1
00:00:00,966 --> 00:00:08,466
♪♪

2
00:00:08,466 --> 00:00:12,400
ATTENBOROUGH: The Great Barrier
Reef is in grave danger.

3
00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:14,500
NARRATOR: For over 65 years,

4
00:00:14,500 --> 00:00:18,900
Sir David Attenborough has been
the voice of the natural world.

5
00:00:18,900 --> 00:00:20,633
He's taken audiences

6
00:00:20,633 --> 00:00:23,333
to the most extraordinary places
on the planet,

7
00:00:23,333 --> 00:00:26,033
inspired generation
after generation...

8
00:00:26,033 --> 00:00:28,033
ATTENBOROUGH: The blue whale!

9
00:00:28,033 --> 00:00:30,366
NARRATOR: ...and he's become one
of the most loved

10
00:00:30,366 --> 00:00:33,500
and respected
broadcasters of our time.

11
00:00:33,500 --> 00:00:34,666
ATTENBOROUGH: There it is.

12
00:00:37,300 --> 00:00:40,800
NARRATOR:
David Attenborough's life is
one of the most remarkable

13
00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:43,200
in broadcast history.

14
00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:44,866
BROWN:
He'll be remembered as the man

15
00:00:44,866 --> 00:00:50,100
who created natural-history
programming on such a scale

16
00:00:50,100 --> 00:00:52,300
that it became
a global phenomenon.

17
00:00:52,300 --> 00:00:54,866
WHITWORTH: He had a way
of explaining difficult issues

18
00:00:54,866 --> 00:00:57,166
and taking people
to these amazing places

19
00:00:57,166 --> 00:00:59,466
that was deceptively simple.

20
00:00:59,466 --> 00:01:01,900
ATTENBOROUGH:
The Galápagos Islands.

21
00:01:01,900 --> 00:01:06,000
These have been called
nature's greatest experiment.

22
00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:09,000
YENTOB: So, the truth is there's
no one like David.

23
00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:12,833
NARRATOR: In a career that spans
the age of television itself,

24
00:01:12,833 --> 00:01:16,300
David has produced some
of its most iconic moments...

25
00:01:16,300 --> 00:01:18,133
ATTENBOROUGH: Aha!

26
00:01:18,133 --> 00:01:21,066
NARRATOR: ...and he's pioneered
new filming technologies

27
00:01:21,066 --> 00:01:24,766
to bring his stories to life.

28
00:01:24,766 --> 00:01:28,233
ATTENBOROUGH: Nobody has ever
dived as deep as this before

29
00:01:28,233 --> 00:01:31,466
on the Great Barrier Reef.

30
00:01:31,466 --> 00:01:35,933
NARRATOR:
But audiences rarely get to
see the man behind the lens.

31
00:01:35,933 --> 00:01:38,966
ATTENBOROUGH:
Don't you start that! Oh, dear!

32
00:01:38,966 --> 00:01:43,333
Someone said, "If you're
tired of the history of life,

33
00:01:43,333 --> 00:01:47,133
you really must be
tired of living."

34
00:01:47,133 --> 00:01:48,800
I can't believe that's true.

35
00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:49,966
That's utter [bleep]

36
00:01:49,966 --> 00:01:53,100
[ Laughter ]

37
00:01:54,366 --> 00:01:58,000
NARRATOR:
Now, bringing together footage
from behind the scenes...

38
00:01:58,000 --> 00:01:59,366
ATTENBOROUGH: Yeah?

39
00:01:59,366 --> 00:02:01,666
NARRATOR: ...intimate interviews
filmed on location,

40
00:02:01,666 --> 00:02:04,466
and highlights from
his groundbreaking films...

41
00:02:04,466 --> 00:02:06,300
ATTENBOROUGH: Oh!

42
00:02:06,300 --> 00:02:10,000
NARRATOR: ...this is "David
Attenborough's Life Journey."

43
00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:32,300
♪♪

44
00:02:49,666 --> 00:02:53,500
NARRATOR:
As one of the world's most
respected wildlife filmmakers,

45
00:02:53,500 --> 00:02:56,633
Sir David Attenborough
has dedicated over 65 years

46
00:02:56,633 --> 00:02:59,033
of his life
to traveling the globe,

47
00:02:59,033 --> 00:03:02,966
gaining a unique insight
into the changing natural world.

48
00:03:05,500 --> 00:03:10,566
ATTENBOROUGH:
I'm on a fantastic journey
to look for the origins of life.

49
00:03:10,566 --> 00:03:12,933
I shall be traveling
not only round the world

50
00:03:12,933 --> 00:03:14,800
but back in time

51
00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:18,200
to try and build a picture
of what life was like

52
00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:21,133
in that very early period.

53
00:03:21,133 --> 00:03:23,333
NARRATOR: The images of wildlife
he's brought into

54
00:03:23,333 --> 00:03:26,600
our homes have revolutionized
our understanding

55
00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:30,266
and appreciation of nature.

56
00:03:30,266 --> 00:03:33,766
From below the waters
of the Pacific...

57
00:03:33,766 --> 00:03:36,600
to high above
the tropical rainforests...

58
00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:41,000
♪♪

59
00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:43,366
...and even deep inside
the secret world

60
00:03:43,366 --> 00:03:46,500
of bugs and plants...

61
00:03:46,500 --> 00:03:49,133
Attenborough's films
have taken viewers to places

62
00:03:49,133 --> 00:03:52,166
they'd never been before.

63
00:03:52,166 --> 00:03:58,600
ATTENBOROUGH: He is, arguably,
the rarest animal in the world.

64
00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:02,400
NARRATOR:
David's landmark series have
been seen by billions of people

65
00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:04,366
across the globe.

66
00:04:04,366 --> 00:04:07,066
And this popularity
now allows him to highlight

67
00:04:07,066 --> 00:04:11,133
the extreme challenges
facing our changing world.

68
00:04:11,133 --> 00:04:13,133
ATTENBOROUGH: This is the planet
on which we live.

69
00:04:13,133 --> 00:04:17,100
It's the only one we've got,
and we've got to protect it.

70
00:04:17,100 --> 00:04:19,533
BROWN: I actually can't think
of anybody else

71
00:04:19,533 --> 00:04:22,100
who has had such
a positive impact.

72
00:04:22,100 --> 00:04:25,066
YENTOB: His ability to share
things with people,

73
00:04:25,066 --> 00:04:27,266
to make you look at the world
in a way

74
00:04:27,266 --> 00:04:31,300
that you hadn't quite before.

75
00:04:31,300 --> 00:04:34,900
WHITWORTH: I mean, he's
our greatest communicator.

76
00:04:34,900 --> 00:04:37,133
♪♪

77
00:04:38,933 --> 00:04:41,866
NARRATOR: But how did Sir David
Attenborough become our planet's

78
00:04:41,866 --> 00:04:45,300
most revered conservationist?

79
00:04:45,300 --> 00:04:50,033
And why has he been loved and
admired by so many for so long?

80
00:04:50,033 --> 00:04:53,800
♪♪

81
00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:56,633
David's fascination
with life on Earth began

82
00:04:56,633 --> 00:04:58,466
when he was a young boy,

83
00:04:58,466 --> 00:05:02,066
collecting fossils
near his home in Leicestershire.

84
00:05:02,066 --> 00:05:04,966
ATTENBOROUGH:
This is the Charnwood
Forest in Leicestershire.

85
00:05:04,966 --> 00:05:08,733
As a schoolboy
I grew up near here.

86
00:05:08,733 --> 00:05:12,466
NARRATOR: It was the discoveries
David made here in the 1930s

87
00:05:12,466 --> 00:05:16,300
that inspired his lifelong
search to uncover the secrets

88
00:05:16,300 --> 00:05:18,566
of the natural world.

89
00:05:18,566 --> 00:05:21,466
ATTENBOROUGH: When I was a boy
growing up in the Midlands,

90
00:05:21,466 --> 00:05:23,500
in Leicester,

91
00:05:23,500 --> 00:05:25,533
the rocks and limestones you
found in the east of the country

92
00:05:25,533 --> 00:05:27,433
were full of the
most magical things.

93
00:05:27,433 --> 00:05:29,166
You hit a stone,
and it suddenly fell open,

94
00:05:29,166 --> 00:05:32,066
and there was
this amazing coiled shell,

95
00:05:32,066 --> 00:05:34,100
beautiful and extraordinary,

96
00:05:34,100 --> 00:05:38,100
and nobody had seen that for
150 million years, except you.

97
00:05:38,100 --> 00:05:40,733
So I thought it was
very romantic and exciting.

98
00:05:40,733 --> 00:05:43,266
And it appealed
to the small boy's instinct

99
00:05:43,266 --> 00:05:45,133
of collecting things.

100
00:05:45,133 --> 00:05:47,300
To be honest
I don't think I've really lost.

101
00:05:47,300 --> 00:05:49,100
But anyway,
I certainly had it then.

102
00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:54,466
NARRATOR:
The awe and wonder first
experienced by that 7-year-old

103
00:05:54,466 --> 00:05:58,466
was nurtured
by his academic parents.

104
00:05:58,466 --> 00:06:04,200
David was the middle of three
sons born to Mary and Frederick,

105
00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:06,000
his eldest brother, Richard,

106
00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:07,633
growing up
to become an Oscar-winning

107
00:06:07,633 --> 00:06:09,500
actor and director.

108
00:06:12,500 --> 00:06:16,000
The family lived in the grounds
of Leicester University.

109
00:06:19,700 --> 00:06:21,800
ATTENBOROUGH:
That was the university --

110
00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:26,000
Well, it was, as the press were
quick to point out,

111
00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:27,866
a lunatic asylum,

112
00:06:27,866 --> 00:06:31,233
and it was taken over by
the University College, you see.

113
00:06:31,233 --> 00:06:35,433
And we lived in that, which was
the superintendent's house,

114
00:06:35,433 --> 00:06:37,133
which is College House.

115
00:06:37,133 --> 00:06:41,433
Then there's a big park,
the Victoria Park.

116
00:06:41,433 --> 00:06:43,133
And there's my father.

117
00:06:43,133 --> 00:06:47,400
He was Principal of the
University College in the 1930s.

118
00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:50,833
And there he is,
looking younger than me.

119
00:06:50,833 --> 00:06:52,700
Though he didn't have any hair,

120
00:06:52,700 --> 00:06:54,700
but not since he was
about 28, I think.

121
00:06:54,700 --> 00:06:56,200
[ Chuckles ]

122
00:06:59,100 --> 00:07:01,533
NARRATOR: David's early passion
for the natural world

123
00:07:01,533 --> 00:07:04,700
won him a scholarship
to Cambridge University.

124
00:07:04,700 --> 00:07:08,166
This enabled him to indulge
his growing fascination.

125
00:07:11,866 --> 00:07:14,100
But though he would
eventually go on to present

126
00:07:14,100 --> 00:07:17,366
and narrate hundreds of hours
of films,

127
00:07:17,366 --> 00:07:23,033
surprisingly, his long career
in TV began quite by chance.

128
00:07:23,033 --> 00:07:28,033
ATTENBOROUGH:
I saw an advertisement in
The Times for a sound radio job,

129
00:07:28,033 --> 00:07:30,000
which I applied for,

130
00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:33,600
and didn't even get an interview
but some week

131
00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:35,433
or so afterwards I got
a letter from someone

132
00:07:35,433 --> 00:07:38,100
who said they'd got this
new thing called television.

133
00:07:38,100 --> 00:07:39,500
Was I interested?

134
00:07:39,500 --> 00:07:42,300
And then they said they
would pay me a thousand pounds

135
00:07:42,300 --> 00:07:44,166
to go on the training course,

136
00:07:44,166 --> 00:07:45,966
and that was three times
what I was being paid

137
00:07:45,966 --> 00:07:47,566
at the time in the publishers,

138
00:07:47,566 --> 00:07:50,266
so I thought well, I'll give
it a go.

139
00:07:50,266 --> 00:07:52,800
NARRATOR: Television in the '50s
was brand-new,

140
00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:56,866
with the BBC broadcasting
the first programs in Europe.

141
00:07:56,866 --> 00:08:00,266
David had never seen
a television program before,

142
00:08:00,266 --> 00:08:04,400
but even so, began work
as a production assistant.

143
00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:07,166
ATTENBOROUGH:
I was apprentice to a producer

144
00:08:07,166 --> 00:08:09,500
who was regarded
as a very experienced man

145
00:08:09,500 --> 00:08:11,500
because he'd been there
for three months

146
00:08:11,500 --> 00:08:13,666
and he'd already produced
one program, you know,

147
00:08:13,666 --> 00:08:17,333
so he knew where everything was.

148
00:08:17,333 --> 00:08:20,166
NARRATOR: Within a few years
of joining the BBC,

149
00:08:20,166 --> 00:08:22,766
David helped launch
"Zoo Quest,"

150
00:08:22,766 --> 00:08:26,033
one of the very first
natural-history series.

151
00:08:26,033 --> 00:08:28,900
It would give him the
perfect opportunity to travel

152
00:08:28,900 --> 00:08:32,100
and film the remotest parts
of the world.

153
00:08:32,100 --> 00:08:34,000
ATTENBOROUGH: I had a friend
in the London Zoo

154
00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:35,633
and he and I cooked up an idea

155
00:08:35,633 --> 00:08:39,133
that the London Zoo should send
out a collecting expedition,

156
00:08:39,133 --> 00:08:41,466
which of course
we wouldn't conceivably do now

157
00:08:41,466 --> 00:08:44,300
but in those days
it was possible.

158
00:08:44,300 --> 00:08:48,566
And the idea would be
that I would accompany this chap

159
00:08:48,566 --> 00:08:52,966
who was an expert on snakes and
I'd see him pouncing on a snake

160
00:08:52,966 --> 00:08:55,533
and then from that film sequence
we would go to him

161
00:08:55,533 --> 00:08:58,266
in the studio live,
with the same snake

162
00:08:58,266 --> 00:09:02,000
and he'd be
able to talk about the details,

163
00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:04,566
and that was the basis
called "Zoo Quest."

164
00:09:05,066 --> 00:09:08,966
NARRATOR:
At first, David's bosses
rejected him as a presenter

165
00:09:08,966 --> 00:09:11,733
because they felt
his teeth were too big.

166
00:09:11,733 --> 00:09:14,733
But then something unexpected
happened.

167
00:09:14,733 --> 00:09:17,133
ATTENBOROUGH: Jack Lester, who
was the man from the Zoo,

168
00:09:17,133 --> 00:09:18,900
had acquired a tropical disease.

169
00:09:18,900 --> 00:09:21,366
He collapsed after
the first show,

170
00:09:21,366 --> 00:09:23,233
and the head of my department

171
00:09:23,233 --> 00:09:25,200
or the head of television
actually said, "Oh, look,

172
00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:27,700
if Jack Lester can't do it
the show's got to go on.

173
00:09:27,700 --> 00:09:30,566
The only other person that could
do it is Attenborough.

174
00:09:30,566 --> 00:09:33,700
Tell him that he's got to leave
the producer's gallery

175
00:09:33,700 --> 00:09:35,766
and go down on the floor
and do it."

176
00:09:36,900 --> 00:09:39,800
BROWN:
What I really remember about
"Zoo Quest" is just adoring it

177
00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:42,633
and making a date to watch it,
and I was a really small child.

178
00:09:42,633 --> 00:09:45,066
I was absolutely determined
to watch David.

179
00:09:45,066 --> 00:09:47,200
Now, I think the reason was that

180
00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:50,833
he had this natural
personal charm

181
00:09:50,833 --> 00:09:53,100
but he also knew what
he was talking about.

182
00:09:54,733 --> 00:09:56,500
He has this massive fan base

183
00:09:56,500 --> 00:09:58,600
that has been accruing
over the years

184
00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:01,266
and "Zoo Quest" was
the beginning of it.

185
00:10:01,266 --> 00:10:03,933
ATTENBOROUGH: We spent the first
part of our trip in Paraguay...

186
00:10:03,933 --> 00:10:06,533
NARRATOR: From those first
moments in front of the camera,

187
00:10:06,533 --> 00:10:09,600
David had plenty of time
to hone a presenting style

188
00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:12,233
that would become loved
the world over.

189
00:10:12,233 --> 00:10:14,533
MAN: Okay, David. And action!

190
00:10:14,533 --> 00:10:17,333
ATTENBOROUGH:
Nobody knows why he's pink.

191
00:10:18,700 --> 00:10:19,800
[ Laughs ]

192
00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:23,466
NARRATOR: But even after decades
of practice,

193
00:10:23,466 --> 00:10:27,300
delivering his lines takes
more effort than meets the eye.

194
00:10:29,833 --> 00:10:31,900
On location in Australia,

195
00:10:31,900 --> 00:10:33,500
David's going through a ritual

196
00:10:33,500 --> 00:10:37,533
he's performed thousands
of times before.

197
00:10:37,533 --> 00:10:40,333
MAN: So what is the piece
in your head now?

198
00:10:40,333 --> 00:10:42,466
ATTENBOROUGH: Um. [ Laughs ]
Very good question.

199
00:10:42,466 --> 00:10:45,100
You've got to convey something,
some fact.

200
00:10:45,100 --> 00:10:46,533
You've got to get it right.

201
00:10:46,533 --> 00:10:50,366
In 1946 geologist
Reg Sprigg found a fossil here

202
00:10:50,366 --> 00:10:52,133
near the Ediacaran Hills.

203
00:10:52,133 --> 00:10:54,766
And once having got it
right in your mind,

204
00:10:54,766 --> 00:10:56,700
you then try
and put it into words.

205
00:10:58,066 --> 00:11:03,400
Which, until that moment,
had been -- until then. No.

206
00:11:03,400 --> 00:11:05,366
And the first words
that come out of my lips

207
00:11:05,366 --> 00:11:11,966
at any rate are jumbled
and confused and circumlocutory

208
00:11:11,966 --> 00:11:15,500
and fumbling for exactitude.

209
00:11:15,500 --> 00:11:19,400
But it was the discovery of,
uh...

210
00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:21,100
It's very difficult
to think about anything

211
00:11:21,100 --> 00:11:23,366
when someone's fumbling
in your genitals.

212
00:11:23,366 --> 00:11:25,533
[ Laughter ]

213
00:11:25,533 --> 00:11:26,700
It's sort of tricky.

214
00:11:26,700 --> 00:11:30,333
But it was a discovery in 1957.

215
00:11:30,333 --> 00:11:33,700
I have to walk up and down
and say it to myself

216
00:11:33,700 --> 00:11:36,366
and hope I'll be
able to say it to the camera.

217
00:11:36,366 --> 00:11:38,566
GEFFEN: David is as close to
a one-take wonder as you get.

218
00:11:38,566 --> 00:11:40,833
Once he's gone through
the "Attenborough preparation,"

219
00:11:40,833 --> 00:11:42,066
it's just almost fail-safe.

220
00:11:42,066 --> 00:11:43,966
It just comes out.

221
00:11:43,966 --> 00:11:47,566
ATTENBOROUGH: In 1946,
an Australian geologist,

222
00:11:47,566 --> 00:11:49,600
Reg Sprigg, working here

223
00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:52,900
in the Ediacara Hills
of South Australia...

224
00:11:52,900 --> 00:11:56,900
NARRATOR:
David's trademark delivery
has endeared him to millions,

225
00:11:56,900 --> 00:12:00,100
and back in the '50s,
the producers of "Zoo Quest"

226
00:12:00,100 --> 00:12:01,933
saw this talent grow.

227
00:12:01,933 --> 00:12:04,700
[ Up-tempo music plays ]

228
00:12:04,700 --> 00:12:06,800
BROWN: It's this thing
of being personable

229
00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:10,800
and not talking down to people,
talking to you.

230
00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:14,600
NARRATOR:
He was given the job of
presenter on a permanent basis.

231
00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:16,933
ATTENBOROUGH: I explained to
the men as best I could

232
00:12:16,933 --> 00:12:18,633
that I'd come to their valley

233
00:12:18,633 --> 00:12:21,866
to try and get some of the birds
of paradise alive.

234
00:12:21,866 --> 00:12:26,766
♪♪

235
00:12:26,766 --> 00:12:30,200
NARRATOR:
David's ability to present
his lines on the first take,

236
00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:31,966
even under pressure,

237
00:12:31,966 --> 00:12:34,266
is something his
camera crews came to rely on.

238
00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:39,000
On Loch Lomond in Scotland,

239
00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:43,733
David's team is planning an
ambitious sequence with swans.

240
00:12:43,733 --> 00:12:47,733
But filming animals is
never straightforward.

241
00:12:47,733 --> 00:12:52,233
LEE: We want to film David
with a group of swans

242
00:12:52,233 --> 00:12:56,333
flying alongside him as he goes
along the loch in a boat.

243
00:12:56,333 --> 00:12:58,000
It should be amazing.

244
00:12:58,766 --> 00:13:00,733
[ Swan honks ]
NARRATOR: To do that,

245
00:13:00,733 --> 00:13:03,833
the team would need the help
of some very accommodating swans

246
00:13:03,833 --> 00:13:06,266
and their handler, Rose Buck.

247
00:13:06,266 --> 00:13:08,766
[ Swans honking ]

248
00:13:08,766 --> 00:13:12,033
ATTENBOROUGH:
She has this extraordinary
empathy with animals,

249
00:13:12,033 --> 00:13:14,733
and you can see
her love and understanding

250
00:13:14,733 --> 00:13:16,466
of them, and them of her.

251
00:13:16,466 --> 00:13:23,700
♪♪

252
00:13:23,700 --> 00:13:25,566
NARRATOR:
For the sequence to work,

253
00:13:25,566 --> 00:13:28,733
the birds have to fly within
10 feet of the camera.

254
00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:33,333
With Rose positioned
just out of the shot

255
00:13:33,333 --> 00:13:35,966
and calling from the front
of the boat,

256
00:13:35,966 --> 00:13:38,700
the flock begins to follow.

257
00:13:38,700 --> 00:13:41,166
But the big challenge is
to get David to deliver

258
00:13:41,166 --> 00:13:44,066
his lines together
with the flying swans.

259
00:13:46,500 --> 00:13:48,500
NARRATOR: They're doing their
best, and they're following you,

260
00:13:48,500 --> 00:13:51,066
but they don't
necessarily understand exactly

261
00:13:51,066 --> 00:13:52,566
where they ought to be
for the camera.

262
00:13:52,566 --> 00:13:54,033
They behave marvelously,

263
00:13:54,033 --> 00:13:55,866
but sometimes they don't realize

264
00:13:55,866 --> 00:13:57,300
that they should have been
on the starboard side,

265
00:13:57,300 --> 00:13:58,766
and they are on the port side.

266
00:13:58,766 --> 00:14:00,666
I mean it takes a long time.

267
00:14:00,666 --> 00:14:05,166
♪♪

268
00:14:05,166 --> 00:14:07,500
NARRATOR:
After several failed attempts,

269
00:14:07,500 --> 00:14:10,033
the weather turns for the worse.

270
00:14:10,033 --> 00:14:12,633
The team has one last chance.

271
00:14:12,633 --> 00:14:18,466
♪♪

272
00:14:18,466 --> 00:14:20,466
GEFFEN:
Eventually the magic happened.

273
00:14:20,466 --> 00:14:21,866
The swans absolutely hit it.

274
00:14:21,866 --> 00:14:29,033
♪♪

275
00:14:29,033 --> 00:14:31,433
ATTENBOROUGH: When you are close
up to a flying bird

276
00:14:31,433 --> 00:14:35,133
like this, you can see
what a wonderful piece

277
00:14:35,133 --> 00:14:37,833
of complex engineering
their wings are.

278
00:14:41,333 --> 00:14:44,666
Able to change their shape
and their beat

279
00:14:44,666 --> 00:14:48,766
to respond to every
little change in the currents

280
00:14:48,766 --> 00:14:50,666
of the air around them.

281
00:14:50,666 --> 00:14:54,233
And so propel them forward
and lift them upwards.

282
00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:57,566
Ooh!
[ Laughs ]

283
00:14:57,566 --> 00:15:04,566
♪♪

284
00:15:04,566 --> 00:15:09,500
NARRATOR:
David had brought another
spectacular sequence to life.

285
00:15:09,500 --> 00:15:12,966
GEFFEN:
I think that because David grew
up in an era where, you know,

286
00:15:12,966 --> 00:15:15,700
you only had one or two
rolls of film, he knows

287
00:15:15,700 --> 00:15:17,333
that you have to do
things precisely.

288
00:15:17,333 --> 00:15:19,366
You don't just film it
constantly.

289
00:15:19,366 --> 00:15:22,100
He is a man of the moment.
He knows when the moment is big.

290
00:15:22,100 --> 00:15:26,000
♪♪

291
00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:28,733
NARRATOR: Over nearly 70 years
of filmmaking,

292
00:15:28,733 --> 00:15:31,866
David has encountered many
different species of animal.

293
00:15:31,866 --> 00:15:33,333
ATTENBOROUGH:
There we are. Come on, boy.

294
00:15:33,333 --> 00:15:35,200
NARRATOR:
His love for them is famous

295
00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:38,666
and has made him popular
with audiences across the world.

296
00:15:38,666 --> 00:15:40,633
But what's less well-known is
that

297
00:15:40,633 --> 00:15:43,500
when David started out
presenting "Zoo Quest,"

298
00:15:43,500 --> 00:15:46,733
he ended up taking some
of the animals home.

299
00:15:46,733 --> 00:15:49,633
ATTENBOROUGH:
It didn't necessarily follow
that the Zoo wanted everything

300
00:15:49,633 --> 00:15:51,466
that I brought back.

301
00:15:51,466 --> 00:15:57,100
And so I found myself doing
all sorts of barmy things.

302
00:15:57,100 --> 00:15:59,966
NARRATOR: David's family home
became a menagerie,

303
00:15:59,966 --> 00:16:03,366
with his wife Jane and children,
Susan and Robert, helping

304
00:16:03,366 --> 00:16:05,333
with the upkeep of the animals.

305
00:16:05,333 --> 00:16:08,133
ATTENBOROUGH: We had a pair of
lemurs at home.

306
00:16:08,133 --> 00:16:09,733
And chameleons.

307
00:16:09,733 --> 00:16:12,533
We had a breeding colony
of bush babies.

308
00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:17,433
They had an unfortunate habit
of peeing on their hands

309
00:16:17,433 --> 00:16:19,333
and then rubbing
their hands together

310
00:16:19,333 --> 00:16:22,866
and patting everything
around to make them smell good.

311
00:16:24,233 --> 00:16:27,733
Friends coming to dinner
would arrive and open the door

312
00:16:27,733 --> 00:16:29,733
and you could see them
dilate their nostrils

313
00:16:29,733 --> 00:16:33,266
and think, "That's not
mulligatawny soup, you know.

314
00:16:33,266 --> 00:16:36,200
What is it -- What are we having
for dinner tonight?"

315
00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:38,400
And I will regret
to say it was bush baby urine.

316
00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:40,866
So, after a bit,
my dear wife thought

317
00:16:40,866 --> 00:16:44,433
that this was not compatible
with domestic hospitality

318
00:16:44,433 --> 00:16:46,366
and one thing and another,
and so we got rid of them.

319
00:16:49,100 --> 00:16:51,833
NARRATOR: David's lifelong
fascination with animals

320
00:16:51,833 --> 00:16:55,633
is equaled by his
unstoppable love of adventure.

321
00:16:57,766 --> 00:16:59,566
In the forests of Borneo,

322
00:16:59,566 --> 00:17:02,166
David wanted to film
a rare tree frog

323
00:17:02,166 --> 00:17:04,166
high in the canopy.

324
00:17:04,166 --> 00:17:08,666
But to do this, David, the
cameraman and all the equipment,

325
00:17:08,666 --> 00:17:11,600
must be winched up
over 100 feet.

326
00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:12,900
MAN: Yeah.

327
00:17:15,066 --> 00:17:18,666
GEFFEN: This just shows David's
incredible zest for adventure.

328
00:17:18,666 --> 00:17:24,000
At the age of 88, he's prepared
to be pulled up a tree.

329
00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:25,233
MAN: It feels like
it wants to tip you out.

330
00:17:25,233 --> 00:17:26,900
ATTENBOROUGH: Does it?

331
00:17:26,900 --> 00:17:28,133
MAN: So that's
why we've got the harness on

332
00:17:28,133 --> 00:17:29,733
and we'll put a backup line
on the harness.

333
00:17:29,733 --> 00:17:31,900
ATTENBOROUGH: I knew there'd be
a reason for the harness.

334
00:17:33,366 --> 00:17:34,766
-MAN: Okay?
-MAN #2: Good luck.

335
00:17:34,766 --> 00:17:38,200
MAN: Up on orange. Down.
Just face the tree.

336
00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:39,533
Fend yourself off.

337
00:17:39,533 --> 00:17:42,833
♪♪

338
00:17:42,833 --> 00:17:45,533
ATTENBOROUGH:
The suspense is killing me.

339
00:17:45,533 --> 00:17:47,233
MAN: Is that a joke --
a hanging joke?

340
00:17:47,233 --> 00:17:48,766
ATTENBOROUGH: [ Laughs ]

341
00:17:48,766 --> 00:17:53,033
♪♪

342
00:17:53,033 --> 00:17:58,033
NARRATOR: Filming 100 feet up
in a tree is a major challenge.

343
00:17:58,033 --> 00:18:01,500
But David knows
the effort is worth it

344
00:18:01,500 --> 00:18:05,733
because this frog can do
what most others cannot.

345
00:18:05,733 --> 00:18:10,933
ATTENBOROUGH: The tree frog has
a remarkable trick for defense.

346
00:18:10,933 --> 00:18:23,100
♪♪

347
00:18:23,100 --> 00:18:24,700
It glides.

348
00:18:26,100 --> 00:18:29,666
It has membranes
between greatly elongated toes

349
00:18:29,666 --> 00:18:32,000
so that each foot becomes
a parachute

350
00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:33,933
which slows the frog's descent

351
00:18:33,933 --> 00:18:37,800
and so enables it to make
a relatively safe landing.

352
00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:43,200
♪♪

353
00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:46,933
NARRATOR:
Going to such extremes has made
David one of the most recognized

354
00:18:46,933 --> 00:18:51,066
and respected faces
in television the world over.

355
00:18:51,066 --> 00:18:52,666
-ATTENBOROUGH: I do my best.
-MAN: Please keep it up.

356
00:18:52,666 --> 00:18:54,666
It's the only stuff on telly
worth watching.

357
00:18:54,666 --> 00:18:58,666
NARRATOR: His popularity spans
every generation.

358
00:18:58,666 --> 00:19:00,533
And this level of fame
was something

359
00:19:00,533 --> 00:19:04,400
he had to get used to early
in his career.

360
00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:08,033
By the mid 1960s,
David Attenborough had become

361
00:19:08,033 --> 00:19:09,633
a household name.

362
00:19:09,633 --> 00:19:11,666
BROWN: He was dashing.

363
00:19:11,666 --> 00:19:14,266
He was always rushing around
in slightly unbuttoned shirts

364
00:19:14,266 --> 00:19:16,166
and just the excitement too.

365
00:19:16,166 --> 00:19:19,233
Seeing him in these very
sometimes incredible locations,

366
00:19:19,233 --> 00:19:22,666
he somehow made them alive.

367
00:19:22,666 --> 00:19:24,800
MAN:
Mr. David Attenborough here.

368
00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:27,000
NARRATOR:
Then, still in his 30s,

369
00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:30,800
an unexpected opportunity came
David's way.

370
00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:32,733
The BBC needed young blood

371
00:19:32,733 --> 00:19:35,933
to run their brand-new
channel, BBC 2.

372
00:19:37,700 --> 00:19:40,033
ATTENBOROUGH: I remember
deliberately saying to myself,

373
00:19:40,033 --> 00:19:43,133
"Now you've got to make up
your mind, Attenborough.

374
00:19:43,133 --> 00:19:44,400
Are you a television man

375
00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:47,366
or are you
some kind of scientist?"

376
00:19:47,366 --> 00:19:50,300
And I decided at that time

377
00:19:50,300 --> 00:19:53,233
that I was really, at heart,
a television man.

378
00:19:53,233 --> 00:19:56,033
Therefore, if I was a television
man, there could not

379
00:19:56,033 --> 00:19:58,666
be a more interesting job
in the whole of television

380
00:19:58,666 --> 00:20:00,966
than that one
that was being offered to me.

381
00:20:00,966 --> 00:20:03,200
We shall continue
to look for the new stars,

382
00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:04,566
the experimental stars.

383
00:20:07,100 --> 00:20:09,466
NARRATOR:
As controller of BBC 2,

384
00:20:09,466 --> 00:20:12,000
David introduced a new wave
of programming

385
00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:14,466
that would stand the test
of time.

386
00:20:14,466 --> 00:20:18,066
BROWN:
He made BBC 2 a channel which
could carry serious programs

387
00:20:18,066 --> 00:20:19,833
but with a popular touch.

388
00:20:19,833 --> 00:20:23,500
YENTOB: The BBC 2 that I came
to run was the BBC

389
00:20:23,500 --> 00:20:26,833
where the DNA
had been implanted by David

390
00:20:26,833 --> 00:20:32,466
with fantastic conviction
and ambition and creativity.

391
00:20:32,466 --> 00:20:36,400
NARRATOR: David also pioneered
a whole new era of television

392
00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:40,100
as the BBC raced to make Britain
the first nation in Europe

393
00:20:40,100 --> 00:20:42,033
to broadcast in color.

394
00:20:42,033 --> 00:20:43,666
ATTENBOROUGH: And I was
thinking, "Oh, you know,

395
00:20:43,666 --> 00:20:46,900
come on, the BBC should be
the first to color in Europe."

396
00:20:46,900 --> 00:20:50,600
And it suddenly dawned on me
we could use color cameras

397
00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:54,566
in Wimbledon, and with
just four or five color cameras,

398
00:20:54,566 --> 00:20:56,533
which was all I think we had,

399
00:20:56,533 --> 00:20:59,233
we could get hours and hours
and hours of color television.

400
00:20:59,233 --> 00:21:01,166
We would launch as soon

401
00:21:01,166 --> 00:21:04,700
as we could do at least 50%
of the programs in color,

402
00:21:04,700 --> 00:21:07,533
and Wimbledon allowed
us to do that.

403
00:21:07,533 --> 00:21:11,233
[ Applause ]

404
00:21:13,233 --> 00:21:15,633
NARRATOR: Even while David held
this desk job,

405
00:21:15,633 --> 00:21:19,233
he never lost his famous love
of adventure.

406
00:21:19,233 --> 00:21:24,233
And he escaped whenever he could
to film in remote locations.

407
00:21:24,233 --> 00:21:27,366
It's a passion
he's kept his whole career.

408
00:21:28,933 --> 00:21:30,466
MARTIN: Every day is
a highlight for me.

409
00:21:30,466 --> 00:21:32,133
ATTENBOROUGH: Of course it is,
Martin, thank you very much.

410
00:21:32,133 --> 00:21:35,166
MARTIN: This one is the best
so far, definitely.

411
00:21:35,166 --> 00:21:37,100
ATTENBOROUGH:
What was wrong with yesterday?

412
00:21:37,100 --> 00:21:38,500
MARTIN: Well, we weren't
filming, David.

413
00:21:38,500 --> 00:21:40,900
ATTENBOROUGH: Oh, yeah,
you're quite right. [ Laughs ]

414
00:21:40,900 --> 00:21:44,866
♪♪

415
00:21:44,866 --> 00:21:47,366
NARRATOR: David is heading high
into the Rocky Mountains.

416
00:21:50,433 --> 00:21:52,733
He may be in his 80s
on this shoot,

417
00:21:52,733 --> 00:21:56,633
but David's determination is
as strong as ever.

418
00:21:57,900 --> 00:21:59,800
MAN: We've planned this
in so many ways.

419
00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:01,700
We've discussed having
helicopters airlifting him

420
00:22:01,700 --> 00:22:03,400
up in a sling underneath.

421
00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:06,700
We've had the possibility
of a sedan chair

422
00:22:06,700 --> 00:22:09,566
to come up here, but actually
David's perfectly fine

423
00:22:09,566 --> 00:22:11,433
and perfectly willing

424
00:22:11,433 --> 00:22:13,666
so all our anxieties
are evaporating away really.

425
00:22:13,666 --> 00:22:16,666
ATTENBOROUGH:
I may be some time.

426
00:22:16,666 --> 00:22:18,633
NARRATOR:
The struggle will be worth it.

427
00:22:18,633 --> 00:22:20,466
At the summit, David finds one

428
00:22:20,466 --> 00:22:24,200
of the richest fossil locations
in the world.

429
00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:27,233
ATTENBOROUGH: Here, they are
found all over the place.

430
00:22:27,233 --> 00:22:29,433
They're called trilobites.

431
00:22:29,433 --> 00:22:31,466
That's the head.

432
00:22:31,466 --> 00:22:34,333
There's the middle bit.

433
00:22:34,333 --> 00:22:36,666
NARRATOR: But filming at
the top of a mountain

434
00:22:36,666 --> 00:22:40,233
is not without hazards
as the weather closes in.

435
00:22:40,233 --> 00:22:45,000
ATTENBOROUGH: Okay, fellas,
he says it's time we left.

436
00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:50,400
[ Helicopter blades whirring ]

437
00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:52,266
-MAN: There you go.
-ATTENBOROUGH: Thanks a lot.

438
00:22:52,266 --> 00:22:54,566
-MAN: No problem, eh?
-ATTENBOROUGH: Really great.

439
00:22:54,566 --> 00:22:57,200
-MAN #2:How was it, David?
-ATTENBOROUGH: Ah, terrible.

440
00:22:57,200 --> 00:22:58,966
[ Laughs ]

441
00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:04,933
NARRATOR:
Back in 1973, David felt
he wasn't getting to explore

442
00:23:04,933 --> 00:23:08,566
and film these far-flung
places as much as he'd like.

443
00:23:08,566 --> 00:23:12,066
So he resigned
from BBC management.

444
00:23:12,066 --> 00:23:15,566
ATTENBOROUGH: I was fretting a
bit and concluding that my life,

445
00:23:15,566 --> 00:23:19,266
the rest of my life, was
not to be spent behind a desk,

446
00:23:19,266 --> 00:23:21,533
I couldn't bear it.

447
00:23:21,533 --> 00:23:26,833
And so I managed to resign
after 8 years of administration

448
00:23:26,833 --> 00:23:29,333
and the first thing
I did on having resigned

449
00:23:29,333 --> 00:23:31,833
was the head of the natural
history unit came to see me

450
00:23:31,833 --> 00:23:34,266
and said, "Look, don't you think
it would be a great idea

451
00:23:34,266 --> 00:23:36,500
if we did a 12-part series
about the natural world?

452
00:23:36,500 --> 00:23:38,133
And would you do it?"

453
00:23:38,133 --> 00:23:39,933
"Oh," I said,
"what a good idea."

454
00:23:42,466 --> 00:23:46,233
NARRATOR: The series was called
"Life on Earth."

455
00:23:46,233 --> 00:23:48,900
It gave David the opportunity
to go to the places

456
00:23:48,900 --> 00:23:51,633
he'd always dreamed of
and to see the animals

457
00:23:51,633 --> 00:23:54,200
he'd always wanted to see.

458
00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:56,466
And it would define David
as the world's

459
00:23:56,466 --> 00:24:00,466
greatest natural-history
presenter.

460
00:24:00,466 --> 00:24:02,800
BROWN: What you find with
"Life on Earth" is

461
00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:06,466
you find him inventing
really a new genre

462
00:24:06,466 --> 00:24:09,233
for programs about
the natural world.

463
00:24:09,233 --> 00:24:11,200
It had a huge impact.

464
00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:14,300
WHITWORTH:
He talked very simply and
explained things to those of us

465
00:24:14,300 --> 00:24:16,500
who don't have degrees
in botany or degrees

466
00:24:16,500 --> 00:24:18,400
in zoology what was going on

467
00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:21,133
and linked everything
together so brilliantly.

468
00:24:21,133 --> 00:24:23,633
NARRATOR: The groundbreaking
series would produce one

469
00:24:23,633 --> 00:24:27,766
of the most iconic moments
in TV history.

470
00:24:27,766 --> 00:24:31,200
ATTENBOROUGH:
So, it seems really very unfair

471
00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:35,000
that man should have chosen
the gorilla to symbolize all

472
00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:39,400
that is aggressive and violent
when that's the one thing

473
00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:43,966
that the gorilla is not
and that we are.

474
00:24:43,966 --> 00:24:45,600
The reason we'd gone to gorillas

475
00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:47,966
was in order
to illustrate a point

476
00:24:47,966 --> 00:24:50,800
I was making about
the evolutionary significance

477
00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:53,133
of climbing primates,

478
00:24:53,133 --> 00:24:56,766
climbing mammals,
who had to grasp branches,

479
00:24:56,766 --> 00:24:59,900
and to grasp a branch you need
to be able to put your thumb

480
00:24:59,900 --> 00:25:01,966
and your forefinger together
like that.

481
00:25:04,500 --> 00:25:07,033
I suddenly felt a weight
on my feet

482
00:25:07,033 --> 00:25:11,466
and there's a baby gorilla
undoing my shoelaces.

483
00:25:11,466 --> 00:25:13,466
Well, it didn't seem
to be the right moment

484
00:25:13,466 --> 00:25:15,433
to be talking about the thumb
and the forefinger,

485
00:25:15,433 --> 00:25:17,200
and while I was concluding
on that,

486
00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:19,000
a hand came down on my head,

487
00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:21,366
and there was the adult female

488
00:25:21,366 --> 00:25:25,433
and she opened my mouth
and put her hand,

489
00:25:25,433 --> 00:25:29,333
a huge great hand, and stuck
her finger in my mouth.

490
00:25:29,333 --> 00:25:31,600
By this time I was
in a sort of delirium really.

491
00:25:31,600 --> 00:25:34,733
I mean, it just seemed
paradisial,

492
00:25:34,733 --> 00:25:37,366
absolutely extraordinary,
took my breath away.

493
00:25:37,366 --> 00:25:41,933
It did cause a huge sensation.
I mean -- [ Laughs ]

494
00:25:41,933 --> 00:25:43,900
It's quite odd.

495
00:25:43,900 --> 00:25:45,933
BROWN: You're with him there
and you're charmed.

496
00:25:45,933 --> 00:25:48,200
He could charm a gorilla.

497
00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:52,966
He could charm millions
of people around the world.

498
00:25:52,966 --> 00:25:55,533
NARRATOR: "Life on Earth"
was the first series

499
00:25:55,533 --> 00:25:59,200
in an extraordinary body
of work for the BBC.

500
00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:02,200
WHITWORTH: He went to these
incredibly exotic places

501
00:26:02,200 --> 00:26:09,366
and he made those places seem
beautiful, fragile, important.

502
00:26:09,366 --> 00:26:11,233
The effect was
to say these are places

503
00:26:11,233 --> 00:26:13,266
that we need to cherish
and protect.

504
00:26:14,566 --> 00:26:17,666
NARRATOR: Over 30 years, David
set out to tell the stories

505
00:26:17,666 --> 00:26:22,500
of every major animal and plant
group on Earth.

506
00:26:22,500 --> 00:26:25,333
Each series pioneered
new technologies

507
00:26:25,333 --> 00:26:27,466
that are still used today.

508
00:26:28,866 --> 00:26:34,733
Cutting-edge time-lapse cameras,
super slow motion,

509
00:26:34,733 --> 00:26:38,900
infrared,
and underwater photography

510
00:26:38,900 --> 00:26:41,600
allowed David to showcase
the natural world

511
00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:44,233
in a completely new way.

512
00:26:44,233 --> 00:26:46,833
MARTIN: David's always had
a great interest

513
00:26:46,833 --> 00:26:49,900
in exploring new technologies.
It has defined his career.

514
00:26:49,900 --> 00:26:51,766
Every new series
he has worked on,

515
00:26:51,766 --> 00:26:54,033
there's a new camera,
a new style of filming,

516
00:26:54,033 --> 00:26:55,933
something in the technology side

517
00:26:55,933 --> 00:26:58,866
that has taken that series
on to a new level.

518
00:26:58,866 --> 00:27:01,633
WHITWORTH: He was a technophobe
himself, really.

519
00:27:01,633 --> 00:27:03,000
In his personal life
he was about the last person

520
00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:05,000
in Britain, I think,
to own a fax machine

521
00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:08,500
but he loved embracing the
new technology for filmmaking

522
00:27:08,500 --> 00:27:11,133
because he wanted to make films.

523
00:27:11,133 --> 00:27:14,200
NARRATOR: In 2008,
David finally completed

524
00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:17,166
the last of the landmark series
he'd set out to film.

525
00:27:18,433 --> 00:27:20,200
And at the age of 82,

526
00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:23,366
many assumed a comfortable
retirement beckoned.

527
00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:31,133
But then, in 2009, David set out
for a new major location shoot.

528
00:27:34,733 --> 00:27:36,566
Filmmaker Anthony Geffen

529
00:27:36,566 --> 00:27:39,100
had tempted the legendary
broadcaster back out

530
00:27:39,100 --> 00:27:42,700
on the road with a project
he couldn't resist...

531
00:27:42,700 --> 00:27:45,333
"First Life."

532
00:27:45,333 --> 00:27:47,333
GEFFEN: I'd known David
for a long period of time.

533
00:27:47,333 --> 00:27:50,066
I mean, I knew him when I was
at the BBC 30-odd years ago.

534
00:27:50,066 --> 00:27:53,500
I knew he was passionate
about fossils, so in a way,

535
00:27:53,500 --> 00:27:55,333
if he was going to make
one series,

536
00:27:55,333 --> 00:27:56,933
it was probably going to be
about fossils.

537
00:27:56,933 --> 00:27:58,733
But I knew one thing --

538
00:27:58,733 --> 00:28:00,366
David always likes
to do things differently.

539
00:28:00,366 --> 00:28:02,966
He doesn't like
to repeat things.

540
00:28:02,966 --> 00:28:05,500
NARRATOR: Anthony suggested
a new approach --

541
00:28:05,500 --> 00:28:08,433
a series about
the first animals on Earth

542
00:28:08,433 --> 00:28:10,866
but one that would bring
the past to life

543
00:28:10,866 --> 00:28:15,266
with new scientific scanning
and advanced computer graphics.

544
00:28:15,266 --> 00:28:17,966
GEFFEN:
His face lit up and I think

545
00:28:17,966 --> 00:28:20,466
that whole idea
of semi-retirement

546
00:28:20,466 --> 00:28:22,466
probably fell away for a moment.

547
00:28:22,466 --> 00:28:24,533
ATTENBOROUGH:
For the last 30-odd years,

548
00:28:24,533 --> 00:28:27,600
I've been filming
the range and variety

549
00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:30,866
of animals and plants
that live on the world today.

550
00:28:30,866 --> 00:28:34,466
What has been missing is
the very beginning of the story.

551
00:28:34,466 --> 00:28:37,266
We've always started
at chapter two.

552
00:28:37,266 --> 00:28:40,933
And so I just want to go back
and show

553
00:28:40,933 --> 00:28:43,800
where this whole thing started.

554
00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:46,733
MARTIN: It was the prequel.
It was the prologue

555
00:28:46,733 --> 00:28:48,233
to his entire
"Life on Earth" series,

556
00:28:48,233 --> 00:28:49,833
and he always had in his mind

557
00:28:49,833 --> 00:28:51,866
that he wanted to make
this film.

558
00:28:51,866 --> 00:28:54,100
And it wasn't until 2010

559
00:28:54,100 --> 00:28:58,500
that the technology was there
to do that.

560
00:28:58,500 --> 00:29:01,033
ATTENBOROUGH: The really
thrilling thing for me

561
00:29:01,033 --> 00:29:06,833
is that, by using
computer graphic imaging,

562
00:29:06,833 --> 00:29:09,100
you can take these tiny
little marks

563
00:29:09,100 --> 00:29:12,466
and with total justification,
scientific backing,

564
00:29:12,466 --> 00:29:14,466
you can make that animal
really come to life,

565
00:29:14,466 --> 00:29:16,933
come out of that rock and move.

566
00:29:16,933 --> 00:29:23,266
♪♪

567
00:29:23,266 --> 00:29:26,300
NARRATOR: But before the fossils
could be brought to life,

568
00:29:26,300 --> 00:29:29,400
the team had to find
the best specimens they could.

569
00:29:32,300 --> 00:29:34,000
ATTENBOROUGH:
We're here for trilobites.

570
00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:36,800
Trilobites are
the most extraordinary,

571
00:29:36,800 --> 00:29:39,500
wonderful fossils.

572
00:29:39,500 --> 00:29:42,900
Very, very fortunately
the world's greatest expert

573
00:29:42,900 --> 00:29:46,033
on trilobites, Richard Fortey,

574
00:29:46,033 --> 00:29:50,833
an old friend of mine,
is here to show us around.

575
00:29:50,833 --> 00:29:52,533
FORTEY:
It's a nice little specimen.

576
00:29:52,533 --> 00:29:56,800
Well, ah,
I've never seen a trident-bearer

577
00:29:56,800 --> 00:30:00,733
with a great long flared
medium prong on its trident.

578
00:30:00,733 --> 00:30:05,200
So either it's true,
in which case it's weird,

579
00:30:05,200 --> 00:30:09,200
or it's been, let's say nature's
been helped along a little bit.

580
00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:11,766
ATTENBOROUGH: If it's fake,
it's carefully done.

581
00:30:11,766 --> 00:30:15,200
FORTEY: I've seen lots of
different ones in my time,

582
00:30:15,200 --> 00:30:17,000
but I've never seen that before.

583
00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:19,700
Well, maybe it's pathological.

584
00:30:19,700 --> 00:30:22,200
ATTENBOROUGH:
Ah, A diseased trilobite.

585
00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:23,566
FORTEY:
We don't want none of them!

586
00:30:23,566 --> 00:30:24,566
ATTENBOROUGH: [ Laughs ]

587
00:30:24,566 --> 00:30:26,100
FORTEY: Not round these parts.

588
00:30:26,100 --> 00:30:28,366
ATTENBOROUGH: [ Laughing ] No.

589
00:30:28,366 --> 00:30:31,200
FORTEY: We don't want anybody
catching anything.

590
00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:32,633
MARTIN: It was a bit like
being on location

591
00:30:32,633 --> 00:30:34,600
with a couple of school kids.

592
00:30:34,600 --> 00:30:36,500
I mean, they suddenly -- they
seem to draw this sense of fun

593
00:30:36,500 --> 00:30:37,766
out of each other.

594
00:30:37,766 --> 00:30:39,533
It was great to see.

595
00:30:39,533 --> 00:30:40,833
I mean, David was having a lot
of fun in Morocco.

596
00:30:40,833 --> 00:30:42,366
WHITWORTH:
He loved it. He loved it.

597
00:30:42,366 --> 00:30:44,700
He loved the camaraderie of
being on the road with a crew.

598
00:30:47,766 --> 00:30:50,000
NARRATOR:
As filming moved to Australia,

599
00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:54,033
the veteran filmmaker continued
to relish the experience.

600
00:30:54,033 --> 00:30:55,666
GEFFEN: I think the side
most people don't know about

601
00:30:55,666 --> 00:30:57,600
David Attenborough,

602
00:30:57,600 --> 00:30:59,333
except you can see glimpse
of him behind the scenes,

603
00:30:59,333 --> 00:31:00,900
is that he has
an amazing sense of humor.

604
00:31:02,766 --> 00:31:04,566
ATTENBOROUGH: It's one of the
rewards, you know, that you get,

605
00:31:04,566 --> 00:31:07,066
the real joys
of driving up there

606
00:31:07,066 --> 00:31:09,066
and then they say,
"Would you drive back?"

607
00:31:09,066 --> 00:31:12,700
And then they say, "We think
we'd like it a little faster."

608
00:31:12,700 --> 00:31:15,333
Then they say, "We were wrong.

609
00:31:15,333 --> 00:31:18,400
It was better slower,
so would you go back again?"

610
00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:21,800
It's actually not the pits
of filming.

611
00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:24,266
The pits of filming is
when you have to walk

612
00:31:24,266 --> 00:31:27,900
through the forest
looking interested.

613
00:31:27,900 --> 00:31:31,933
And not only interested
but eagle-eyed.

614
00:31:31,933 --> 00:31:36,066
Where will this experienced
traveler suddenly spot,

615
00:31:36,066 --> 00:31:41,700
and my goodness, there!
That's hard doing.

616
00:31:41,700 --> 00:31:43,266
There are variations.

617
00:31:43,266 --> 00:31:45,633
You can give them the John
Wayne, which is tight-buttocked

618
00:31:45,633 --> 00:31:48,066
and I sort of strut like that.

619
00:31:48,066 --> 00:31:49,900
That's one of my specialties
actually,

620
00:31:49,900 --> 00:31:52,200
but I'm not allowed
to do it much these days.

621
00:31:52,200 --> 00:31:55,666
I have to be more slouched
and relaxed, you know.

622
00:31:55,666 --> 00:31:59,166
But, of course, intelligent.
That's the tricky bit.

623
00:31:59,166 --> 00:32:00,300
[ Laughs ]

624
00:32:00,300 --> 00:32:02,100
GEFFEN: When you're filming,

625
00:32:02,100 --> 00:32:04,166
he's always chuckling away
about something.

626
00:32:04,166 --> 00:32:07,633
I think it sort of -- It's
a way of disarming

627
00:32:07,633 --> 00:32:12,033
that barrier that could be
between the team and him.

628
00:32:12,033 --> 00:32:14,200
NARRATOR: I loved it when you
asked us to do it again

629
00:32:14,200 --> 00:32:15,633
only just slightly faster.

630
00:32:15,633 --> 00:32:17,766
What a thrill.

631
00:32:17,766 --> 00:32:20,666
MAN: We only had your enjoyment
in mind.

632
00:32:20,666 --> 00:32:22,666
BROWN: What Atlantic Productions
offered to David

633
00:32:22,666 --> 00:32:24,833
was to be part of a team again.

634
00:32:24,833 --> 00:32:28,866
He was in some ways I think
after the death of his wife

635
00:32:28,866 --> 00:32:30,600
a somewhat lonely figure,

636
00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:34,633
and so this gave him
a community really.

637
00:32:34,633 --> 00:32:36,533
MARTIN: He loves the social
side of being on

638
00:32:36,533 --> 00:32:38,000
a shoot as much as anybody else.

639
00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:40,900
ATTENBOROUGH: They only come
in ones, do they?

640
00:32:40,900 --> 00:32:44,300
MAN: No, no. Limited edition.
Limited edition U2 wafers.

641
00:32:44,300 --> 00:32:47,366
ATTENBOROUGH: Being part of
a team is one of the pleasures.

642
00:32:47,366 --> 00:32:49,933
It takes some time
to become a team.

643
00:32:49,933 --> 00:32:53,100
You can't just slot in like that

644
00:32:53,100 --> 00:32:55,133
because it depends upon

645
00:32:55,133 --> 00:32:59,466
knowing the personalities of
the people you're involved with.

646
00:32:59,466 --> 00:33:01,400
I suppose in one way

647
00:33:01,400 --> 00:33:04,400
if you're going on long journeys
together with people,

648
00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:06,300
you ought to be...

649
00:33:06,300 --> 00:33:09,700
to do a job, you ought
to be sufficiently professional

650
00:33:09,700 --> 00:33:11,566
to be able to get on
with anybody

651
00:33:11,566 --> 00:33:14,466
and if you find that the way
they comb their hair

652
00:33:14,466 --> 00:33:16,233
or something is irritating,

653
00:33:16,233 --> 00:33:20,333
then you learn
to suppress that irritation.

654
00:33:20,333 --> 00:33:23,966
But then one of the ways,
once you begin to sort that out,

655
00:33:23,966 --> 00:33:27,166
you do begin to develop jokes
between you.

656
00:33:28,800 --> 00:33:30,500
NARRATOR:
Although David and the crew

657
00:33:30,500 --> 00:33:32,966
certainly had fun filming
"First Life,"

658
00:33:32,966 --> 00:33:35,966
the story of the very first
living creatures on Earth

659
00:33:35,966 --> 00:33:38,433
held huge importance for David.

660
00:33:40,266 --> 00:33:45,866
ATTENBOROUGH:
I'm on a fantastic journey
to look for the origins of life.

661
00:33:47,733 --> 00:33:49,000
GEFFEN:
At the very end of the series,

662
00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:51,133
pretty much the last sequence
we were on,

663
00:33:51,133 --> 00:33:53,133
in Heron Island, on the beach,

664
00:33:53,133 --> 00:33:55,233
and it was
sort of extraordinary.

665
00:33:55,233 --> 00:33:58,200
I think this whole experience
of going on the road again

666
00:33:58,200 --> 00:33:59,733
and filming
an international series

667
00:33:59,733 --> 00:34:01,833
was a big thing for David.

668
00:34:01,833 --> 00:34:04,700
And he actually got --
he doesn't get very emotional

669
00:34:04,700 --> 00:34:06,300
very often,
but he got very emotional,

670
00:34:06,300 --> 00:34:09,233
and it took me by surprise.

671
00:34:09,233 --> 00:34:12,800
ATTENBOROUGH: This program means
a lot to me actually.

672
00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:16,333
And rather surprisingly I didn't
realize how much it meant to me

673
00:34:16,333 --> 00:34:19,033
until I started doing it.

674
00:34:19,033 --> 00:34:22,100
Because I have spent,
over the last 25,

675
00:34:22,100 --> 00:34:24,233
30 years, making a series
of programs

676
00:34:24,233 --> 00:34:26,266
about different groups
of animals

677
00:34:26,266 --> 00:34:29,100
as they've emerged
through evolution,

678
00:34:29,100 --> 00:34:30,633
and I've never made anything

679
00:34:30,633 --> 00:34:34,400
about the very beginning
of life.

680
00:34:34,400 --> 00:34:36,033
So this series to a degree

681
00:34:36,033 --> 00:34:38,033
which I really didn't
fully appreciate

682
00:34:38,033 --> 00:34:43,666
until I started working on it
really completes the set.

683
00:34:43,666 --> 00:34:48,000
Some creatures managed
to crawl up onto the land,

684
00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:53,466
but all of us alive today
owe our very existence to them.

685
00:34:53,466 --> 00:34:57,900
Well, in a curious way,
in the end,

686
00:34:57,900 --> 00:35:02,133
the end of my last making series
like this, is my beginning.

687
00:35:02,133 --> 00:35:06,400
♪♪

688
00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:10,000
NARRATOR:
Going back on the road had been
such a rewarding experience,

689
00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:13,866
David was keen to keep going.
It was the start of a new

690
00:35:13,866 --> 00:35:17,033
and hugely prolific
phase in his career.

691
00:35:17,033 --> 00:35:20,433
David understood that to reach
out to a younger audience,

692
00:35:20,433 --> 00:35:22,766
he had to work even harder.

693
00:35:22,766 --> 00:35:25,933
And he saw that
by cleverly combining CGI

694
00:35:25,933 --> 00:35:28,200
and the latest camera
technology,

695
00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:31,000
he could once again tell
natural-history stories

696
00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:32,933
in a completely new way.

697
00:35:35,600 --> 00:35:37,633
After advanced animation,

698
00:35:37,633 --> 00:35:40,166
the next exciting leap
in wildlife filming

699
00:35:40,166 --> 00:35:45,400
was to add an entirely new
dimension to the story...

700
00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:46,800
3-D...

701
00:35:48,966 --> 00:35:52,100
...a move that would take
David away from the BBC.

702
00:35:54,466 --> 00:35:56,433
WHITWORTH: When he was offered
the chance to do things

703
00:35:56,433 --> 00:35:59,200
like the 3-D films,
he thought that was fantastic.

704
00:35:59,200 --> 00:36:01,133
And that's
why he went off to Sky

705
00:36:01,133 --> 00:36:04,766
to do these things
which the BBC were not doing.

706
00:36:04,766 --> 00:36:06,633
ATTENBOROUGH:
When the proposal came up

707
00:36:06,633 --> 00:36:09,733
that we should do a program
in 3-D, I was very excited

708
00:36:09,733 --> 00:36:13,666
because when I started
in 1952, we had black

709
00:36:13,666 --> 00:36:16,666
and white cameras and
then upgraded further into color

710
00:36:16,666 --> 00:36:20,066
and now into high definition,
and now into 3-D,

711
00:36:20,066 --> 00:36:26,300
and I'm delighted to be around
while it's happening.

712
00:36:26,300 --> 00:36:28,166
I've never worked
with a crew as big as this.

713
00:36:28,166 --> 00:36:31,166
WOMAN:
I thought we were doing quite
well keeping our numbers down.

714
00:36:31,166 --> 00:36:32,766
ATTENBOROUGH: Well, you are.
How many are you?

715
00:36:32,766 --> 00:36:34,333
-WOMAN: About 12.
-ATTENBOROUGH: 12?

716
00:36:34,333 --> 00:36:36,100
I normally work with
two other people --

717
00:36:36,100 --> 00:36:39,033
cameraman and recordist.
[ Laughs ] Yes, yes.

718
00:36:41,800 --> 00:36:44,766
MARTIN: 3-D is an incredibly
difficult medium to work in.

719
00:36:44,766 --> 00:36:46,700
It's almost like going back
to working in film.

720
00:36:46,700 --> 00:36:48,433
You've got these
incredibly heavy cameras.

721
00:36:48,433 --> 00:36:51,533
In fact they're
two cameras bound together.

722
00:36:51,533 --> 00:36:53,200
It's very technical.
You've got to get the focus

723
00:36:53,200 --> 00:36:55,333
and you've got to get
the distance

724
00:36:55,333 --> 00:36:57,800
between the cameras
exactly right.

725
00:36:57,800 --> 00:37:00,433
All these very technical things
that make directing

726
00:37:00,433 --> 00:37:02,033
a traditional documentary
really hard.

727
00:37:02,033 --> 00:37:04,200
You can't react
to situations that well.

728
00:37:07,566 --> 00:37:09,600
NARRATOR:
Despite the challenges,

729
00:37:09,600 --> 00:37:14,700
David was determined to take the
3-D cameras out into the wild.

730
00:37:14,700 --> 00:37:17,066
He headed
to the remote Galápagos Islands

731
00:37:17,066 --> 00:37:19,733
of South America.

732
00:37:19,733 --> 00:37:21,300
ATTENBOROUGH: 3-D properly used,
it seems to me,

733
00:37:21,300 --> 00:37:24,966
can give the viewer more
of a feeling of being there,

734
00:37:24,966 --> 00:37:26,366
more of a feeling
of the reality.

735
00:37:26,366 --> 00:37:29,533
So, we'll see if we succeed.

736
00:37:29,533 --> 00:37:32,566
NARRATOR: The new technology
would capture one of David's

737
00:37:32,566 --> 00:37:35,333
most memorable moments.

738
00:37:35,333 --> 00:37:39,433
MARTIN: Lonesome George was
an icon of our time.

739
00:37:39,433 --> 00:37:40,800
He was a representative
of everything

740
00:37:40,800 --> 00:37:43,433
the Galápagos stood for.

741
00:37:43,433 --> 00:37:45,266
He was the last one left
of his species,

742
00:37:45,266 --> 00:37:47,000
the rest of his kind
driven to extinction

743
00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:52,433
by the pressures
of living in the age of man.

744
00:37:52,433 --> 00:37:54,233
ATTENBOROUGH:
Nobody went to the Galápagos

745
00:37:54,233 --> 00:37:57,133
without visiting
Lonesome George.

746
00:37:57,133 --> 00:38:01,200
I had met him before on
earlier trips to the Galápagos,

747
00:38:01,200 --> 00:38:03,166
but we asked to go
and see him again.

748
00:38:03,166 --> 00:38:08,066
And the authorities were, very
properly, protective of him.

749
00:38:08,066 --> 00:38:10,900
We could only do it
before the gardens opened,

750
00:38:10,900 --> 00:38:12,666
and we could only be allowed
with him

751
00:38:12,666 --> 00:38:17,033
for just a very few minutes.
So we all got up in the dark,

752
00:38:17,033 --> 00:38:21,400
and Lonesome George was asleep,
so we got a camera in position

753
00:38:21,400 --> 00:38:25,366
and I crawled in and waited for
Lonesome George to wake up.

754
00:38:28,233 --> 00:38:30,266
And I waited a long time,

755
00:38:30,266 --> 00:38:33,733
and I thought maybe
we've come too late,

756
00:38:33,733 --> 00:38:35,900
and he isn't going to wake up
at all.

757
00:38:35,900 --> 00:38:37,800
But eventually he did.

758
00:38:37,800 --> 00:38:38,933
MAN: Action.

759
00:38:38,933 --> 00:38:41,233
ATTENBOROUGH:
He's about 80 years old

760
00:38:41,233 --> 00:38:44,833
and he's getting a bit creaky
in his joints.

761
00:38:44,833 --> 00:38:47,700
As indeed, am I.

762
00:38:47,700 --> 00:38:53,900
He is, arguably,
the rarest animal in the world.

763
00:38:53,900 --> 00:38:56,933
Certainly, there can be
none rarer,

764
00:38:56,933 --> 00:39:00,300
for he is the last of his kind.

765
00:39:00,300 --> 00:39:03,333
When he dies, the Pinta species

766
00:39:03,333 --> 00:39:07,300
of Galápagos tortoise
will be extinct.

767
00:39:07,300 --> 00:39:11,433
But he is
a very important animal.

768
00:39:11,433 --> 00:39:14,700
Probably more
than any other single creature,

769
00:39:14,700 --> 00:39:17,866
he's focused the attention
of the world

770
00:39:17,866 --> 00:39:20,700
on the fragility
of our environment.

771
00:39:23,166 --> 00:39:25,500
I delivered my piece to camera

772
00:39:25,500 --> 00:39:27,566
and then just at
the right moment

773
00:39:27,566 --> 00:39:33,066
Lonesome George heaved himself
up and just moved slowly away

774
00:39:33,066 --> 00:39:35,966
and that was that --
my interview was over.

775
00:39:38,766 --> 00:39:44,233
Just 14 days after we filmed
Lonesome, he died in his sleep.

776
00:39:46,700 --> 00:39:49,333
GEFFEN: It was just one of
those moments filming in

777
00:39:49,333 --> 00:39:52,533
natural history because there
was David and Lonesome George

778
00:39:52,533 --> 00:39:54,666
and Lonesome George's
last big appearance,

779
00:39:54,666 --> 00:39:57,000
and it was --
it was really extraordinary.

780
00:39:58,900 --> 00:40:02,166
NARRATOR:
By the time filming wrapped
on the Galápagos series,

781
00:40:02,166 --> 00:40:05,200
the team had captured a
breathtaking variety of animals

782
00:40:05,200 --> 00:40:08,466
both on land and in the sea.

783
00:40:08,466 --> 00:40:09,666
[ Tapping on glass ]

784
00:40:11,166 --> 00:40:14,700
But arguably David's
most surprising 3-D film

785
00:40:14,700 --> 00:40:18,066
was captured much closer
to home,

786
00:40:18,066 --> 00:40:20,600
in one of London's
iconic museums.

787
00:40:24,200 --> 00:40:26,933
Remarkably, at the age of 86,

788
00:40:26,933 --> 00:40:30,466
the legendary presenter
completely reinvented himself

789
00:40:30,466 --> 00:40:33,266
and bravely stepped
into the unfamiliar world

790
00:40:33,266 --> 00:40:39,033
of acting for
"Natural History Museum Alive."

791
00:40:39,033 --> 00:40:40,766
MAN: Take one.

792
00:40:40,766 --> 00:40:44,100
ATTENBOROUGH:
Funny way to earn a living.

793
00:40:44,100 --> 00:40:46,400
GEFFEN: Here we were talking
about a new genre

794
00:40:46,400 --> 00:40:48,866
which had David acting
where we were going to have to

795
00:40:48,866 --> 00:40:51,500
create CGI in and around him.

796
00:40:54,300 --> 00:40:57,033
NARRATOR: The team's first test
is to bring to life one

797
00:40:57,033 --> 00:41:00,666
of the most famous
extinct animals of all,

798
00:41:00,666 --> 00:41:02,400
the dodo.

799
00:41:02,400 --> 00:41:05,433
-MAN: Speed mark it.
-WOMAN: Seven, take two.

800
00:41:05,433 --> 00:41:07,866
MAN: Camera set.

801
00:41:07,866 --> 00:41:09,500
GEFFEN: Action.

802
00:41:09,500 --> 00:41:13,266
ATTENBOROUGH:
Ow! Hey! Well, that's a --

803
00:41:13,266 --> 00:41:17,200
No, not very good.
I'll do it again. Ow!

804
00:41:17,200 --> 00:41:18,300
GEFFEN:
It was quite hard for David.

805
00:41:18,300 --> 00:41:19,700
It was quite a hard film
to make.

806
00:41:19,700 --> 00:41:21,900
Here he was, way out on a limb,

807
00:41:21,900 --> 00:41:23,666
if you like,
from being the Attenborough

808
00:41:23,666 --> 00:41:26,033
that everybody knew before,
having to act,

809
00:41:26,033 --> 00:41:28,966
and that was right on
the edge of his comfort zone.

810
00:41:28,966 --> 00:41:30,866
David felt quite vulnerable.

811
00:41:30,866 --> 00:41:33,366
ATTENBOROUGH:
So no one knows how big it was.

812
00:41:33,366 --> 00:41:36,000
But after tonight, who knows?

813
00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:37,900
-GEFFEN: Cut! Brilliant.
-ATTENBOROUGH: I'm not an actor.

814
00:41:37,900 --> 00:41:43,933
It's not my skill, and so you do
feel a bit of a "nana" really,

815
00:41:43,933 --> 00:41:46,066
so when they say,
"Look out, it's attacking you,

816
00:41:46,066 --> 00:41:48,100
look horror," aaah!

817
00:41:48,100 --> 00:41:51,866
In fact it may well have been
adapted to crushing of stones.

818
00:41:51,866 --> 00:41:53,266
Not very good.

819
00:41:53,266 --> 00:41:54,833
I just hope it will work.

820
00:41:56,600 --> 00:41:59,900
NARRATOR:
When the final graphics are
added to David's performance,

821
00:41:59,900 --> 00:42:03,366
the scene starts to take
on a magical life.

822
00:42:03,366 --> 00:42:07,366
♪♪

823
00:42:07,366 --> 00:42:11,300
What do you make of that?
[ Laughs ]

824
00:42:11,300 --> 00:42:14,433
Ow! [ Laughs ]
That's a very powerful beak.

825
00:42:16,933 --> 00:42:21,866
NARRATOR:
But it wasn't until the first
screening, a Royal Premiere,

826
00:42:21,866 --> 00:42:24,266
that David would see
the finished film

827
00:42:24,266 --> 00:42:27,100
and his acting debut
for the first time.

828
00:42:29,700 --> 00:42:33,033
GEFFEN: David was very anxious
going into the premiere.

829
00:42:33,033 --> 00:42:36,100
He hadn't seen the final film
and kept saying,

830
00:42:36,100 --> 00:42:37,333
"Is it alright, is it alright?"

831
00:42:37,333 --> 00:42:38,500
I said, "It's going to be fine,
David.

832
00:42:38,500 --> 00:42:39,933
Don't worry about it."

833
00:42:39,933 --> 00:42:48,900
♪♪

834
00:42:48,900 --> 00:42:53,333
ATTENBOROUGH:
I suspect I'll find its look
rather unnervingly familiar.

835
00:42:56,133 --> 00:42:57,966
I was a bit worried as to

836
00:42:57,966 --> 00:42:59,600
whether people would think
it was too flippant.

837
00:42:59,600 --> 00:43:01,733
But we took a lot of trouble
to make sure

838
00:43:01,733 --> 00:43:03,200
that each of the stories

839
00:43:03,200 --> 00:43:08,266
actually had solid
scientific information into it,

840
00:43:08,266 --> 00:43:09,800
and it was very successful.

841
00:43:09,800 --> 00:43:11,300
People apparently loved it.

842
00:43:11,300 --> 00:43:12,966
[ Cheers and applause ]

843
00:43:12,966 --> 00:43:14,433
NARRATOR:
David's leap into the unknown

844
00:43:14,433 --> 00:43:17,700
was rewarded with one of
the industry's highest honors.

845
00:43:20,133 --> 00:43:23,066
GEFFEN: I have to say that it is
a pretty extraordinary night.

846
00:43:23,066 --> 00:43:25,233
David Attenborough
has now won in

847
00:43:25,233 --> 00:43:30,966
black and white, color, HD, 3-D,

848
00:43:30,966 --> 00:43:35,133
and now the first winner of
a BAFTA Award, I believe, in 4K.

849
00:43:35,133 --> 00:43:42,000
[ Cheers and applause ]

850
00:43:42,000 --> 00:43:44,833
David always says awards
don't really matter,

851
00:43:44,833 --> 00:43:47,566
but he has a lovely habit
which he goes home --

852
00:43:47,566 --> 00:43:50,500
everything gets put away, none
of his awards are on display,

853
00:43:50,500 --> 00:43:52,600
but for a week
after he wins an award,

854
00:43:52,600 --> 00:43:54,933
you always see it
on the mantelpiece in the hall,

855
00:43:54,933 --> 00:43:56,700
and it's sort of
his little thing

856
00:43:56,700 --> 00:43:59,733
that he's won an award.
[ Cheers and applause ]

857
00:43:59,733 --> 00:44:03,733
NARRATOR: Despite having now won
every major industry award,

858
00:44:03,733 --> 00:44:07,566
David had no intention
of slowing down.

859
00:44:07,566 --> 00:44:11,900
At the age of 88 he was about to
begin filming again for the BBC

860
00:44:11,900 --> 00:44:16,133
on one of his
most important series to date.

861
00:44:16,133 --> 00:44:21,333
♪♪

862
00:44:21,333 --> 00:44:23,400
The team traveled to Australia

863
00:44:23,400 --> 00:44:26,866
to shoot a major series
on the Great Barrier Reef,

864
00:44:26,866 --> 00:44:32,000
somewhere David had
first visited over 60 years ago.

865
00:44:32,000 --> 00:44:36,766
In 1957, David filmed underwater
here for the first time,

866
00:44:36,766 --> 00:44:40,100
with nothing more than
a single camera and scuba gear.

867
00:44:43,533 --> 00:44:46,666
ATTENBOROUGH:
It wasn't bad actually,
paddling around in the water

868
00:44:46,666 --> 00:44:49,866
and sticking my hand in
a giant clam and looking brave.

869
00:44:49,866 --> 00:44:51,500
But it was very primitive.

870
00:44:51,500 --> 00:44:54,100
The camera was wound up
by clockwork.

871
00:44:55,866 --> 00:44:59,733
NARRATOR:
But this time David had
a new way to get underwater...

872
00:44:59,733 --> 00:45:02,700
a state-of-the-art submersible.

873
00:45:02,700 --> 00:45:06,133
GEFFEN: David was fascinated
by the idea of going back

874
00:45:06,133 --> 00:45:08,433
with the new technology,
with the new science,

875
00:45:08,433 --> 00:45:10,166
and seeing the reef

876
00:45:10,166 --> 00:45:11,733
and uncovering the reef
in a whole new way.

877
00:45:13,733 --> 00:45:16,500
ATTENBOROUGH:
This is the first time that
a submersible like this

878
00:45:16,500 --> 00:45:18,800
would ever dive
on the Barrier Reef,

879
00:45:18,800 --> 00:45:21,300
so it's
a pretty important moment.

880
00:45:23,666 --> 00:45:25,366
PAUL: The first time we went in,

881
00:45:25,366 --> 00:45:27,633
we were both doing it
together for the first time,

882
00:45:27,633 --> 00:45:30,233
so we were both feeling
the same excitement

883
00:45:30,233 --> 00:45:32,966
of going underwater
in this bubble.

884
00:45:32,966 --> 00:45:37,566
♪♪

885
00:45:37,566 --> 00:45:41,700
NARRATOR:
David and Paul are rewarded
with some spectacular sights...

886
00:45:41,700 --> 00:45:43,000
ATTENBOROUGH: Ah, how beautiful.

887
00:45:45,600 --> 00:45:47,900
NARRATOR: ...that prove why
the reef is one

888
00:45:47,900 --> 00:45:50,866
of the most dazzling habitats
on the planet.

889
00:45:52,166 --> 00:45:53,366
ATTENBOROUGH: Wow!

890
00:45:54,800 --> 00:45:57,000
It's jolly nice
that someone of my age

891
00:45:57,000 --> 00:45:59,966
can be taken down
in fantastic comfort.

892
00:45:59,966 --> 00:46:01,300
He's coming right at us.

893
00:46:03,600 --> 00:46:07,300
No problem about breathing,
no problem about talking,

894
00:46:07,300 --> 00:46:09,866
no problem about your movements.

895
00:46:09,866 --> 00:46:12,133
Ah, there's a huge shark!

896
00:46:12,133 --> 00:46:15,400
You're just sitting there,
as it were, in an armchair

897
00:46:15,400 --> 00:46:19,200
and looking at one of the most
extraordinary places on Earth.

898
00:46:19,200 --> 00:46:21,733
A privilege given to very few.

899
00:46:21,733 --> 00:46:24,766
Don't you -- Don't you start
that. Oh, dear!

900
00:46:28,000 --> 00:46:31,166
NARRATOR: The series achieved
all the spectacle and awe

901
00:46:31,166 --> 00:46:34,000
that Attenborough films
are expected to deliver.

902
00:46:34,000 --> 00:46:37,000
ATTENBOROUGH: What I enjoy about
making these programs is saying

903
00:46:37,000 --> 00:46:39,000
"Look at this.
Isn't it fabulous?"

904
00:46:39,000 --> 00:46:42,133
and "Don't you enjoy
looking at this?

905
00:46:42,133 --> 00:46:44,633
Aren't you struck by
its wonder?"

906
00:46:44,633 --> 00:46:47,233
NARRATOR: But David was
deeply affected by the changes

907
00:46:47,233 --> 00:46:50,166
he saw in the reef,
and in the final episode,

908
00:46:50,166 --> 00:46:53,033
he added
a very personal message.

909
00:46:53,033 --> 00:46:56,633
ATTENBOROUGH: The Great Barrier
Reef is in grave danger.

910
00:46:56,633 --> 00:46:59,600
The twin perils brought
by climate change,

911
00:46:59,600 --> 00:47:02,400
an increase
in the temperature of the ocean,

912
00:47:02,400 --> 00:47:07,200
and in its acidity
threaten its very existence.

913
00:47:07,200 --> 00:47:10,433
If they continue to rise
at the present rate,

914
00:47:10,433 --> 00:47:14,300
the reefs will be gone
within decades.

915
00:47:14,300 --> 00:47:19,366
And that would be
a global catastrophe.

916
00:47:19,366 --> 00:47:21,466
DAVIS: David is very aware
that this --

917
00:47:21,466 --> 00:47:24,900
we're handing on the world
to the next generation,

918
00:47:24,900 --> 00:47:26,933
and I think that's all
summarized beautifully

919
00:47:26,933 --> 00:47:28,833
in his last piece to camera.

920
00:47:28,833 --> 00:47:33,000
ATTENBOROUGH:
They are among this
planet's richest, most complex,

921
00:47:33,000 --> 00:47:36,133
and most beautiful ecosystems.

922
00:47:36,133 --> 00:47:39,466
Do we really care so little
about the Earth

923
00:47:39,466 --> 00:47:41,500
on which we live

924
00:47:41,500 --> 00:47:45,100
that we don't wish to protect
one of its greatest wonders

925
00:47:45,100 --> 00:47:48,733
from the consequences
of our behavior?

926
00:47:50,333 --> 00:47:52,300
BROWN: I think he's angry

927
00:47:52,300 --> 00:47:55,700
and I think that
that anger was allowed to show.

928
00:47:55,700 --> 00:47:58,500
WHITWORTH: For many years,
his documentaries did not have

929
00:47:58,500 --> 00:48:02,266
an overt environmental message
in them,

930
00:48:02,266 --> 00:48:05,466
so when he did speak,
that was very shocking.

931
00:48:05,466 --> 00:48:07,500
People were "Oh, wow.

932
00:48:07,500 --> 00:48:10,100
This is something we do need
to sit up and take notice of."

933
00:48:10,100 --> 00:48:11,700
NARRATOR: During his lifetime,

934
00:48:11,700 --> 00:48:13,733
David has witnessed
enormous changes

935
00:48:13,733 --> 00:48:16,033
across the natural world.

936
00:48:16,033 --> 00:48:20,666
The ozone hole was discovered,
global warming was detected,

937
00:48:20,666 --> 00:48:22,900
and extinctions increased.

938
00:48:22,900 --> 00:48:26,566
WHITWORTH:
He gradually was becoming more
outspoken about the environment.

939
00:48:26,566 --> 00:48:28,466
ATTENBOROUGH:
The abundance of life

940
00:48:28,466 --> 00:48:30,733
and the variety of life
touches the human imagination

941
00:48:30,733 --> 00:48:33,533
and the human spirit,
and it's very precious.

942
00:48:36,200 --> 00:48:38,733
NARRATOR:
Then, as David turned 90,

943
00:48:38,733 --> 00:48:43,066
he had the chance to deliver
his message on a new platform.

944
00:48:43,066 --> 00:48:45,100
WHITWORTH:
I think the real landmark

945
00:48:45,100 --> 00:48:48,633
was when he was invited to the
White House by President Obama.

946
00:48:48,633 --> 00:48:51,533
OBAMA:
Sir David Attenborough, thank
you so much for being here.

947
00:48:51,533 --> 00:48:53,533
As I was telling you on
our walk over,

948
00:48:53,533 --> 00:48:56,933
I have been a huge admirer of
your work for a very long time.

949
00:48:56,933 --> 00:48:58,200
WHITWORTH: I can't think of
another example

950
00:48:58,200 --> 00:48:59,700
when a president
of the United States

951
00:48:59,700 --> 00:49:01,866
invites somebody to the White
House and interviews them.

952
00:49:01,866 --> 00:49:07,500
OBAMA:
What are the prospects for this
blue marble that we live on?

953
00:49:07,500 --> 00:49:09,500
ATTENBOROUGH: This is the planet
on which we live.

954
00:49:09,500 --> 00:49:13,433
It's the only one we've got,
and we've got to protect it.

955
00:49:13,433 --> 00:49:17,733
BROWN:
The president of the United
States is at his feet really.

956
00:49:17,733 --> 00:49:20,100
I mean, they are both
equals in that interview.

957
00:49:20,100 --> 00:49:21,833
That's the thing.

958
00:49:21,833 --> 00:49:24,533
And it did make Obama bolder
in accepting

959
00:49:24,533 --> 00:49:29,933
that climate change needed to be
absolutely top priority.

960
00:49:29,933 --> 00:49:32,233
NARRATOR: The historic meeting
also gave David

961
00:49:32,233 --> 00:49:35,300
increased confidence
to speak out.

962
00:49:35,300 --> 00:49:38,933
BROWN: It gave him a license
really to be himself

963
00:49:38,933 --> 00:49:43,066
and to actually say what he
believed was wrong with the way

964
00:49:43,066 --> 00:49:45,166
we were ruining our environment.

965
00:49:45,166 --> 00:49:50,233
ATTENBOROUGH: Plastic is so
permanent, so indestructible

966
00:49:50,233 --> 00:49:53,400
that when you cast it
into the ocean,

967
00:49:53,400 --> 00:49:58,300
or indeed into your dustbin,
it does not go away.

968
00:49:58,300 --> 00:50:02,866
WHITWORTH:
He really communicated for
people in their living rooms

969
00:50:02,866 --> 00:50:05,200
the threat
that was facing the planet.

970
00:50:06,766 --> 00:50:08,533
ATTENBOROUGH:
If we don't take action,

971
00:50:08,533 --> 00:50:12,633
the extinction of much
of the natural world

972
00:50:12,633 --> 00:50:15,200
is on the horizon.

973
00:50:15,200 --> 00:50:20,866
Together we can make
real change happen.

974
00:50:20,866 --> 00:50:23,666
WHITWORTH: He was campaigning
on the future of the planet

975
00:50:23,666 --> 00:50:25,500
in documentaries

976
00:50:25,500 --> 00:50:28,500
that were seen by
hundreds of millions of people.

977
00:50:28,500 --> 00:50:31,800
NARRATOR: Nearly 70 years
after he first started out,

978
00:50:31,800 --> 00:50:34,333
David Attenborough is
once again changing

979
00:50:34,333 --> 00:50:38,033
how millions of us
look at the world.

980
00:50:38,033 --> 00:50:40,700
PAUL: You encounter so many
people who say

981
00:50:40,700 --> 00:50:44,066
that their lives have been
changed by David Attenborough.

982
00:50:44,066 --> 00:50:46,566
There's scientists who
say, "I wouldn't be doing this

983
00:50:46,566 --> 00:50:49,233
if I hadn't watched those
David Attenborough programs."

984
00:50:51,600 --> 00:50:54,100
He's the voice of Mother Nature.
I mean, he just --

985
00:50:54,100 --> 00:50:56,366
when you hear that voice,
you know

986
00:50:56,366 --> 00:50:59,366
that you're not being fed
a line.

987
00:50:59,366 --> 00:51:02,666
You know you're getting
the facts.

988
00:51:05,000 --> 00:51:07,300
ATTENBOROUGH: I have to confess
I'm fascinated by armadillos.

989
00:51:07,300 --> 00:51:08,700
As far as I'm concerned,

990
00:51:08,700 --> 00:51:10,333
they're some of the nicest

991
00:51:10,333 --> 00:51:12,466
and most curious
animals in the world.

992
00:51:12,466 --> 00:51:15,533
I'm on the edge
of a coral reef at low tide.

993
00:51:15,533 --> 00:51:19,466
And top of the menu
right now is salmon.

994
00:51:23,033 --> 00:51:24,600
PAUL: He's irreplaceable.

995
00:51:24,600 --> 00:51:26,000
There will --
Nobody can replace him

996
00:51:26,000 --> 00:51:28,166
because he is totally unique.

997
00:51:28,166 --> 00:51:31,133
GEFFEN:
To have had the opportunity
to work with one of the world's

998
00:51:31,133 --> 00:51:33,433
greatest storytellers

999
00:51:33,433 --> 00:51:37,733
and to have got to know him,
I just feel incredibly lucky.

1000
00:51:37,733 --> 00:51:39,900
WHITWORTH: I think David
will be remembered

1001
00:51:39,900 --> 00:51:43,266
as our greatest broadcaster.

1002
00:51:43,266 --> 00:51:53,633
♪♪

1003
00:52:10,933 --> 00:52:48,833
♪♪

1004
00:52:48,833 --> 00:52:50,633
To learn more about 
what you've seen

1005
00:52:50,633 --> 00:52:52,266
on this "Nature" 
program,

1006
00:52:52,266 --> 00:52:54,300
visit pbs.org.

1007
00:52:54,300 --> 00:53:03,433
♪♪