MAKING LIFE ON EARTH: ATTENBOROUGH'S GREATEST ADVENTURE

LIFE ON EARTH became a landmark BBC success. It established a tradition of spectacular, high-quality programmes that brought the complexity and wonder of the wildlife into millions of homes. The series took three years to make. Its crew travelled across the globe, visiting 40 countries on several continents and filming more than 600 species, including the now-famous encounter with mountain gorillas. LIFE ON EARTH series also made spectacular use of colour television, transforming the way audiences experienced wildlife on their screens. First broadcast in 1979, the series reached an audience of around 500 million people worldwide. It was a major turning point in Attenborough’s career. 

From then on, he became one of the most influential and celebrated figures in natural history filmmaking. His unmistakable voice, together with his curiosity, affection and respect for wildlife, has accompanied generations of viewers. For nearly half a century, Attenborough has introduced audiences to animals and ecosystems most of us will never encounter in the wild, changing the way millions of people think about the natural world.

The documentary also uncovers the stories and mishaps that unfolded behind the camera. It reveals just how formidable an undertaking LIFE ON EARTH was in an age before email and instant communication, when arranging a meeting on the other side of the world could be an adventure in itself. The result? An extraordinary effort became part of BBC history and helped set the standard for the natural history television that followed.

Screening presented in collaboration with BBC Earth.

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Text: Dorota Reksińska