All posts tagged: Attenboroughs

We celebrate Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday in this week’s issue

We celebrate Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday in this week’s issue

Published by Daniella Wilson

This week’s issue has been a long time in the planning, and with good reason. Reaching the age of 100 is an extraordinary achievement, but to reach that milestone as the person who has documented the profound changes in our natural world makes it something truly special. For decades Sir David Attenborough has brought the wonders of the natural world into our homes, shaping how we understand the planet. Generations of viewers have grown up with his voice as a guide charting the beauty of the world and, increasingly, its fragility. This issue is a reflection on an extraordinary career and on a legacy that continues to evolve. And hopefully there is more to come. His message has never mattered more. Spending time with Sir David, even briefly, only deepens that admiration. Some years ago, I was fortunate enough to work with him on a cover shoot for RT in the butterfly house at Syon House in west London. As we waited for the perfect shot, the photographer suggested it would be wonderful if the …

Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday to be marked by star-studded live BBC event

Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday to be marked by star-studded live BBC event

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter A star-studded live event is being planned to celebrate Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday, featuring broadcasters including Sir Michael Palin, Steve Backshall, and Chris Packham. Hosted by Kirsty Young, the evening will take place at London’s Royal Albert Hall and include performances from musicians featured in his BBC Planet Earth TV series. Dan Smith, the frontman of Brit Award-winning Bastille, will join the BBC Concert Orchestra to perform “Pompeii”, which appeared in Planet Earth III. Icelandic band Sigur Rós is also set to play “Hoppípolla,” famously used in promotions for Planet Earth and Planet Earth II. The event will also combine memorable wildlife moments from the BBC’s natural history archive. Those who have worked alongside Sir David – including Backshall, Packham, and Sir Michael – will reflect on his immense impact and lasting legacy. Sir David Attenborough celebrates his 100th birthday …

Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday to be honoured with three BBC shows

Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday to be honoured with three BBC shows

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Sir David Attenborough’s monumental 100th birthday will be honoured by the BBC with a special week of programming, including three brand new shows, celebrating the broadcasting legend’s unparalleled legacy. The broadcaster announced plans to mark this “extraordinary milestone” from 8 May, featuring both new and classic works by the beloved presenter. Among the new offerings is Making Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure, which delves behind the scenes of the seminal 1979 BBC One series. This programme will feature fresh interviews with Sir David and the original production team, reflecting on the challenges faced during its creation, including a coup in the Comoros, being shot at, and his iconic encounter with gorillas in Rwanda. Sir David will also front Secret Garden, a new series exploring the hidden worlds within Britain’s gardens. Across five episodes filmed throughout the UK, the programme will …

The making of David Attenborough’s Wild London: ‘Even he was surprised by some of the stories’

The making of David Attenborough’s Wild London: ‘Even he was surprised by some of the stories’

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Think of a David Attenborough documentary, and certain scenes will inevitably come to mind. Elephants striding across the savanna; polar bears hunting atop a frigid tundra; vividly strange deep-sea fish zipping through a coral reef. The 99-year-old documentarian’s latest project, Wild London, confronts us with images that are both more and less familiar. A pigeon boarding a train on the London Underground’s Circle line. Two foxes fighting in front of a red Mini. Snakes winding their way along Regent’s Canal. It’s wildlife you’ve probably seen with your own eyes, captured with an intimacy you almost certainly haven’t. “Throughout my life, I’ve had the good fortune to travel the world, witnessing many natural spectacles,” Attenborough says at the start of the programme. “But this is the place to which I’ve always returned. A sprawling megacity may seem no home for a nature …