Attenborough’s Journey

One-Hour Special for BBC Two, BBC Worldwide and Australian Broadcasting Corporation

In fifty years of broadcasting, Sir David Attenborough has travelled the globe to document the living world in all its wonder. Now, aged 84, the world’s leading natural history broadcaster returns to the film-maker’s road, driven to make the series that acts as the prologue to his extensive catalogue of ‘Life’ programmes. David Attenborough’s First Life is the final piece of the jigsaw that lies at the very beginning – the origin of life itself.

Attenborough’s Journey, a year in the making, is a remarkable portrait of the man behind the legend. As he faces the challenges of a complicated shoot, Attenborough revisits parts of the world that have had special meaning for him throughout his career, beginning near his boyhood Leicestershire home, where he first collected fossils and learned to become a naturalist. Attenborough embarks on a journey to the arid deserts of Morocco, the glaciers of Canada and the crystal clear waters of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef as he goes in search of the leading experts and the latest discoveries.

The result is a revelation as we delve into the mind and character of one of the world’s most iconic broadcasters. We discover a man in his element, immersed in his three great passions: fossils, the natural world and making films about them. We see his infectious enthusiasm for animals and the inspiration his programmes have given to the people he meets, from leading scientists to self-confessed Attenborough enthusiasts. We discover the method and craft that lie behind his iconic delivery, his unerring sense of humour and his reflections on a career that virtually spans the history of television itself.

Find out more about Attenborough’s Journey and the new series David Attenborough’s First Life at the dedicated First Life website. The website includes details of the accompanying book and DVD release of the series which includes Attenborough’s Journey.