Who’s Who in Green: Sir David Attenborough

For decades, Sir David Attenborough has been the voice of nature programs on the BBC, lending his narrative skills to such documentaries as Planet Earth. His thoughtful, understated yet emotional narration set the tone for hundreds of nature-themed television specials.  The famed naturalist may have stopped traveling the globe, but at 82 years old, he’s far from retired, still working on documentaries related to the natural world.

Attenborough, the younger brother of actor Richard Attenborough, first began his career in broadcasting in 1952 when he joined BBC Television.  In 1954, he began one of the most successful and adventurous series of his career, Zoo Quest, which took him to some of the wildest parts of the world for 10 years.  Attenborough – who, as Controller of BBC2, was responsible for the introduction of color television in Britain – took on increasing responsibilities at the network, becoming Director of Programs in 1969.

Editorial responsibilities didn’t fulfill his desire to travel and learn, however, so it wasn’t long before he was back on the road, hosting series like Eastwards with Attenborough and The Tribal Eye. In the late 1970s, Sir David Attenborough helped bring a passion for the environment to millions of viewers with the 13-part series Life on Earth, which was seen by 500 million viewers worldwide. Throughout the 1980s, Attenborough worked on such programs as The Living Planet, Trials of Life, The First Eden and Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives.

Since then, Attenborough has worked on such award-winning programs as The Private Life of Plants, Wildlife Specials and The Blue Planet. In recognition of his contributions to educational television programming, Sir Attenborough has been knighted, awarded with honorary degrees, and given prestigious awards including Fellowship of the Royal Society.  He is a trustee of the British Museum and the Royal Botanic Gardens and is also President of the Royal Society for Nature Conservation.

In 2006, viewers rated their favorite David Attenborough television moments in honor of the naturalist’s 80th birthday.  At number one came a sequence with the Lyre bird, which can imitate the sounds of cameras and chainsaws with astounding accuracy:

So famous is Attenborough’s signature delivery and pronunciation that he’s been spoofed time and time again on programs like South Park and Monty Python’s Flying Circus.  The stark contrast between Attenborough’s soothing, observational narration and that of American nature program narrators with their loud, exclamation-point-laden, anthropomorphic style is also frequently noted.

That’s what makes Attenborough’s contributions to educational programs about the natural world so special.  He has provided a hushed, respectful excitement that brims with contagious wonder to nature programs that have shaped a love of the natural world for millions of people across the globe. Sir David Attenborough has left an indelible mark on nature-themed television programming, giving the new generation of narrators an awful lot to live up to.

Sir David Attenborough’s Green Score: 85,003

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