The BBC has recently announced two brand new Natural History programmes for BBC One and BBC Two with Sir David Attenborough for 2016: a special one-off interview with David to mark his 90th birthday next year, presented by Kirsty Young; and a programme looking at the enchanting world of bioluminescence.
“2015 has been an outstanding year for Natural History on the BBC. Big Blue Live achieved a number of world firsts, including the very first live broadcast of a blue whale, while landmark series The Hunt on BBC One is currently astounding over five million viewers each week. The Watches are going from strength to strength, and series such as Japan, Pets: Wild At Heart, Shark and Alaska: Earth’s Frozen Kingdom have brought new audiences to our Natural History content; and we have much more to come next year with our innovative migration series The Great Race, and our blue chip landmark series, One Planet.” Tom McDonald, Head of Commissioning, Natural History and Special Factual Formats commented “The two new programmes demonstrate the integral role David continues to play in the success of Natural History on the BBC. With Great Barrier Reef launching soon, Waking Giants in the New Year and these two new titles for 2016, I’m delighted to have such a rich range of projects with David airing in the same year as his 90th birthday.”
“It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty, the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living.” Sir David Attenborough commented.
Mr. McDonald explained that Inspiring Attenborough: Sir David At 90 will be a one-hour special, produced by the Natural History Unit, broadcaster Kirsty Young will talk to David about his career, the inspiring people he has met, the extraordinary journeys he has made, and the incredible animal encounters he has had across the globe. While Light on Earth will highlight the spectacular and magical light produced by glow worms, fire flies and luminous plankton is what most of us know as bioluminescence – light made by living things. But those familiar glows and flashes are just a tiny, easily observed fragment of a previously unexplored, mysterious realm.