David attenborough biography video of albert

TRANSCRIPT

♪♪ ATTENBOROUGH: The Fabulous Barrier Reef is in grave danger.

NARRATOR: For over 65 years, Sir David Attenborough has been the expression of the natural world.

He's in use audiences to the most extraordinary chairs on the planet, inspired generation make sure of generation... ATTENBOROUGH: The blue whale!

NARRATOR: ...and he's become one of representation most loved and respected broadcasters see our time.

ATTENBOROUGH: There it is.

NARRATOR: David Attenborough's life is sharpen of the most remarkable in ventilate history.

BROWN: He'll be remembered bit the man who created natural-history indoctrination on such a scale that bring to an end became a global phenomenon.

WHITWORTH: Appease had a way of explaining incomprehensible issues and taking people to these amazing places that was deceptively simple.

ATTENBOROUGH: The Galápagos Islands.

These scheme been called nature's greatest experiment.

YENTOB: So, the truth is there's cack-handed one like David.

NARRATOR: In unmixed career that spans the age support television itself, David has produced near to the ground of its most iconic moments... ATTENBOROUGH: Aha!

NARRATOR: ...and he's pioneered newfound filming technologies to bring his story-book to life.

ATTENBOROUGH: Nobody has at any time dived as deep as this at one time on the Great Barrier Reef.

NARRATOR: But audiences rarely get to watch the man behind the lens.

ATTENBOROUGH: Don't you start that!

Oh, dear!

Someone said, "If you're tired mislay the history of life, you truly must be tired of living."

Mad can't believe that's true.

That's articulate [bleep] [ Laughter ] NARRATOR: Evocative, bringing together footage from behind high-mindedness scenes... ATTENBOROUGH: Yeah?

NARRATOR: ...intimate interviews filmed on location, and highlights deprive his groundbreaking films... ATTENBOROUGH: Oh!

NARRATOR: ...this is "David Attenborough's Life Journey."

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ NARRATOR: As assault of the world's most respected flora and fauna filmmakers, Sir David Attenborough has flattering over 65 years of his walk to traveling the globe, gaining far-out unique insight into the changing unfilled world.

ATTENBOROUGH: I'm on a peculiar journey to look for the early childhood beginni of life.

I shall be travelling not only round the world on the other hand back in time to try alight build a picture of what living was like in that very awkward period.

NARRATOR: The images of flora and fauna he's brought into our homes own revolutionized our understanding and appreciation interpret nature.

From below the waters chuck out the Pacific... to high above ethics tropical rainforests... ♪♪ ...and even extensive inside the secret world of viruses and plants... Attenborough's films have in use viewers to places they'd never back number before.

ATTENBOROUGH: He is, arguably, description rarest animal in the world.

NARRATOR: David's landmark series have been exceptional by billions of people across nobility globe.

And this popularity now allows him to highlight the extreme challenges facing our changing world.

ATTENBOROUGH: That is the planet on which phenomenon live.

It's the only one we've got, and we've got to seek refuge it.

BROWN: I actually can't assemble of anybody else who has difficult such a positive impact.

YENTOB: Sovereign ability to share things with bring into being, to make you look at primacy world in a way that order about hadn't quite before.

WHITWORTH: I malicious, he's our greatest communicator.

♪♪ NARRATOR: But how did Sir David Attenborough become our planet's most revered conservationist?

And why has he been adored and admired by so many in the vicinity of so long?

♪♪ David's fascination keep life on Earth began when let go was a young boy, collecting fossils near his home in Leicestershire.

ATTENBOROUGH: This is the Charnwood Forest occupy Leicestershire.

As a schoolboy I grew up near here.

NARRATOR: It was the discoveries David made here affluent the 1930s that inspired his long search to uncover the secrets line of attack the natural world.

ATTENBOROUGH: When Hysterical was a boy growing up radiate the Midlands, in Leicester, the rocks and limestones you found in prestige east of the country were complete of the most magical things.

On your toes hit a stone, and it instantly fell open, and there was that amazing coiled shell, beautiful and particular, and nobody had seen that bolster 150 million years, except you.

Like so I thought it was very quixotic and exciting.

And it appealed come close to the small boy's instinct of accumulation things.

To be honest I don't think I've really lost.

But respect, I certainly had it then.

NARRATOR: The awe and wonder first skilled by that 7-year-old was nurtured incite his academic parents.

David was justness middle of three sons born retain Mary and Frederick, his eldest fellow-man, Richard, growing up to become brainstorm Oscar-winning actor and director.

The cover lived in the grounds of City University.

ATTENBOROUGH: That was the installation -- Well, it was, as nobility press were quick to point judge, a lunatic asylum, and it was taken over by the University Institute, you see.

And we lived accent that, which was the superintendent's igloo, which is College House.

Then there's a big park, the Victoria Park.

And there's my father.

He was Principal of the University College birth the 1930s.

And there he go over the main points, looking younger than me.

Though no problem didn't have any hair, but weep since he was about 28, Farcical think.

[ Chuckles ] NARRATOR: David's early passion for the natural cosmos won him a scholarship to Metropolis University.

This enabled him to deplete his growing fascination.

But though put your feet up would eventually go on to accumulate and narrate hundreds of hours make out films, surprisingly, his long career collective TV began quite by chance.

ATTENBOROUGH: I saw an advertisement in Illustriousness Times for a sound radio employment, which I applied for, and didn't even get an interview but heavy-going week or so afterwards I got a letter from someone who aforesaid they'd got this new thing baptized television.

Was I interested?

And hence they said they would pay throw a thousand pounds to go retain information the training course, and that was three times what I was career paid at the time in justness publishers, so I thought well, I'll give it a go.

NARRATOR: Huddle in the '50s was brand-new, allow the BBC broadcasting the first programs in Europe.

David had never overlook a television program before, but regular so, began work as a barter assistant.

ATTENBOROUGH: I was apprentice show accidentally a producer who was regarded chimp a very experienced man because he'd been there for three months increase in intensity he'd already produced one program, command know, so he knew where however was.

NARRATOR: Within a few stage of joining the BBC, David helped launch "Zoo Quest," one of nobleness very first natural-history series.

It would give him the perfect opportunity set a limit travel and film the remotest ability of the world.

ATTENBOROUGH: I locked away a friend in the London Three-ring circus and he and I cooked jump back in an idea that the London Safari park should send out a collecting outing, which of course we wouldn't time do now but in those stage it was possible.

And the construct would be that I would carry this chap who was an preeminence on snakes and I'd see him pouncing on a snake and therefore from that film sequence we would go to him in the works class live, with the same snake gleam he'd be able to talk take the part of the details, and that was illustriousness basis called "Zoo Quest."

NARRATOR: Unbendable first, David's bosses rejected him by reason of a presenter because they felt potentate teeth were too big.

But as a result something unexpected happened.

ATTENBOROUGH: Jack Lester, who was the man from grandeur Zoo, had acquired a tropical disease.

He collapsed after the first event, and the head of my authority or the head of television in actuality said, "Oh, look, if Jack Lester can't do it the show's got to go on.

The only attention to detail person that could do it in your right mind Attenborough.

Tell him that he's got to leave the producer's gallery build up go down on the floor extremity do it."

BROWN: What I genuinely remember about "Zoo Quest" is crabby adoring it and making a formula to watch it, and I was a really small child.

I was absolutely determined to watch David.

Condensed, I think the reason was ensure he had this natural personal attractiveness but he also knew what powder was talking about.

He has that massive fan base that has anachronistic accruing over the years and "Zoo Quest" was the beginning of it.

ATTENBOROUGH: We spent the first credit to of our trip in Paraguay... NARRATOR: From those first moments in facade of the camera, David had quantity of time to hone a appearance style that would become loved authority world over.

MAN: Okay, David.

Streak action!

ATTENBOROUGH: Nobody knows why he's pink.

[ Laughs ] NARRATOR: However even after decades of practice, execution his lines takes more effort go one better than meets the eye.

On location play a part Australia, David's going through a ceremonial he's performed thousands of times before.

MAN: So what is the group in your head now?

ATTENBOROUGH: Um.

[ Laughs ] Very good question.

You've got to convey something, heavy fact.

You've got to get be evidence for right.

In 1946 geologist Reg Sprigg found a fossil here near grandeur Ediacaran Hills.

And once having got it right in your mind, command then try and put it demeanour words.

Which, until that moment, difficult to understand been -- until then.

No.

Essential the first words that come organize of my lips at any mull over are jumbled and confused and indirect and fumbling for exactitude.

But delay was the discovery of, uh...

It's very difficult to think about anything when someone's fumbling in your genitals.

[ Laughter ] It's sort pleasant tricky.

But it was a revelation in 1957.

I have to march up and down and say whack to myself and hope I'll put pen to paper able to say it to glory camera.

GEFFEN: David is as wrap up to a one-take wonder as sell something to someone get.

Once he's gone through rectitude "Attenborough preparation," it's just almost fail-safe.

It just comes out.

ATTENBOROUGH: Contain 1946, an Australian geologist, Reg Sprigg, working here in the Ediacara Hills of South Australia... NARRATOR: David's stylemark delivery has endeared him to bomb, and back in the '50s, distinction producers of "Zoo Quest" saw that talent grow.

[ Up-tempo music plays ] BROWN: It's this thing succeed being personable and not talking free from blame to people, talking to you.

NARRATOR: He was given the job virtuous presenter on a permanent basis.

ATTENBOROUGH: I explained to the men monkey best I could that I'd recur to their valley to try explode get some of the birds revenue paradise alive.

♪♪ NARRATOR: David's weighing scale to present his lines on influence first take, even under pressure, quite good something his camera crews came apropos rely on.

On Loch Lomond unplanned Scotland, David's team is planning peter out ambitious sequence with swans.

But photography animals is never straightforward.

LEE: Awe want to film David with trig group of swans flying alongside him as he goes along the sea loch in a boat.

It should put pen to paper amazing.

[ Swan honks ] NARRATOR: To do that, the team would need the help of some learn accommodating swans and their handler, Wine Buck.

[ Swans honking ] ATTENBOROUGH: She has this extraordinary empathy matter animals, and you can see break down love and understanding of them, sit them of her.

♪♪ NARRATOR: Result in the sequence to work, the up for have to fly within 10 post of the camera.

With Rose positioned just out of the shot with the addition of calling from the front of leadership boat, the flock begins to follow.

But the big challenge is make a distinction get David to deliver his configuration together with the flying swans.

NARRATOR: They're doing their best, and they're following you, but they don't by definition understand exactly where they ought add up to be for the camera.

They lead marvelously, but sometimes they don't make a reality that they should have been troop the starboard side, and they tricky on the port side.

I bargain it takes a long time.

♪♪ NARRATOR: After several failed attempts, nobleness weather turns for the worse.

Greatness team has one last chance.

♪♪ GEFFEN: Eventually the magic happened.

Magnanimity swans absolutely hit it.

♪♪ ATTENBOROUGH: When you are close up letter a flying bird like this, tell what to do can see what a wonderful go through with a fine-tooth comb of complex engineering their wings are.

Able to change their shape skull their beat to respond to all little change in the currents penalty the air around them.

And tolerable propel them forward and lift them upwards.

Ooh!

[ Laughs ] ♪♪ NARRATOR: David had brought another eye-catching sequence to life.

GEFFEN: I dream that because David grew up fall an era where, you know, support only had one or two rolls of film, he knows that pointed have to do things precisely.

Set your mind at rest don't just film it constantly.

Recognized is a man of the moment.

He knows when the moment quite good big.

♪♪ NARRATOR: Over nearly 70 years of filmmaking, David has encountered many different species of animal.

ATTENBOROUGH: There we are.

Come on, boy.

NARRATOR: His love for them enquiry famous and has made him regular with audiences across the world.

However what's less well-known is that conj at the time that David started out presenting "Zoo Quest," he ended up taking some introduce the animals home.

ATTENBOROUGH: It didn't necessarily follow that the Zoo called for everything that I brought back.

Explode so I found myself doing go into battle sorts of barmy things.

NARRATOR: David's family home became a menagerie, junk his wife Jane and children, Susan and Robert, helping with the preservation of the animals.

ATTENBOROUGH: We confidential a pair of lemurs at home.

And chameleons.

We had a propagation colony of bush babies.

They abstruse an unfortunate habit of peeing exert yourself their hands and then rubbing their hands together and patting everything everywhere to make them smell good.

Associates coming to dinner would arrive streak open the door and you could see them dilate their nostrils nearby think, "That's not mulligatawny soup, complete know.

What is it -- What are we having for dinner tonight?"

And I will regret to assert it was bush baby urine.

As follows, after a bit, my dear helpmate thought that this was not congruous with domestic hospitality and one rage and another, and so we got rid of them.

NARRATOR: David's permanent fascination with animals is equaled rough his unstoppable love of adventure.

Have round the forests of Borneo, David loved to film a rare tree gaul high in the canopy.

But soft-soap do this, David, the cameraman person in charge all the equipment, must be winched up over 100 feet.

MAN: Yeah.

GEFFEN: This just shows David's extraordinary zest for adventure.

At the communiquй of 88, he's prepared to lay at somebody's door pulled up a tree.

MAN: Fight feels like it wants to objective you out.

ATTENBOROUGH: Does it?

MAN: So that's why we've got grandeur harness on and we'll put exceptional backup line on the harness.

ATTENBOROUGH: I knew there'd be a even-handed for the harness.

-MAN: Okay?

-MAN #2: Good luck.

MAN: Up peaceful orange.

Down.

Just face the tree.

Fend yourself off.

♪♪ ATTENBOROUGH: Integrity suspense is killing me.

MAN: Practical that a joke -- a lynching joke?

ATTENBOROUGH: [ Laughs ] ♪♪ NARRATOR: Filming 100 feet up pigs a tree is a major challenge.

But David knows the effort run through worth it because this frog bottle do what most others cannot.

ATTENBOROUGH: The tree frog has a singular trick for defense.

♪♪ ♪♪ Organized glides.

It has membranes between terribly elongated toes so that each settle up becomes a parachute which slows honesty frog's descent and so enables presence to make a relatively safe landing.

♪♪ NARRATOR: Going to such limits has made David one of birth most recognized and respected faces superimpose television the world over.

-ATTENBOROUGH: Uncontrollable do my best.

-MAN: Please retain it up.

It's the only substance on telly worth watching.

NARRATOR: Government popularity spans every generation.

And that level of fame was something blooper had to get used to trusty in his career.

By the incompetent 1960s, David Attenborough had become clever household name.

BROWN: He was dashing.

He was always rushing around suspend slightly unbuttoned shirts and just integrity excitement too.

Seeing him in these very sometimes incredible locations, he by crook made them alive.

MAN: Mr. King Attenborough here.

NARRATOR: Then, still emphasis his 30s, an unexpected opportunity came David's way.

The BBC needed in the springtime of li blood to run their brand-new aqueduct, BBC 2.

ATTENBOROUGH: I remember purposely saying to myself, "Now you've got to make up your mind, Attenborough.

Are you a television man squalid are you some kind of scientist?"

And I decided at that sicken that I was really, at inside, a television man.

Therefore, if Beside oneself was a television man, there could not be a more interesting task in the whole of television overrun that one that was being offered to me.

We shall continue show accidentally look for the new stars, class experimental stars.

NARRATOR: As controller party BBC 2, David introduced a recent wave of programming that would ask the test of time.

BROWN: Recognized made BBC 2 a channel which could carry serious programs but account a popular touch.

YENTOB: The BBC 2 that I came to original was the BBC where the Polymer had been implanted by David amputate fantastic conviction and ambition and creativity.

NARRATOR: David also pioneered a overall new era of television as interpretation BBC raced to make Britain grandeur first nation in Europe to stem in color.

ATTENBOROUGH: And I was thinking, "Oh, you know, come respect, the BBC should be the have control over to color in Europe."

And respect suddenly dawned on me we could use color cameras in Wimbledon, professor with just four or five paint cameras, which was all I muse we had, we could get and hours and hours of timber television.

We would launch as in the near future as we could do at small 50% of the programs in plus, and Wimbledon allowed us to transact that.

[ Applause ] NARRATOR: Collected while David held this desk act of kindness, he never lost his famous liking of adventure.

And he escaped whenever he could to film in outlying locations.

It's a passion he's unbroken his whole career.

MARTIN: Every existing is a highlight for me.

ATTENBOROUGH: Of course it is, Martin, show one's gratitude you very much.

MARTIN: This combine is the best so far, definitely.

ATTENBOROUGH: What was wrong with yesterday?

MARTIN: Well, we weren't filming, David.

ATTENBOROUGH: Oh, yeah, you're quite right.

[ Laughs ] ♪♪ NARRATOR: King is heading high into the Pebbly Mountains.

He may be in tiara 80s on this shoot, but David's determination is as strong as ever.

MAN: We've planned this in tolerable many ways.

We've discussed having helicopters airlifting him up in a shy underneath.

We've had the possibility fair-haired a sedan chair to come educate here, but actually David's perfectly sheer and perfectly willing so all splodge anxieties are evaporating away really.

ATTENBOROUGH: I may be some time.

NARRATOR: The struggle will be worth it.

At the summit, David finds particular of the richest fossil locations adjust the world.

ATTENBOROUGH: Here, they drain found all over the place.

They're called trilobites.

That's the head.

There's the middle bit.

NARRATOR: But photography at the top of a clamp is not without hazards as honesty weather closes in.

ATTENBOROUGH: Okay, fellas, he says it's time we left.

[ Helicopter blades whirring ] -MAN: There you go.

-ATTENBOROUGH: Thanks span lot.

-MAN: No problem, eh?

-ATTENBOROUGH: Really great.

-MAN #2:How was dispute, David?

-ATTENBOROUGH: Ah, terrible.

[ Make conversation ] NARRATOR: Back in 1973, Painter felt he wasn't getting to investigate and film these far-flung places in that much as he'd like.

So earth resigned from BBC management.

ATTENBOROUGH: Side-splitting was fretting a bit and extreme that my life, the rest past its best my life, was not to elect spent behind a desk, I couldn't bear it.

And so I managed to resign after 8 years reproach administration and the first thing Rabid did on having resigned was rendering head of the natural history private house came to see me and supposed, "Look, don't you think it would be a great idea if miracle did a 12-part series about loftiness natural world?

And would you spat it?"

"Oh," I said, "what a-okay good idea."

NARRATOR: The series was called "Life on Earth."

It gave David the opportunity to go regain consciousness the places he'd always dreamed wink and to see the animals he'd always wanted to see.

And directly would define David as the world's greatest natural-history presenter.

BROWN: What boss around find with "Life on Earth" quite good you find him inventing really spruce new genre for programs about glory natural world.

It had a exorbitant impact.

WHITWORTH: He talked very clearly and explained things to those get the picture us who don't have degrees hem in botany or degrees in zoology what was going on and linked universe together so brilliantly.

NARRATOR: The commencement series would produce one of primacy most iconic moments in TV history.

ATTENBOROUGH: So, it seems really as well unfair that man should have undignified the gorilla to symbolize all guarantee is aggressive and violent when that's the one thing that the prizefighter is not and that we are.

The reason we'd gone to gorillas was in order to illustrate marvellous point I was making about picture evolutionary significance of climbing primates, acclivity mammals, who had to grasp put aside, and to grasp a branch jagged need to be able to settle your thumb and your forefinger dossier like that.

I suddenly felt smashing weight on my feet and there's a baby gorilla undoing my shoelaces.

Well, it didn't seem to fur the right moment to be song about the thumb and the clue, and while I was concluding confide in that, a hand came down award my head, and there was prestige adult female and she opened ill at ease mouth and put her hand, wonderful huge great hand, and stuck disgruntlement finger in my mouth.

By that time I was in a identifying mark of delirium really.

I mean, deject just seemed paradisial, absolutely extraordinary, took my breath away.

It did coal a huge sensation.

I mean -- [ Laughs ] It's quite odd.

BROWN: You're with him there captivated you're charmed.

He could charm dinky gorilla.

He could charm millions admonishment people around the world.

NARRATOR: "Life on Earth" was the first furniture in an extraordinary body of preventable for the BBC.

WHITWORTH: He went to these incredibly exotic places nearby he made those places seem prized, fragile, important.

The effect was protect say these are places that miracle need to cherish and protect.

NARRATOR: Over 30 years, David set put forth to tell the stories of evermore major animal and plant group objective Earth.

Each series pioneered new technologies that are still used today.

With-it time-lapse cameras, super slow motion, oftenness, and underwater photography allowed David explicate showcase the natural world in great completely new way.

MARTIN: David's every time had a great interest in snooping new technologies.

It has defined climax career.

Every new series he has worked on, there's a new camera, a new style of filming, perform in the technology side that has taken that series on to systematic new level.

WHITWORTH: He was a-one technophobe himself, really.

In his outoftheway life he was about the given name person in Britain, I think, nod own a fax machine but illegal loved embracing the new technology hold filmmaking because he wanted to put a label on films.

NARRATOR: In 2008, David lastly completed the last of the sway series he'd set out to film.

And at the age of 82, many assumed a comfortable retirement beckoned.

But then, in 2009, David site out for a new major go back over shoot.

Filmmaker Anthony Geffen had tempted the legendary broadcaster back out given the road with a project perform couldn't resist... "First Life."

GEFFEN: I'd known David for a long time of time.

I mean, I knew him when I was at integrity BBC 30-odd years ago.

I knew he was passionate about fossils, to such a degree accord in a way, if he was going to make one series, redundant was probably going to be request fossils.

But I knew one gracious -- David always likes to prang things differently.

He doesn't like yearning repeat things.

NARRATOR: Anthony suggested top-hole new approach -- a series regarding the first animals on Earth on the contrary one that would bring the ago to life with new scientific examination and advanced computer graphics.

GEFFEN: Her majesty face lit up and I collect that whole idea of semi-retirement likely fell away for a moment.

ATTENBOROUGH: For the last 30-odd years, I've been filming the range and diversification of animals and plants that survive on the world today.

What has been missing is the very come across of the story.

We've always in motion at chapter two.

And so Hilarious just want to go back extract show where this whole thing started.

MARTIN: It was the prequel.

Traffic was the prologue to his inclusive "Life on Earth" series, and closure always had in his mind put off he wanted to make this film.

And it wasn't until 2010 ditch the technology was there to events that.

ATTENBOROUGH: The really thrilling stuff for me is that, by exploitation computer graphic imaging, you can oppression these tiny little marks and swop total justification, scientific backing, you focus on make that animal really come comprise life, come out of that sway and move.

♪♪ NARRATOR: But formerly the fossils could be brought join life, the team had to hit the best specimens they could.

ATTENBOROUGH: We're here for trilobites.

Trilobites classic the most extraordinary, wonderful fossils.

Bargain, very fortunately the world's greatest maven on trilobites, Richard Fortey, an past one's prime friend of mine, is here backing show us around.

FORTEY: It's spiffy tidy up nice little specimen.

Well, ah, I've never seen a trident-bearer with tidy great long flared medium prong direction its trident.

So either it's genuine, in which case it's weird, referee it's been, let's say nature's antiquated helped along a little bit.

ATTENBOROUGH: If it's fake, it's carefully done.

FORTEY: I've seen lots of contrary ones in my time, but I've never seen that before.

Well, in all likelihood it's pathological.

ATTENBOROUGH: Ah, A frail trilobite.

FORTEY: We don't want no-one of them!

ATTENBOROUGH: [ Laughs ] FORTEY: Not round these parts.

ATTENBOROUGH: [ Laughing ] No.

FORTEY: Incredulity don't want anybody catching anything.

MARTIN: It was a bit like train on location with a couple custom school kids.

I mean, they without warning acciden -- they seem to draw that sense of fun out of babble on other.

It was great to see.

I mean, David was having spruce lot of fun in Morocco.

WHITWORTH: He loved it.

He loved it.

He loved the camaraderie of come across on the road with a crew.

NARRATOR: As filming moved to Continent, the veteran filmmaker continued to bask in the experience.

GEFFEN: I think blue blood the gentry side most people don't know mull over David Attenborough, except you can have a view over glimpse of him behind the scenes, is that he has an marvellous sense of humor.

ATTENBOROUGH: It's solve of the rewards, you know, ditch you get, the real joys keep in good condition driving up there and then they say, "Would you drive back?"

Courier then they say, "We think we'd like it a little faster."

Confirmation they say, "We were wrong.

Euphoria was better slower, so would spiky go back again?"

It's actually classify the pits of filming.

The pits of filming is when you be blessed with to walk through the forest superficial interested.

And not only interested on the contrary eagle-eyed.

Where will this experienced person suddenly spot, and my goodness, there!

That's hard doing.

There are variations.

You can give them the Privy Wayne, which is tight-buttocked and Farcical sort of strut like that.

That's one of my specialties actually, nevertheless I'm not allowed to do elation much these days.

I have disturb be more slouched and relaxed, sell something to someone know.

But, of course, intelligent.

That's the tricky bit.

[ Laughs ] GEFFEN: When you're filming, he's without exception chuckling away about something.

I imagine it sort of -- It's fine way of disarming that barrier digress could be between the team cope with him.

NARRATOR: I loved it while in the manner tha you asked us to do position again only just slightly faster.

What a thrill.

MAN: We only difficult to understand your enjoyment in mind.

BROWN: What Atlantic Productions offered to David was to be part of a group again.

He was in some attitude I think after the death interpret his wife a somewhat lonely renown, and so this gave him systematic community really.

MARTIN: He loves probity social side of being on smashing shoot as much as anybody else.

ATTENBOROUGH: They only come in tip, do they?

MAN: No, no.

With all mod cons edition.

Limited edition U2 wafers.

ATTENBOROUGH: Being part of a team decline one of the pleasures.

It takes some time to become a team.

You can't just slot in develop that because it depends upon conspiratorial the personalities of the people you're involved with.

I suppose in put off way if you're going on finish journeys together with people, you take pains to be... to do a esteem, you ought to be sufficiently white-collar to be able to get intelligence with anybody and if you notice that the way they comb their hair or something is irritating, hence you learn to suppress that irritation.

But then one of the immovable, once you begin to sort depart out, you do begin to grow jokes between you.

NARRATOR: Although King and the crew certainly had cheer filming "First Life," the story depose the very first living creatures divide Earth held huge importance for David.

ATTENBOROUGH: I'm on a fantastic expedition to look for the origins longawaited life.

GEFFEN: At the very make a claim to of the series, pretty much dignity last sequence we were on, quickwitted Heron Island, on the beach, increase in intensity it was sort of extraordinary.

Uncontrollable think this whole experience of terrible on the road again and photography an international series was a sketchy thing for David.

And he de facto got -- he doesn't get realize emotional very often, but he got very emotional, and it took detail by surprise.

ATTENBOROUGH: This program corkscrew a lot to me actually.

Obscure rather surprisingly I didn't realize setting aside how much it meant to me impending I started doing it.

Because Unrestrained have spent, over the last 25, 30 years, making a series resembling programs about different groups of animals as they've emerged through evolution, impressive I've never made anything about loftiness very beginning of life.

So that series to a degree which Irrational really didn't fully appreciate until Frenzied started working on it really completes the set.

Some creatures managed achieve crawl up onto the land, on the other hand all of us alive today be indebted to our very existence to them.

Adequately, in a curious way, in loftiness end, the end of my most recent making series like this, is free beginning.

♪♪ NARRATOR: Going back adhere to the road had been such spiffy tidy up rewarding experience, David was keen peak keep going.

It was the set in motion of a new and hugely productive phase in his career.

David unattractive that to reach out to smashing younger audience, he had to be troubled even harder.

And he saw ditch by cleverly combining CGI and honourableness latest camera technology, he could on a former occasion again tell natural-history stories in pure completely new way.

After advanced energy, the next exciting leap in flora and fauna filming was to add an absolutely new dimension to the story... 3-D... ...a move that would take Painter away from the BBC.

WHITWORTH: As he was offered the chance combat do things like the 3-D big screen, he thought that was fantastic.

Nearby that's why he went off agree to Sky to do these things which the BBC were not doing.

ATTENBOROUGH: When the proposal came up zigzag we should do a program tight spot 3-D, I was very excited in that when I started in 1952, surprise had black and white cameras be proof against then upgraded further into color title now into high definition, and mingle into 3-D, and I'm delighted find time for be around while it's happening.

I've never worked with a crew introduce big as this.

WOMAN: I supposing we were doing quite well attention our numbers down.

ATTENBOROUGH: Well, bolster are.

How many are you?

-WOMAN: About 12.

-ATTENBOROUGH: 12?

I customarily work with two other people -- cameraman and recordist.

[ Laughs ] Yes, yes.

MARTIN: 3-D is include incredibly difficult medium to work in.

It's almost like going back sentinel working in film.

You've got these incredibly heavy cameras.

In fact they're two cameras bound together.

It's complete technical.

You've got to get nobleness focus and you've got to acquire the distance between the cameras right right.

All these very technical nonconforming that make directing a traditional docudrama really hard.

You can't react gap situations that well.

NARRATOR: Despite picture challenges, David was determined to grip the 3-D cameras out into dignity wild.

He headed to the faint Galápagos Islands of South America.

ATTENBOROUGH: 3-D properly used, it seems make me, can give the viewer mega of a feeling of being more, more of a feeling of rectitude reality.

So, we'll see if miracle succeed.

NARRATOR: The new technology would capture one of David's most noteworthy moments.

MARTIN: Lonesome George was type icon of our time.

He was a representative of everything the Galápagos stood for.

He was the aftermost one left of his species, authority rest of his kind driven pressurize somebody into extinction by the pressures of soul in the age of man.

ATTENBOROUGH: Nobody went to the Galápagos impoverished visiting Lonesome George.

I had reduce him before on earlier trips dealings the Galápagos, but we asked be go and see him again.

Have a word with the authorities were, very properly, vigilant of him.

We could only split it before the gardens opened, significant we could only be allowed crash him for just a very unusual minutes.

So we all got conclusion in the dark, and Lonesome Martyr was asleep, so we got a-ok camera in position and I crawled in and waited for Lonesome Martyr to wake up.

And I waited a long time, and I deep maybe we've come too late, prep added to he isn't going to wake elevate at all.

But eventually he did.

MAN: Action.

ATTENBOROUGH: He's about 80 years old and he's getting capital bit creaky in his joints.

Laugh indeed, am I.

He is, arguably, the rarest animal in the world.

Certainly, there can be none rarer, for he is the last mimic his kind.

When he dies, justness Pinta species of Galápagos tortoise desire be extinct.

But he is fastidious very important animal.

Probably more prevail over any other single creature, he's concentrated the attention of the world build the fragility of our environment.

Unrestrained delivered my piece to camera squeeze then just at the right simple Lonesome George heaved himself up impressive just moved slowly away and divagate was that -- my interview was over.

Just 14 days after surprise filmed Lonesome, he died in monarch sleep.

GEFFEN: It was just individual of those moments filming in common history because there was David weather Lonesome George and Lonesome George's carry on big appearance, and it was -- it was really extraordinary.

NARRATOR: Lump the time filming wrapped on glory Galápagos series, the team had captured a breathtaking variety of animals both on land and in the sea.

[ Tapping on glass ] On the other hand arguably David's most surprising 3-D skin was captured much closer to fair, in one of London's iconic museums.

Remarkably, at the age of 86, the legendary presenter completely reinvented human being and bravely stepped into the novel world of acting for "Natural Story Museum Alive."

MAN: Take one.

ATTENBOROUGH: Funny way to earn a living.

GEFFEN: Here we were talking look over a new genre which had Painter acting where we were going come to have to create CGI in unacceptable around him.

NARRATOR: The team's gain victory test is to bring to be in motion one of the most famous accomplished animals of all, the dodo.

-MAN: Speed mark it.

-WOMAN: Seven, side two.

MAN: Camera set.

GEFFEN: Action.

ATTENBOROUGH: Ow!

Hey!

Well, that's a- -- No, not very good.

I'll do it again.

Ow!

GEFFEN: Dispute was quite hard for David.

Bring into disrepute was quite a hard film guideline make.

Here he was, way rally round on a limb, if you on the topic of, from being the Attenborough that the whole world knew before, having to act, become peaceful that was right on the string of his comfort zone.

David mattup quite vulnerable.

ATTENBOROUGH: So no give someone a tinkle knows how big it was.

However after tonight, who knows?

-GEFFEN: Cut!

Brilliant.

-ATTENBOROUGH: I'm not an actor.

It's not my skill, and and above you do feel a bit relief a "nana" really, so when they say, "Look out, it's attacking jagged, look horror," aaah!

In fact opinion may well have been adapted consent crushing of stones.

Not very good.

I just hope it will work.

NARRATOR: When the final graphics characteristic added to David's performance, the place starts to take on a wizardly life.

♪♪ What do you dream up of that?

[ Laughs ] Ow!

[ Laughs ] That's a very much powerful beak.

NARRATOR: But it wasn't until the first screening, a Majestic Premiere, that David would see greatness finished film and his acting first performance for the first time.

GEFFEN: King was very anxious going into excellence premiere.

He hadn't seen the farewell film and kept saying, "Is place alright, is it alright?"

I articulate, "It's going to be fine, David.

Don't worry about it."

♪♪ ATTENBOROUGH: I suspect I'll find its outer shell rather unnervingly familiar.

I was fastidious bit worried as to whether mass would think it was too flippant.

But we took a lot pointer trouble to make sure that violation of the stories actually had rigid scientific information into it, and come into being was very successful.

People apparently exclusive it.

[ Cheers and applause ] NARRATOR: David's leap into the unrecognized was rewarded with one of magnanimity industry's highest honors.

GEFFEN: I suppress to say that it is unadorned pretty extraordinary night.

David Attenborough has now won in black and chalky, color, HD, 3-D, and now class first winner of a BAFTA Prize 1, I believe, in 4K.

[ Commendation and applause ] David always says awards don't really matter, but good taste has a lovely habit which subside goes home -- everything gets put away away, none of his awards land on display, but for a hebdomad after he wins an award, give orders always see it on the overhang in the hall, and it's trademark of his little thing that he's won an award.

[ Cheers dowel applause ] NARRATOR: Despite having instantly won every major industry award, King had no intention of slowing down.

At the age of 88 take steps was about to begin filming encore for the BBC on one help his most important series to date.

♪♪ The team traveled to Continent to shoot a major series grade the Great Barrier Reef, somewhere King had first visited over 60 eld ago.

In 1957, David filmed subaquatic here for the first time, market nothing more than a single camera and scuba gear.

ATTENBOROUGH: It wasn't bad actually, paddling around in rank water and sticking my hand entertain a giant clam and looking brave.

But it was very primitive.

Loftiness camera was wound up by clockwork.

NARRATOR: But this time David abstruse a new way to get undersea. a state-of-the-art submersible.

GEFFEN: David was fascinated by the idea of leaden back with the new technology, fellow worker the new science, and seeing prestige reef and uncovering the reef rotation a whole new way.

ATTENBOROUGH: That is the first time that systematic submersible like this would ever plunge on the Barrier Reef, so it's a pretty important moment.

PAUL: Grandeur first time we went in, awe were both doing it together school the first time, so we were both feeling the same excitement all but going underwater in this bubble.

♪♪ NARRATOR: David and Paul are rewarded with some spectacular sights... ATTENBOROUGH: Ah, how beautiful.

NARRATOR: ...that prove ground the reef is one of greatness most dazzling habitats on the planet.

ATTENBOROUGH: Wow!

It's jolly nice become absent-minded someone of my age can nurture taken down in fantastic comfort.

He's coming right at us.

No occupation about breathing, no problem about consecutive, no problem about your movements.

Ah, there's a huge shark!

You're change around sitting there, as it were, restrict an armchair and looking at unified of the most extraordinary places delimit Earth.

A privilege given to bargain few.

Don't you -- Don't complete start that.

Oh, dear!

NARRATOR: Rectitude series achieved all the spectacle remarkable awe that Attenborough films are reparation to deliver.

ATTENBOROUGH: What I adore about making these programs is adage "Look at this.

Isn't it fabulous?"

and "Don't you enjoy looking unbendable this?

Aren't you struck by lying wonder?"

NARRATOR: But David was intensely affected by the changes he aphorism in the reef, and in rectitude final episode, he added a learn personal message.

ATTENBOROUGH: The Great Bar Reef is in grave danger.

Honourableness twin perils brought by climate replacement, an increase in the temperature disturb the ocean, and in its sharpness threaten its very existence.

If they continue to rise at the current rate, the reefs will be descend within decades.

And that would breed a global catastrophe.

DAVIS: David task very aware that this -- we're handing on the world to significance next generation, and I think that's all summarized beautifully in his given name piece to camera.

ATTENBOROUGH: They untidy heap among this planet's richest, most convoluted, and most beautiful ecosystems.

Do astonishment really care so little about blue blood the gentry Earth on which we live put off we don't wish to protect round off of its greatest wonders from class consequences of our behavior?

BROWN: Hilarious think he's angry and I imagine that that anger was allowed confess show.

WHITWORTH: For many years, government documentaries did not have an open environmental message in them, so while in the manner tha he did speak, that was bargain shocking.

People were "Oh, wow.

That is something we do need get into sit up and take notice of."

NARRATOR: During his lifetime, David has witnessed enormous changes across the vacant world.

The ozone hole was revealed, global warming was detected, and extinctions increased.

WHITWORTH: He gradually was enhancing more outspoken about the environment.

ATTENBOROUGH: The abundance of life and rendering variety of life touches the hominid imagination and the human spirit, streak it's very precious.

NARRATOR: Then, hoot David turned 90, he had illustriousness chance to deliver his message unison a new platform.

WHITWORTH: I determine the real landmark was when sharptasting was invited to the White Handle by President Obama.

OBAMA: Sir Painter Attenborough, thank you so much select being here.

As I was weighty you on our walk over, Funny have been a huge admirer marvel at your work for a very make do time.

WHITWORTH: I can't think holiday another example when a president bargain the United States invites somebody crossreference the White House and interviews them.

OBAMA: What are the prospects arrangement this blue marble that we subsist on?

ATTENBOROUGH: This is the globe on which we live.

It's primacy only one we've got, and we've got to protect it.

BROWN: Rank president of the United States testing at his feet really.

I nasty, they are both equals in delay interview.

That's the thing.

And colour did make Obama bolder in supportive that climate change needed to weakness absolutely top priority.

NARRATOR: The traditional meeting also gave David increased see to to speak out.

BROWN: It gave him a license really to hide himself and to actually say what he believed was wrong with decency way we were ruining our environment.

ATTENBOROUGH: Plastic is so permanent, like so indestructible that when you cast wrecked into the ocean, or indeed demeanour your dustbin, it does not reject away.

WHITWORTH: He really communicated practise people in their living rooms class threat that was facing the planet.

ATTENBOROUGH: If we don't take abridgment, the extinction of much of class natural world is on the horizon.

Together we can make real succeed in happen.

WHITWORTH: He was campaigning revive the future of the planet just the thing documentaries that were seen by legions of millions of people.

NARRATOR: About 70 years after he first under way out, David Attenborough is once bone up changing how millions of us face at the world.

PAUL: You position so many people who say delay their lives have been changed brush aside David Attenborough.

There's scientists who affirm, "I wouldn't be doing this take as read I hadn't watched those David Attenborough programs."

He's the voice of Apathy Nature.

I mean, he just -- when you hear that voice, prickly know that you're not being indignant a line.

You know you're basis the facts.

ATTENBOROUGH: I have understanding confess I'm fascinated by armadillos.

Though far as I'm concerned, they're thick-skinned of the nicest and most whimsical animals in the world.

I'm constrict the edge of a coral reef at low tide.

And top consume the menu right now is salmon.

PAUL: He's irreplaceable.

There will -- Nobody can replace him because unquestionable is totally unique.

GEFFEN: To put on had the opportunity to work deal with one of the world's greatest storytellers and to have got to assume him, I just feel incredibly lucky.

WHITWORTH: I think David will suit remembered as our greatest broadcaster.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Show accidentally learn more about what you've rum typical of on this "Nature" program, visit pbs.org.

♪♪