a strange and unusual relationship with the driver of the car, a woman who is now an amputee.

A Zed & Two Noughts

1985

And the Winner Isn't poster
6.3

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.

And the Winner Isn't

2017

Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life poster
7.7

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.

Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life

2009

Queen Elizabeth II: Her Story, Our Century poster
NR

Marking what would have been Queen Elizabeth II’s 100th year, this landmark documentary tells the story of her life alongside a century of momentous change in Britain. Through archive and eyewitness reflections, the film explores how she led the monarchy through profound social, political and cultural change. Contributions from some of Britain’s best-known faces and international figures, including Dame Helen Mirren, Sir David Attenborough, Barack Obama and Queen Camilla, reveal how she remained a constant in a changing world.

Queen Elizabeth II: Her Story, Our Century

2026

Reef Diaries poster
NR

Behind the scenes of David Attenborough's landmark series in which he visited the Great Barrier Reef, revealing how Sir David utilised the latest technology to explore the reef.

Reef Diaries

2015

David Attenborough's 100 Years on Planet Earth poster
7.0

A 90-minute special, broadcast from the Royal Albert Hall, London, celebrating Sir David Attenborough's groundbreaking career on the day of his 100th birthday.

David Attenborough's 100 Years on Planet Earth

2026

Secret Lives of Orangutans poster
7.5

Follow a multi-generational orangutan family through their treetop triumphs and travails in this immersive documentary narrated by David Attenborough.

Secret Lives of Orangutans

2024

Parkinson at 50 poster
10.0

Sir Michael Parkinson looks back over his 50 years as a broadcaster, revealing some tricks of the interview trade and remembering some of his favourite encounters.

Parkinson at 50

2021

Attenborough and the Mammoth Graveyard poster
7.4

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.

Attenborough and the Mammoth Graveyard

2021

Dinosaurs: The Final Day with David Attenborough poster
7.4

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.

Dinosaurs: The Final Day with David Attenborough

2022

Desert Seas poster
9.0

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.

Desert Seas

2011

Timelapse of the Future: A Journey to the End of Time poster
8.3

How's it all gonna end? This experience takes us on a journey to the end of time, trillions of years into the future, to discover what the fate of our planet and our universe may ultimately be. We start in 2019 and travel exponentially through time, witnessing the future of Earth, the death of the sun, the end of all stars, proton decay, zombie galaxies, possible future civilizations, exploding black holes, the effects of dark energy, alternate universes, the final fate of the cosmos - to name a few.

Timelapse of the Future: A Journey to the End of Time

2019

Attenborough at 90 poster
8.0

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.

Attenborough at 90

2016

Fabulous Frogs poster
8.3

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.

Fabulous Frogs

2014

Robbie the Reindeer: Legend of the Lost Tribe poster
5.5

Follow Robbie as he sets out to discover a mythical tribe of lost Viking warriors to help him save his friends from another dastardly plot by the evil Blitzen and his new-found partner-in-crime The White Rabbit. Robbie is having girl trouble too - Donner is feeling neglected and decides to give Robbie an ultimatum. Can Robbie save the day, keep his girl and unravel the mystery of the Legend of the Lost Tribe?

Robbie the Reindeer: Legend of the Lost Tribe

2002

Flying Monsters 3D with David Attenborough poster
7.0

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.

Flying Monsters 3D with David Attenborough

2011

Behind the camera

Deep Blue poster
6.9

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.

Deep Blue

2003

Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life poster
7.7

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.

Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life

2009

Flying Monsters 3D with David Attenborough poster
7.0

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.

Flying Monsters 3D with David Attenborough

2011

David Attenborough's Natural History Museum Alive poster
6.8

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 come to life, including dinosaurs, reptiles and creatures from the ice age.

David Attenborough's Natural History Museum Alive

2014

Attenborough and the Empire of the Ants poster
7.8

Sir David Attenborough is in the Swiss Jura Mountains to discover the secrets of a giant. Beneath his feet lies a vast network of tunnels and chambers, home to a huge empire of ants. It is believed to be one of the largest animal societies in the world, where over a billion ants from rival colonies live in peace.

Attenborough and the Empire of the Ants

2017

The Ascent of Kangchenjunga poster
NR

Film of the 1955 British expedition to Kangchenjunga, the world's third-highest peak, led by Charles Evans. The first ascent of Kangchenjunga was made on 25th May 1955 when Joe Brown and George Band stopped just short of the summit, a promise they had made to the Nepalese authorities in respect of local beliefs that it is a sacred place. Norman Hardie and Tony Streather summited the following day. At this time, Kangchenjunga was the world’s highest unclimbed peak.

The Ascent of Kangchenjunga

1955

Galapagos with David Attenborough poster
7.2

Two hundred years after Charles Darwin set foot on the shores of the Galápagos Islands, David Attenborough travels to this wild and mysterious archipelago. Amongst the flora and fauna of these enchanted volcanic islands, Darwin formulated his groundbreaking theories on evolution. Journey with Attenborough to explore how life on the islands has continued to evolve in biological isolation, and how the ever-changing volcanic landscape has given birth to species and sub-species that exist nowhere else in the world. Encompassing treacherous journeys, life-forms that forge unlikely companionships, and survival against all odds, Galápagos tells the story of an evolutionary melting pot in which anything and everything is possible.

Galapagos with David Attenborough

2013

Elsa the Lioness poster
NR

First transmitted in 1961, David Attenborough travels to Meru National Park in Kenya to visit Joy and George Adamson and meet Elsa the lioness and her cubs shortly before Elsa's death.

Elsa the Lioness

1961

Islands of the Vampire Birds poster
10.0

The story of Darwin's finches and their relationship with other creatures of the Galapagos; tracing their evolution, how the islands were formed and how it's main inhabitants got there.

Islands of the Vampire Birds

1999

Survival Island poster
7.0

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.

Survival Island

1996

Attenborough in Paradise poster
8.7

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

Attenborough in Paradise

1996

Attenborough's Ark poster
9.0

David Attenborough chooses his ten favorite animals that he would most like to save from extinction. From the weird to the wonderful, he picks fabulous and unusual creatures that he would like to put in his 'ark', including unexpected and little-known animals such as the olm, the solenodon and the quoll. He shows why they are so important and shares the ingenious work of biologists across the world who are helping to keep them alive.

Attenborough's Ark

2012

Bowerbirds: The Art of Seduction poster
NR

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.

Bowerbirds: The Art of Seduction

2000

Zoo Quest to West Africa poster
NR

In September 1954, David Attenborough, cameraman Charles Lagus, Jack Lester and Alf Woods, both from the Zoological Society of London, set out for Sierra Leone. They spent three months intently surveying the landscapes of Sierra Leone in search of nature’s rarest animals. Although predominantly searching for Picathartes gymnocephalus (the White-necked Rockfowl) they hoped to take back to London a representative collection of the whole of animal life in this part of Africa.

Zoo Quest to West Africa

1955

Zoo Quest to West Africa poster
NR

In September 1954, David Attenborough, cameraman Charles Lagus, Jack Lester and Alf Woods, both from the Zoological Society of London, set out for Sierra Leone. They spent three months intently surveying the landscapes of Sierra Leone in search of nature’s rarest animals. Although predominantly searching for Picathartes gymnocephalus (the White-necked Rockfowl) they hoped to take back to London a representative collection of the whole of animal life in this part of Africa.

Zoo Quest to West Africa

1955

Sir David Attenborough – A Life on Earth poster
NR

Sir David Attenborough is larger than life, his distinctive voice as recognisable as his name. In this program, renowned Australian journalist Ray Martin turns the cameras away from the beloved wildlife Sir David has spent his life documenting and onto the man himself. The show is an edited interview culled from a series of sold-out events held in theatres across Australia in 2012 and 2013.

Sir David Attenborough – A Life on Earth

2014

Sir David Attenborough – A Life on Earth poster
NR

Sir David Attenborough is larger than life, his distinctive voice as recognisable as his name. In this program, renowned Australian journalist Ray Martin turns the cameras away from the beloved wildlife Sir David has spent his life documenting and onto the man himself. The show is an edited interview culled from a series of sold-out events held in theatres across Australia in 2012 and 2013.

Sir David Attenborough – A Life on Earth

2014

The Lost Gods of Easter Island poster
6.5

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.

The Lost Gods of Easter Island

2000

The Song of the Earth poster
7.0

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.

The Song of the Earth

2000

A Blank on the Map poster
8.0

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.

A Blank on the Map

1971

The Million Pound Bird Book poster
NR

Biography of American naturalist John James Audubon.

The Million Pound Bird Book

1985