TV shows celebrating David Attenborough's 100th birthday and how to watch them
He turns 100 on FridayDavid Attenborough celebrates his 100th birthday this week, and to celebrate, the BBC and other channels are showcasing a wide range of TV shows. But what are they? And where can you find them?
On Friday May 8, the legendary David Attenborough will turn 100 years old. And to mark the occasion, a slate of TV shows will be featuring on the BBC.
But the channel isn’t the only place to find things to watch, as Netflix also has a lot of shows that you can get your fix from.
So, here’s all the shows on BBC and Netflix to celebrate David Attenborough’s 100th birthday.
Making Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure on BBC
Back in 1976, production began on David Attenborough’s Life on Earth. It was the first attempt of a natural history series on that big of a scale. It is the story behind one of the BBC’s most famous wildlife blockbusters – a three-year, odyssey around the world, travelling to 40 countries, across a million miles. And filmed over 600 species.
The documentary goes behind-the-scenes on the series with exclusive interviews from David Attenborough and other original crew members. It brings the viewers deeper into what filming the documentary was truly like.
It was Life On Earth that cemented David Attenborough’s legendary status as the most successful and influential wildlife filmmaker of our time.
Fans can watch Making Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure on iPlayer from Sunday May 3.
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Watch David Attenborough on Secret Garden on BBC
Over five incredible episodes, David reveals the lives of the animals that inhabit the hidden world right on our doorsteps.
Through meeting the gardeners that have created these wild oases, viewers discover how our nation of animal lovers and gardeners can do their bit to save struggling species.
The show has been airing recently on the BBC, and the final episode was released last weekend. But if you want to celebrate David Attenborough’s 100th birthday, you can catch up on the TV shows on BBC iPlayer.
David Attenborough’s 100 Years on Planet Earth
On Friday May 8, to mark David’s 100th birthday, Kirsty Young will present a 90-minute special event honouring him.
The event will be broadcast from the Royal Albert Hall in London. It’s aim is to bring the nation together to celebrate David’s groundbreaking career. The special event will take the audience on the journey through a century of exploration, seen through David’s life and work.
The evening will combine wildlife moments with live music taken from his most iconic TV shows. There will also be reflections from public figures and leading voices in conservation and wildlife filmmaking.
Music artists who have collaborated on Planet Earth, Blue Planet and Frozen Planet, alongside the sequels, will perform. Not only that, but Dan Smith, Bastille’s frontman, will perform the band’s famous track, Pompeii. Icelandic band Sigur Ros will perform Hoppipolla, a track from Planet Earth.
It’s an event not to be missed. Fans can catch it on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 8.30pm on Friday, May 8.
BBC archive shows featuring David Attenborough
However, if you miss any of these shows, don’t fret. As David has worked with the BBC for many years, there is a whole archive of TV shows that you can catch up on at any moment.
From the likes of Wild London, Planet Earth and Blue Planet, the BBC archive has over 50 TV shows that feature David Attenborough. So, you can never be short of something to watch!
Is anywhere else showing David Attenborough TV shows for his birthday?
If you’re more interested in streamers, then Netflix also has a wide range of David Attenborough TV shows.
Most recently, A Gorilla Story: Told By David Attenborough, was released onto the streaming platform. It debuted just last month, in April. So, if you haven’t seen it yet, it’s something new for you to enjoy.
The show focusses on the Pablo Group of gorillas in Rwanda, exploring their emotional lives and connection to humanity.
Other huge Netflix documentaries that feature David Attenborough include the 2023 hit Our Planet II and David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet, from 2020.
With a Netflix subscription, fans can watch these shows at any time of their choosing.
Does Disney+ have any David Attenborough shows?
If you are a fan of streamers, but don’t have Netflix, then don’t worry. You can still get access to David Attenborough shows.
While Disney+ doesn’t have many shows featuring David Attenborough, it does have a major film from 2025.
Ocean with David Attenborough was released in June last year. The film explores underwater habitats, and highlights discoveries and marine life recover. But the overall message of the movie is hope.
So, if you are looking to celebrate the 100th birthday of David Attenborough then you have quite a lot of TV shows, and a BBC special to watch!
