Sir David Attenborough marks his 100th birthday with BBC tributes and the launch of Ocean, a powerful new film urging global action to protect marine life and tackle climate change.
Sir David Attenborough, the legendary natural history broadcaster, turns 100 this May and the BBC is marking the milestone with a week-long celebration of his extraordinary life and work.
The celebrations, beginning on 8 May, will feature new and classic programming including Making Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure, which revisits his landmark 1979 series Life on Earth. The programme goes behind the scenes of Sir David’s travels to 40 countries and the filming of 600 species, highlighting challenges such as a coup in the Comoros, being shot at and his iconic encounter with gorillas in Rwanda.
In addition, Sir David presents Secret Garden, a new five-episode series exploring the hidden worlds within Britain’s gardens while encouraging the public to help protect struggling species. A live event, David Attenborough’s 100 Years on Planet Earth, will take place at the Royal Albert Hall featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra and special guests. Classic episodes from Planet Earth, One Planet, Blue Planet, Frozen Planet and Wild London will also be revisited.
Jack Bootle, head of commissioning for specialist factual at the BBC, said: “It’s impossible to overstate what Sir David Attenborough has given us. His programmes have defined natural history broadcasting and changed how we see our planet. This week celebrates an extraordinary milestone and his lifetime of inspiring curiosity and care for the natural world.”
As he enters his centenary year, Sir David is launching what he calls one of the most important films of his career: the cinema-length Ocean. The film highlights the vital role of oceans in sustaining life on Earth and protecting the planet from climate change. “After almost 100 years on the planet, I now understand the most important place on Earth is not on land but at sea,” Sir David said.
The premiere took place at the Royal Festival Hall in London with King Charles, Prince William and a host of celebrities including Geri Halliwell-Horner, James Blunt, Cara Delevingne and astronaut Tim Peake alongside hundreds of schoolchildren.
Ocean documents the catastrophic decline in ocean life over Sir David’s lifetime, showcasing the destructive impact of industrial fishing practices such as bottom trawling, which scours the seafloor, kills countless marine creatures, discards much of the catch and releases large amounts of carbon dioxide. Sir David warned: “We are almost out of time.”
Yet the film carries a message of hope. The remarkable recovery of whale populations after the 1986 global ban on commercial whaling demonstrates the ocean’s resilience. Sir David called this “the most remarkable discovery of all” and emphasized that ecosystems can recover faster than previously imagined.
Keith Scholey, one of the film’s directors who has worked with Sir David for 44 years, praised his energy and dedication: “Every time you work with David, you learn something new. He keeps you on your mettle and inspires creativity in everyone around him.”
Sir David hopes Ocean will spur global leaders to honor promises to protect a third of the world’s oceans, a move that could transform ecosystems, trap more carbon dioxide and safeguard the planet for future generations. “In front of us is a chance to protect our climate, our food, our home,” he said.
The centenary celebrations not only honor a broadcasting legend but also underscore an urgent message: the health of the world’s oceans is crucial to life on Earth and decisive action is needed now.
