david attenborough to be honoured with week of specials for 100th birthday
Sir David Attenborough will be celebrated with a concentrated week of television dedicated to his life’s work, culminating on May 8 (ET) with a slate of new programmes, a live centenary event and a roll-call of classic natural history episodes. The broadcaster has scheduled both fresh films and highlights from across his seven-decade career to mark the presenter’s 100th birthday.
New programmes and behind-the-scenes revelations
The new commissions include a behind-the-scenes feature that revisits the making of the landmark 1979 series Life on Earth. Titled Making Life on Earth: Attenborough's Greatest Adventure, the programme reunites the original production team and presents new interviews with Attenborough as they reflect on the technological challenges and extraordinary risks encountered while filming in dozens of countries. Viewers will hear about tense moments that occurred during early expeditions, from violent political unrest in the Comoros to being shot at in Rwanda and narrow escapes in regions affected by conflict.
Another new series brings the natural world closer to home. Across five episodes filmed at gardens around the nation, Secret Garden explores the hidden ecosystems thriving in backyards and private plots. The series aims to show how familiar green spaces act as vital refuges for wildlife — from small mammals to songbirds and pollinators — and offers practical glimpses of how collective everyday choices in garden care can support struggling species. Filmmakers follow species such as dormice, pine martens and local bird populations to reveal behaviours that are often unnoticed at a human scale.
Live centenary event and a week of archive favourites
The centenary week will be capped by a live celebratory event at the Royal Albert Hall combining music and film. Titled David Attenborough's 100 Years on Planet Earth, the evening will feature an orchestra, guest contributors and segments that trace the presenter's impact on wildlife filmmaking and public understanding of the natural world. The live event is intended as a communal moment to honour a broadcaster whose programmes have reached millions.
Alongside the new content, the schedule will revisit many of Attenborough's best-known series. Selected episodes from landmark shows will be broadcast throughout the celebratory week, allowing audiences to experience both landmark moments and more recent specials. A curated collection of titles will be gathered on the on-demand platform for viewers who want a broader retrospective.
Legacy and the continuing call to action
Those behind the programming framed the week as more than a tribute: it is positioned as a reminder of how storytelling has shaped public awareness of biodiversity and environmental pressures. A commissioning executive described the season as a chance to thank Attenborough for a lifetime of work that has inspired curiosity and concern for the planet. The new films pair nostalgia for past encounters — such as the famed mountain gorilla sequence — with a present-day message about conservation, habitat protection and the role individuals can play.
For audiences, the centenary offers both spectacle and instruction: archival sequences highlight the evolution of wildlife filmmaking, while the new series underline how everyday spaces can contribute to conservation outcomes. The week’s mix of live celebration, retrospective and fresh commissions aims to cement Attenborough’s place in broadcasting history while urging viewers to look after the natural world that his programmes have so vividly illuminated.
