Broadcaster to mark david attenborough's 100th with new specials and live centenary event
Plans are in place to celebrate the centenary of david attenborough on May 8 (ET) with a dedicated week of programming that pairs fresh productions with classic shows from his seven-decade career. New documentaries, a primetime nature series and a live concert celebration will form the centrepiece of the tribute.
New films dig into landmark series and backyard wildlife
The anniversary slate includes a behind-the-scenes feature revisiting the making of a 1979 landmark series that helped define modern natural history television. The new film gathers fresh interviews with the presenter and members of the original production team, who reflect on the logistics and dangers of filming on location in an era when international travel and colour television were nascent. The account recalls harrowing moments — a coup in the Comoros, being shot at while on assignment, and the now-iconic encounter with mountain gorillas in Rwanda — alongside technical challenges and creative breakthroughs that helped the series reach an audience of hundreds of millions.
Alongside that retrospective is a five-part primetime series that turns the camera on Britain’s gardens. Across episodes filmed in different regions, the presenter explores the hidden, often surprising wildlife in backyards — from small mammals to prolific birdlife — and highlights practical steps gardeners can take to bolster local biodiversity. The series frames private gardens as a collective resource: the programmes argue that, together, domestic green spaces can equal or exceed the area of many official reserves, and that small changes at home can benefit vulnerable species at scale.
Live centenary event and archive highlights
The centenary week will culminate in a live celebration from a major London concert hall. The event will feature a full orchestra and a roster of special guests, blending music, film and short onstage segments that trace the presenter’s career and environmental message. The live element is intended to unite viewers for a shared evening of reflection and celebration, timed to coincide with the centenary date and broadcast during prime hours on May 8 (ET).
Across the week, the schedule will also re-present standout episodes from the presenter’s most celebrated series, drawing from a broad archive that spans oceanic epics, polar surveys and planet-spanning panoramas. A curated collection of more than 40 programmes will be made available on the network’s streaming service, offering new audiences a chance to experience landmark moments and long-time fans a chance to revisit formative pieces.
Legacy, impact and a moment of thanks
A commissioning executive responsible for specialist factual programming described the season as both a celebration and a moment of gratitude. The executive praised the presenter’s contribution to public understanding of the natural world, noting that his body of work has reshaped how viewers perceive their relationship with the planet. The comment underlined that the week is intended not just to mark a birthday but to recognise decades of work that inspired curiosity, conservation action and a deeper sense of stewardship.
Producers of the new projects say the programmes balance nostalgia with urgency: archival reflections on past expeditions sit alongside present-day calls to action on habitat loss and species decline. The garden series, in particular, is positioned as a practical appeal, asking ordinary people to consider how everyday choices in their own green spaces can contribute to species recovery.
As the centenary approaches, the combination of new films, archive showcases and a live concert offers a comprehensive tribute to a career that has become synonymous with natural history broadcasting — and a reminder of the role storytelling plays in galvanising public concern for the natural world.
