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Making Life on Earth: Attenborough's Greatest Adventure

In 1976, David Attenborough embarked on the most ambitious television series he had ever attempted. This is the hair-raising story of how the first wildlife blockbuster was born.

In 1976, David Attenborough embarked on his most ambitious project ever, Life on Earth. No-one had ever attempted a natural history series on this scale before, and David’s reputation was on the line.

This is the remarkable story behind the ĢƵ’s most famous wildlife blockbuster: a three-year, hair-raising odyssey around the world, travelling to 40 countries and filming over 600 species, including the famous mountain gorillas. First broadcast in 1979 and watched by 500 million people, it launched David Attenborough’s career as the most successful and influential wildlife film-maker of our time.

8 months left to watch

58 minutes

Signed Audio described

Last on

Sun 21 Jun 2026 00:55

Credits

Role Contributor
Production Manager Lisanne Marks
Executive Producer Mike Davis
Producer Victoria Bobin

Broadcasts

  • Sun 3 May 2026 20:00
  • Mon 4 May 2026 23:00
  • Mon 4 May 2026 23:30
  • Mon 4 May 2026 23:35
  • Mon 15 Jun 2026 08:00
  • Sat 20 Jun 2026 19:05
  • Sun 21 Jun 2026 00:55

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Attenborough’s Life on Earth: The series that started it all

Attenborough’s Life on Earth: The series that started it all

David Attenborough sets out to tell “the greatest story in all the world”