David Attenborough centenary marked with three special programmes and a celebratory week

David Attenborough will be celebrated with a dedicated week of programming and three new shows as part of centenary events announced for 8 May. The rollout pairs fresh projects with curated revisits of landmark series, creating a concentrated moment to reflect on a decades-long body of work.

David Attenborough: three new programmes and a week of highlights

The broadcaster's 100th birthday will be observed with a week of special programming that brings together new and classic work. The schedule includes three new commissions designed to illuminate the making of past landmark series, explore hidden natural worlds close to home, and stage a live centenary event backed by orchestral accompaniment and guest contributors.

Making Life on Earth: Attenborough's Greatest Adventure

One of the new shows, Making Life on Earth: Attenborough's Greatest Adventure, goes behind the scenes of the original Life on Earth series. Life on Earth was first broadcast in 1979 and followed the presenter as he travelled to 40 countries to film 600 species. The new programme will feature fresh interviews with the wildlife broadcaster and members of the original production team as they reflect on the making of the series and the major challenges encountered, including a coup in the Comoros, being shot at, and the presenter's encounter with gorillas in Rwanda.

Secret Garden and a five-part look at Britain's back gardens

Another new commission, Secret Garden, will feature the presenter exploring hidden worlds within Britain's gardens. Filmed across five episodes in locations throughout the UK, the series is framed to capture the rich diversity of life in back gardens while reflecting on practical steps the public can take to help struggling species.

Live centenary event and revisiting classic series

The centenary week will also include a live event titled David Attenborough's 100 Years on Planet Earth, staged at a major London concert venue and presented with a concert orchestra and special guests. In addition to the three new programmes, the week will revisit episodes from many of the presenter's most-loved series, with curated highlights drawing from titles such as Planet Earth, One Planet, Blue Planet and Frozen Planet, alongside later sequels and specials including Planet Earth II, Seven Worlds, Blue Planet II, Planet Earth III, Frozen Planet II and the recent special Wild London. A dedicated collection of 40 of the presenter's programmes will be made available on the broadcaster's streaming service as part of the celebrations.

Industry response and the intent behind the season

Jack Bootle, head of commissioning for specialist factual, described the season as a chance to celebrate an "extraordinary milestone" and to recognise work that has shaped natural history broadcasting and public perception of the planet. The programming block is presented as both a retrospective and a prompt for renewed public engagement with conservation themes highlighted in the new and classic shows.

What to expect and what comes next

• The centenary events centre on 8 May and extend across a week of special programming.
• Three new productions form the backbone of the season: a behind-the-scenes Life on Earth special, a five-part garden series, and a live centenary concert event.
• Classic series and recent specials will be curated for revisits, and a large collection of programmes will be made available on the broadcaster's streaming platform.

These plans frame the 100th birthday as both celebration and invitation: celebration of a long career in natural history broadcasting, and invitation for audiences to revisit influential work and consider small actions that can help protect species and habitats highlighted throughout the season. Details such as exact broadcast times and full guest lists for the live event have been set out as part of the programming announcement; the schedule is presented as subject to change as the week approaches.