Editing David Attenborough (section)

==Career==
===Early years at the BBC===
After leaving the navy, Attenborough took a position editing children's science textbooks for a publishing company. He soon became disillusioned with the work and in 1950 applied for a job as a radio talk producer with the [[BBC]].<ref name="Life on Air, p.13"/> Although he was rejected for this job, his [[Curriculum vitae|CV]] later attracted the interest of [[Mary Adams (broadcaster)|Mary Adams]], head of the Talks (factual broadcasting) department of the BBC's fledgling television service.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Fara |first1=Patricia |title=A Lab of One's Own: Science and Suffrage in the First World War |date=2018 |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=266}}</ref> Attenborough, like most Britons at that time, did not own a television and had seen only one programme in his life.<ref>{{Cite book |author=Attenborough, David |title=Life on Air |publisher=BBC Books |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-563-53461-7}} pp. 10–11.</ref>

He accepted Adams' offer of a three-month training course. In 1952 he joined the BBC full-time. Initially discouraged from appearing on camera because Adams thought his teeth were too big,<ref name="Life on Air, p.13">''Life on Air'', p.13.</ref> he became a producer for the Talks department, which handled all non-fiction broadcasts. His early projects included the quiz show ''Animal, Vegetable, Mineral?'' and ''Song Hunter,'' a series about [[folk music]] presented by [[Alan Lomax]].<ref name="Life on Air, p.13"/>

Attenborough's association with natural history programmes began when he produced and presented the three-part series ''Animal Patterns.'' The studio-bound programme featured animals from [[London Zoo]], with the naturalist [[Julian Huxley]] discussing their use of [[camouflage]], [[aposematism]] and [[courtship display]]s. Through this programme, Attenborough met Jack Lester, the curator of the zoo's reptile house, and they decided to make a series about an animal-collecting expedition. The result was ''[[Zoo Quest]],'' first broadcast in 1954, where Attenborough became the presenter at short notice due to Lester being taken ill.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/05/david-attenborough-used-to-steal-the-animals-he-found-in-the-jungle-and-take-them-home/ |title=David Attenborough used to steal the animals he found in the jungle and take them home |first=James |last=Walton |date=21 May 2016 |magazine=The Spectator |access-date=8 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408234820/https://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/05/david-attenborough-used-to-steal-the-animals-he-found-in-the-jungle-and-take-them-home/ |archive-date=8 April 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1957, the [[BBC Natural History Unit]] was formally established in [[Bristol]]. Attenborough was asked to join it, but declined, not wishing to move from London where he and his young family were settled. Instead, he formed his own department, the Travel and Exploration Unit,<ref name="Life on Air, pp.60–61">''Life on Air'', pp. 60–61.</ref> which allowed him to continue to front ''Zoo Quest'' as well as produce other documentaries, notably the ''Travellers' Tales'' and ''Adventure'' series.<ref name="Life on Air, pp.60–61"/> In the early 1960s, Attenborough resigned from the permanent staff of the BBC to study for a postgraduate degree in [[social anthropology]] at the [[London School of Economics]], interweaving his study with further filming.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wildfilmhistory.org/helpers/force-download.php?file=pdf/David_Attenborough.pdf |title=Transcript of interview with David Attenborough |access-date=4 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202034238/http://www.wildfilmhistory.org/helpers/force-download.php?file=pdf%2FDavid_Attenborough.pdf |archive-date=2 December 2008 |url-status=usurped}}</ref> However, he accepted an invitation to return to the BBC as controller of [[BBC Two]] before he could finish the degree.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/famous-alumni-from-lse-2015-10 |title=These 18 insanely successful people all went to the London School of Economics |website=Business Insider |access-date=17 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180526073843/http://uk.businessinsider.com/famous-alumni-from-lse-2015-10#mick-jagger-was-studying-at-lse-when-he-began-playing-with-the-rolling-stones-in-1961-at-first-he-played-with-the-stones-just-on-weekends-and-attended-classes-during-the-week-but-he-ultimately-dropped-out-to-pursue-his-music-career-2 |archive-date=26 May 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===BBC administration===
Attenborough became Controller of BBC Two in March 1965, succeeding [[Michael Peacock (television executive)|Michael Peacock]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://login.thetimes.com/?gotoUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thetimes.com%2Ftto%2Farchive%2Farticle%2F1965-03-05%2F6%2F1.html |title=Mr. David Attenborough is New B.B.C.-2 Head |work=[[The Times]] |date=5 March 1965 |access-date=20 June 2021 |page=6 |archive-date=24 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624205850/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/archive/article/1965-03-05/6/1.html |url-status=live}}{{subscription required}}</ref> He had a clause inserted in his contract that would allow him to continue making programmes on an occasional basis. Later the same year he filmed elephants in [[Tanzania]] and in 1969 made a three-part series on the cultural history of the Indonesian island of [[Bali]]. For the 1971 film ''[[A Blank on the Map]]'', he joined the first Western expedition to a remote highland valley in [[New Guinea]] to seek out a [[uncontacted peoples|lost tribe]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03smb54 |title=BBC Two – Attenborough's Passion Projects, A Blank on the Map, First contact with the Biami tribe in 1971 |date=4 May 2016 |publisher=BBC |access-date=22 August 2021 |archive-date=22 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210822090544/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03smb54 |url-status=live}}</ref>

BBC Two was launched in 1964, but had struggled to capture the public's imagination. When Attenborough arrived as controller, he quickly abolished the channel's quirky kangaroo mascot and shook up the schedule. With a mission to make BBC Two's output diverse and different from that offered by other networks, he began to establish a portfolio of programmes that defined the channel's identity for decades to come. Under his tenure, music, the arts, entertainment, archaeology, experimental comedy, travel, drama, sport, business, science and natural history all found a place in the weekly schedules. Often, an eclectic mix was offered within a single evening's viewing. Programmes he commissioned included ''[[Man Alive (UK TV series)|Man Alive]]'', ''[[Call My Bluff]]'', ''[[Chronicle (UK TV series)|Chronicle]]'', ''[[The Old Grey Whistle Test]]'', ''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]'' and ''[[The Money Programme]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title=David Attenborough: a fine specimen |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/tvandradioblog/2008/mar/03/davidattenboroughafinespec |access-date=15 September 2019 |work=The Guardian |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708225157/https://www.theguardian.com/culture/tvandradioblog/2008/mar/03/davidattenboroughafinespec |archive-date=8 July 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> With the advent of [[colour television]], Attenborough brought [[snooker]] to the BBC to show the benefits of the format, as the sport uses coloured balls.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://wst.tv/wpbsa/history-of-snooker/ |title=History of Snooker |website=World Snooker |access-date=22 August 2021 |archive-date=15 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815075857/https://wst.tv/wpbsa/history-of-snooker/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> The show – ''[[Pot Black]]'' – was later credited with the boom of the sport into the 1980s.<ref>{{cite book |title=Sports around the World: History, Culture, and Practice |page=191 |author=John Nauright |publisher=ABC-CLIO |year=2012 |isbn=978-1598843019}}</ref>

One of his most significant decisions was to order a 13-part series on the [[Western art history|history of Western art]], to show off the quality of the new [[UHF#United Kingdom|UHF]] colour television service that BBC Two offered. Broadcast to universal acclaim in 1969, ''[[Civilisation (TV series)|Civilisation]]'' set the blueprint for landmark [[authored documentary|authored documentaries]], which were informally known as "sledgehammer" projects.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/oct/22/david-attenborough-climate-change-bbc |title=The real David Attenborough |date=22 October 2019 |website=The Guardian |access-date=23 August 2021 |archive-date=23 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210823195442/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/oct/22/david-attenborough-climate-change-bbc |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Hearn |first=Marcus |title=Civilisation |year=2005 |location=London |publisher=BBC |oclc=778343652 |page=16}}</ref> Others followed, including [[Jacob Bronowski]]'s ''[[The Ascent of Man]]'' (also commissioned by Attenborough) and [[Alistair Cooke]]'s ''[[America: A Personal History of the United States|America]]''. Attenborough thought that the story of evolution would be a natural subject for such a series. He shared his idea with [[Christopher Parsons]], a producer at the Natural History Unit, who came up with a title ''[[Life on Earth (TV series)|Life on Earth]]'' and returned to Bristol to start planning the series. Attenborough harboured a strong desire to present the series himself, but this would not be possible so long as he remained in a management post.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chris Parsons |work=The Telegraph |date=27 November 2002 |access-date=22 August 2021 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1414374/Chris-Parsons.html |archive-date=22 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210822160731/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1414374/Chris-Parsons.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

While in charge of BBC Two, Attenborough turned down [[Terry Wogan]]'s job application to be a presenter on the channel, stating that there were not any suitable vacancies. The channel already had an Irish announcer, with Attenborough reflecting in 2016: "To have had two Irishmen presenting on BBC Two would have looked ridiculous. This is no comment whatsoever on Terry Wogan's talents."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/television/tv-news/david-attenborough-rebuffed-terry-wogans-bbc-presenter-job-application-because-they-had-an-irish-announcer-34436348.html |title=David Attenborough 'rebuffed' Terry Wogan's BBC presenter job application because they had an Irish announcer |first=Kerri-Ann |last=Roper |work=Irish Independent |date=9 February 2016 |access-date=9 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160210093803/http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/television/tv-news/david-attenborough-rebuffed-terry-wogans-bbc-presenter-job-application-because-they-had-an-irish-announcer-34436348.html |archive-date=10 February 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> Attenborough has also acknowledged that he sanctioned the [[Lost television broadcast#Wiping|wiping]] of television output during this period to cut costs, including [[On the Margin|a series]] by [[Alan Bennett]], which he later regretted.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/10784285/David-Attenborough-my-regrets-over-wiping-Alan-Bennett-dross.html |title=David Attenborough: my regrets over wiping Alan Bennett 'dross' |work=The Telegraph |date=24 April 2014 |access-date=8 April 2018 |last1=Furness |first1=Hannah |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180409090437/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/10784285/David-Attenborough-my-regrets-over-wiping-Alan-Bennett-dross.html |archive-date=9 April 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1969, Attenborough was promoted to director of programmes, making him responsible for the output of both BBC channels.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/nine-astonishing-ways-david-attenborough-shaped-your-world/z4k2kmn|title=Nine astonishing ways David Attenborough shaped your world|website=BBC Teach|access-date=31 October 2021|archive-date=31 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211031201515/https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/nine-astonishing-ways-david-attenborough-shaped-your-world/z4k2kmn|url-status=live}}</ref> His tasks, which included agreeing budgets, attending board meetings and firing staff, were now far removed from the business of filming programmes. When Attenborough's name was being suggested as a candidate for the position of [[Director-General of the BBC]] in 1972, he phoned his brother Richard to confess that he had no appetite for the job. Early the following year, he left his post to return to full-time programme-making, leaving him free to write and present the planned natural history epic.<ref name="BAFTA Guru"/>

After his resignation, Attenborough became a freelance broadcaster and started work on his next project, a trip to Indonesia with a crew from the Natural History Unit. It resulted in the 1973 series ''Eastwards with Attenborough'', which was similar in tone to the earlier ''Zoo Quest''; the main difference was the introduction of colour. Attenborough stated that he wanted to work in Asia, because previous nature documentaries had mostly focused on Africa.<ref>{{cite book |first=Jean-Baptiste |last=Gouyon |title=BBC Wildlife Documentaries in the Age of Attenborough |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |year=2019 |isbn=978-3-030-19981-4 |pages=201–212}}</ref> That year, Attenborough was invited to deliver the [[Royal Institution Christmas Lectures|Royal Institution Christmas Lecture]] on ''The Language of Animals''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The languages of animals |url=https://www.rigb.org/christmas-lectures/watch/1973/the-languages-of-animals |url-status=live |access-date=21 August 2021 |website=The Royal Institution |date=December 1973 |archive-date=21 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821200021/https://www.rigb.org/christmas-lectures/watch/1973/the-languages-of-animals}}</ref> After his work on ''Eastwards with Attenborough'', he began to work on the scripts for ''Life on Earth''.<ref name="ftvdb.bfi.org.uk">{{cite web |url=http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/67588?view=credit |title=BFI Fil and TV Database Attenborough |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090117024717/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/67588?view=credit |archive-date=17 January 2009}}</ref>

Due to the scale of his ambition, the BBC decided to partner with an American network to secure the necessary funding. While the negotiations were proceeding, he worked on a number of other television projects. He presented a series on [[tribal art]] (''[[The Tribal Eye]]'', 1975) and another on the voyages of discovery (''[[David Attenborough filmography#1970s|The Explorers]]'', 1975).<ref name="ftvdb.bfi.org.uk"/> He presented a BBC children's series about [[cryptozoology]] entitled ''Fabulous Animals'' (1975), which featured mythical creatures such as [[mermaid]]s and [[unicorn]]s.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gately |first=Martin |url=http://www.forteantimes.com/features/articles/101/attenboroughs_fabulous_animals.html |title=Fortean Times episode guide to ''Fabulous Animals'' |publisher=Forteantimes.com |date=1 April 2006 |access-date=4 November 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090827065546/http://www.forteantimes.com/features/articles/101/attenboroughs_fabulous_animals.html |archive-date=27 August 2009}}</ref> Eventually, the BBC signed a co-production deal with [[Turner Broadcasting]] and ''Life on Earth'' moved into production in 1976.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Life On Earth |publisher=BBC |access-date=22 August 2021 |url=https://www.bbc.com/historyofthebbc/anniversaries/january/life-on-earth |archive-date=9 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109111318/https://www.bbc.com/historyofthebbc/anniversaries/january/life-on-earth |url-status=live}}</ref> In 1979, he visited China and reported to the West for the first time about China's one-child policy.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-02/david-attenborough-and-chinas-one-child-policy/102793902 |title=China's One Child Policy was a secret from the West. Then David Attenborough asked one question |newspaper=ABC News |date=September 2023 |access-date=4 September 2023 |archive-date=4 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230904121624/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-02/david-attenborough-and-chinas-one-child-policy/102793902 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== ''Life'' series ===
{{see also|The Life Collection}}
Beginning with ''[[Life on Earth (TV series)|Life on Earth]]'' in 1979, Attenborough set about creating a body of work which became a benchmark of quality in wildlife film-making and influenced a generation of documentary film-makers. The series established many of the hallmarks of the BBC's natural history output. By treating his subject seriously and researching the latest discoveries, Attenborough and his production team gained the trust of scientists, who responded by allowing him to feature their subjects in his programmes.<ref>{{cite book |author=Attenborough, David |title=Life on Air |publisher=BBC Books |year=2002 |isbn=0-563-48780-1 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/lifeonair00atte}} pp. 289–291.</ref>

Innovation was another factor in ''Life on Earth''{{'s}} success: new film-making techniques were devised to get the shots Attenborough wanted, with a focus on events and animals that were up till then unfilmed. International air travel enabled the series to be devised so that Attenborough visited several locations around the globe in each episode, sometimes even changing continents in one sequence. Although appearing as the on-screen presenter, he restricted his time on camera to give more time to his subjects.<ref>{{Cite AV media |people=Miles Barton (director), David Attenborough (presenter), Alastair Fothergill (executive producer) |title=Attenborough: 60 Years in the Wild, Episode 1, Life on Camera |year=2012 |publisher=BBC |format=documentary |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00zsqsz |access-date=3 September 2021 |archive-date=16 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240616165057/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00zsqsz |url-status=live }}</ref>

Five years after the success of ''Life on Earth'', the BBC released ''[[The Living Planet]]''.{{Sfn|Gouyon|2019|p=233}} This time, Attenborough built his series around the theme of ecology, the adaptations of living things to their environment. It was another critical and commercial success, generating huge international sales for the BBC. In 1990, ''[[The Trials of Life]]'' completed the original Life trilogy, looking at [[ethology|animal behaviour]] through the different stages of life.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/historyofthebbc/anniversaries/october/trials-of-life |title=The Trials of Life |access-date=5 September 2021 |archive-date=17 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417084551/https://www.bbc.com/historyofthebbc/anniversaries/october/trials-of-life |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the 1990s, Attenborough continued to use the "Life" title for a succession of authored documentaries. In 1993, he presented ''[[Life in the Freezer]]'', the first television series to survey the natural history of [[Antarctica]]. Although past normal retirement age, he then embarked on a number of more specialised surveys of the natural world, beginning with plants. They proved a difficult subject for his producers, who had to deliver hours of television featuring what are essentially immobile objects. The result was ''[[The Private Life of Plants]]'' (1995), which showed plants as dynamic organisms by using [[time-lapse photography]] to speed up their growth, and went on to earn a [[Peabody Award]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.peabodyawards.com/award-profile/the-private-life-of-plants |title=Peabody Award Citation: The Private Life of Plants (1995) |access-date=24 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826234123/http://www.peabodyawards.com/award-profile/the-private-life-of-plants |archive-date=26 August 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Prompted by an enthusiastic [[ornithology|ornithologist]] at the BBC Natural History Unit, Attenborough then turned his attention to birds. As he was neither a [[Birdwatching|birdwatcher]] nor a bird expert, he decided he was better qualified to make ''[[The Life of Birds]]'' (1998) on the theme of behaviour. The documentary series won a second Peabody Award the following year.<ref>[http://www.peabodyawards.com/award-profile/the-life-of-birds-by-david-attenborough 59th Annual Peabody Awards] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006131052/http://www.peabodyawards.com/award-profile/the-life-of-birds-by-david-attenborough |date=6 October 2014 }}, May 2000.</ref> The order of the remaining "Life" series was dictated by developments in camera technology. For ''[[The Life of Mammals]]'' (2002), [[low-light photography|low-light]] and [[infrared photography|infrared]] cameras were deployed to reveal the behaviour of nocturnal mammals. The series contains a number of memorable [[two shot]]s of Attenborough and his subjects, which included chimpanzees, a [[blue whale]] and a [[grizzly bear]]. Advances in [[macro photography]] made it possible to capture the natural behaviour of very small creatures for the first time, and in 2005, ''[[Life in the Undergrowth]]'' introduced audiences to the world of [[invertebrate]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC Science & Nature – Life In The Undergrowth |publisher=BBC |access-date=6 September 2021 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/lifeintheundergrowth/ |archive-date=4 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210804004715/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/lifeintheundergrowth/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

At this point, Attenborough realised that he had spent 20 years unconsciously assembling a collection of programmes on all the major groups of terrestrial animals and plants – only reptiles and [[amphibian]]s were missing. When ''[[Life in Cold Blood]]'' was broadcast in 2008, he had the satisfaction of completing the set, brought together in a DVD encyclopaedia called ''[[Life on Land]]''. He commented: "The evolutionary history is finished. The endeavour is complete. If you'd asked me 20 years ago whether we'd be attempting such a mammoth task, I'd have said 'Don't be ridiculous!' These programmes tell a particular story and I'm sure others will come along and tell it much better than I did, but I do hope that if people watch it in 50 years' time, it will still have something to say about the world we live in."<ref name="rtimes2">''Radio Times'' 26 Jan–1 February 2008: "The Last Word", interview with Jeremy Paxman</ref>

However, in 2010 Attenborough asserted that his ''[[First Life (TV series)|First Life]]'' – dealing with evolutionary history before ''Life on Earth'' – should be included within the "Life" series. In the documentary ''[[Attenborough's Journey]]'', he stated, "This series, to a degree which I really didn't fully appreciate until I started working on it, really completes the set."<ref>''Attenborough's Journey'', BBC Two, 24 October 2010</ref>

===Beyond ''Life on Earth''===
[[File:David Attenborough NASA.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2|Attenborough filming commentary for a documentary at the [[Kennedy Space Center]] in Florida, with the [[Space Shuttle Columbia]] in the background]]
Alongside the ''Life'' series, Attenborough continued to work on other television documentaries, mainly in the natural history genre. He wrote and presented a series on man's influence on the natural history of the [[Mediterranean Basin]], ''[[The First Eden]]'', in 1987. Two years later, he demonstrated his passion for fossils in ''[[Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://topdocumentaryfilms.com/lost-worlds-vanished-lives/ |title=Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives |via=topdocumentaryfilms.com |access-date=23 August 2021 |archive-date=23 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210823194655/https://topdocumentaryfilms.com/lost-worlds-vanished-lives/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In 1990, he worked on the BBC's ''Prisoners of Conscience'' series where he highlighted the case of the Sudanese poet [[Mahjoub Sharif]].<ref name="Amnesty2008">{{Cite journal |date=September–October 2008 |title=Solidarity and Return to Sender |journal=Amnesty Magazine |volume=0264-3278 |issue=151 |page=24}}</ref>

Attenborough narrated every episode of ''[[Wildlife on One]]'', a [[BBC One]] wildlife series that ran for 253 episodes between 1977 and 2005. At its peak, it drew a weekly audience of eight to ten million, while the 1987 episode "Meerkats United" was voted the best wildlife documentary of all time by BBC viewers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wildfilmhistory.org/film/151/Meerkats+United.html |title=Meerkats United |publisher=WildFilmistory.org |access-date=20 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100204223809/http://www.wildfilmhistory.org/film/151/Meerkats+United.html |archive-date=4 February 2010 |url-status=usurped}}</ref> He has narrated over 50 episodes of ''[[Natural World (BBC TV series)|Natural World]]'', BBC Two's flagship wildlife series. Its forerunner, ''[[The World About Us]]'', was created by Attenborough in 1969, as a vehicle for colour television.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/info/policies/madeintheuk/pdfs/5_david_attenborough_where_the_wild_things_are.pdf |title="Where the Wild Things Are" (Essay for BBC "Made in the Uk") |publisher=BBC |first=David |last=Attenborough |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805031208/http://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/policies/madeintheuk/pdfs/5_david_attenborough_where_the_wild_things_are.pdf |archive-date=5 August 2011 |access-date=20 January 2010}}</ref> In 1997, he narrated the ''[[BBC Wildlife Specials]]'', each focusing on a charismatic species and screened to mark the Natural History Unit's 40th anniversary.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://realscreen.com/1998/01/01/20282-19980101/ |title=Tribute to BBC Natural History Unit: Bristol's Natural Wonder |access-date=23 August 2021 |archive-date=23 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210823194908/https://realscreen.com/1998/01/01/20282-19980101/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

As a writer and narrator, Attenborough continued to collaborate with the BBC Natural History Unit in the new millennium. [[Alastair Fothergill]], a senior producer with whom Attenborough had worked on ''The Trials of Life'' and ''Life in the Freezer'', was making ''[[The Blue Planet]]'' (2001), the Unit's first comprehensive series on [[marine life]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2017/david-attenborough-blue-planet-ii|title=Sir David Attenborough to present Blue Planet II for BBC One|publisher=[[BBC]]|date=20 February 2017|access-date=20 February 2017|archive-date=23 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223022123/http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2017/david-attenborough-blue-planet-ii|url-status=live}}</ref> He decided not to use an on-screen presenter due to difficulties in speaking to a camera through diving apparatus, but asked Attenborough to narrate the films. The same team reunited for ''[[Planet Earth (2006 TV series)|Planet Earth]]'' (2006), the biggest nature documentary ever made for television and the first BBC wildlife series to be shot in [[high-definition video|high definition]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/18/arts/television/18slen.html|title=Alastair Fothergill – Planet Earth – TV|last=Slenske|first=Michael|date=18 March 2007|work=The New York Times|access-date=20 October 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=20 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020140524/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/18/arts/television/18slen.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2009, Attenborough co-wrote and narrated ''[[Life (2009 TV series)|Life]]'', a ten-part series focussing on extraordinary animal behaviour,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/sep/21/bbc.television1 |title=Attenborough is back – again |last=Holmwood |first=Leigh |date=21 September 2007 |work=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=28 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190516181655/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/sep/21/bbc.television1 |archive-date=16 May 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> and narrated ''[[Nature's Great Events]]'', which showed how seasonal changes trigger major natural spectacles.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/01_january/05/nature.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216032713/http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/1_january/05/nature.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 February 2009 |title=Nature's Great Events press pack: introduction |date=11 February 2009 |publisher=BBC Press Office |access-date=20 December 2019}}</ref> In January 2009, the BBC commissioned Attenborough to provide a series of 20 ten-minute monologues covering the history of nature. Entitled ''[[David Attenborough's Life Stories]]'', they were broadcast on [[BBC Radio 4|Radio 4]] on Friday nights.<ref>{{cite web |date=30 January 2009 |title=Attenborough takes on Cooke's radio slot |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/a145070/attenborough-takes-on-cookes-radio-slot.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090609170435/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/a145070/attenborough-takes-on-cookes-radio-slot.html |archive-date=9 June 2009 |access-date=4 November 2009 |work=Digital Spy |first=Sarah |last=Rollo}}</ref>

In 2011, Fothergill gave Attenborough a more prominent role in ''[[Frozen Planet]]'', a major series on the natural history of the [[Polar regions of Earth|polar regions]]; Attenborough appeared on screen and authored the final episode, in addition to performing [[Voice-over|voiceover]] duties. Attenborough introduced and narrated the Unit's first [[Ultra-high-definition television|4K]] production ''[[Life Story (TV series)|Life Story]].'' For ''[[Planet Earth II]]'' (2016), Attenborough returned as narrator and presenter, with the main theme music composed by [[Hans Zimmer]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2016/planet-earth-two |title=Sir David Attenborough to present brand new landmark natural history series for BBC One |publisher=[[BBC]] |date=22 February 2016 |access-date=22 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160223204759/http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2016/planet-earth-two |archive-date=23 February 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02544td |title=Planet Earth II – BBC One |publisher=BBC |access-date=21 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312235701/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02544td |archive-date=12 March 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:David Attenborough Great Barrier Reef screening.jpg|thumb|right|Attenborough at a screening of ''[[Great Barrier Reef (2015 TV series)|Great Barrier Reef]]'', 2015]]
In October 2014, the corporation announced a trio of new one-off Attenborough documentaries as part of a raft of new natural history programmes. "Attenborough's Paradise Birds" and "Attenborough's Big Birds" was shown on BBC Two and "Waking Giants", which follows the discovery of giant dinosaur bones in South America, aired on BBC One.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-29641107 |title=David Attenborough to examine ostriches and dinosaurs |newspaper=BBC News |access-date=17 October 2014 |date=16 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016233543/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-29641107 |archive-date=16 October 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> The BBC also commissioned [[Atlantic Productions]] to make a three-part, Attenborough-fronted series ''[[Great Barrier Reef (2015 TV series)|Great Barrier Reef]]'' in 2015. The series marked the 10th project for Attenborough and Atlantic and saw him returning to a location he first filmed at in 1957.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2014/great-barrier-reef |title=David Attenborough to present new landmark series on the Great Barrier Reef for BBC One |publisher=BBC Media Centre |access-date=17 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141001215646/http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2014/great-barrier-reef |archive-date=1 October 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/commissioning/sir-david-attenborough-heads-back-to-great-barrier-reef/5077382.article |title=Sir David Attenborough heads back to Great Barrier Reef |access-date=17 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024180056/http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/commissioning/sir-david-attenborough-heads-back-to-great-barrier-reef/5077382.article |archive-date=24 October 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On radio, Attenborough has continued as one of the presenters of BBC Radio 4's ''[[Tweet of the Day]]'', which began a second series in September 2014.<ref>{{cite web |date=23 June 2014 |title=Michael Palin to become Radio 4 Tweet of the Day presenter |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/media/news/a579579/michael-palin-to-become-radio-4-tweet-of-the-day-presenter.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021132003/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/media/news/a579579/michael-palin-to-become-radio-4-tweet-of-the-day-presenter.html |archive-date=21 October 2014 |access-date=17 October 2014 |work=Digital Spy}}</ref> Attenborough forged a partnership with [[Sky (United Kingdom)|Sky]], working on documentaries for the broadcaster's new 3D network, [[Sky 3D]]. Their first collaboration was ''[[Flying Monsters 3D]]'', a film about [[pterosaur]]s which debuted on Christmas Day of 2010.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8606923.stm |title=Sir David Attenborough to front Sky 3D wildlife show |work=[[BBC News Online|BBC News]] |date=7 April 2010 |access-date=11 May 2010 |archive-date=5 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210905203611/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8606923.stm |url-status=live}}</ref> A second film, ''[[The Penguin King 3D]]'', followed a year later. His next 3D project, ''[[David Attenborough's Conquest of the Skies 3D|Conquest of the Skies]]'', made by the team behind the BAFTA award-winning ''[[David Attenborough's Natural History Museum Alive]]'', aired on [[Sky 3D]] during Christmas 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.skymedia.co.uk/news/attenborough's-conquest-of-the-skies-3d.aspx |title=David Attenborough to explore the evolution of flight in Conquest of the Skies 3D, a 3 part series for broadcast on Sky 3D and in 2D on Sky 1 this Xmas. |publisher=Sky Media Centre |access-date=1 January 2015 |archive-date=2 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150102081420/http://www.skymedia.co.uk/news/attenborough%27s-conquest-of-the-skies-3d.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>

Attenborough has narrated three series of ''[[David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities]]'' for [[UKTV]] channel [[Watch (TV channel)|Watch]], with the third series showing in 2015. He has also narrated [[Wild Karnataka (2019 film)|''A majestic celebration: Wild Karnataka'']], India's first blue-chip natural history film, directed by [[Kalyan Varma]] and [[Amoghavarsha JS|Amoghavarsha]].<ref>[https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/a-majestic-celebration/article26429185.ece/ "Majestic celebration: Wild Karnataka"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401001041/https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/a-majestic-celebration/article26429185.ece |date=1 April 2019 }}. TheHindu.com. Retrieved 20 March 2019</ref> ''[[Blue Planet II]]'' was broadcast in 2017, with Attenborough returning as presenter.<ref>{{cite web |date=20 February 2017 |title=Sir David Attenborough to present Blue Planet II for BBC One |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2017/david-attenborough-blue-planet-ii |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223022123/http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2017/david-attenborough-blue-planet-ii |archive-date=23 February 2017 |access-date=20 February 2017 |publisher=[[BBC]]}}</ref> The series was critically acclaimed and gained the highest UK viewing figure for 2017 of 14.1&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web |date=29 December 2017 |title=''Radio Times'' top 40 TV shows of 2017 |url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2017-12-29/radio-times-top-40-tv-shows-of-2017-10-to-1/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180122072115/http://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2017-12-29/radio-times-top-40-tv-shows-of-2017-10-to-1/ |archive-date=22 January 2018 |access-date=21 January 2018 |work=Radio Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Ruddick |first1=Graham |date=6 November 2017 |title=Blue Planet II is year's most watched British TV show |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/nov/06/blue-planet-ii-years-most-watched-tv-show-david-attenborough |url-status=live |access-date=21 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180122001157/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/nov/06/blue-planet-ii-years-most-watched-tv-show-david-attenborough |archive-date=22 January 2018}}</ref> The series is thought to have triggered a long-lasting increase in public, media and political attention to [[plastic pollution]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Males |first1=Jennifer |last2=Van Aelst |first2=Peter |date=2 January 2021 |title=Did the Blue Planet set the Agenda for Plastic Pollution? An Explorative Study on the Influence of a Documentary on the Public, Media and Political Agendas |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2020.1780458 |journal=Environmental Communication |volume=15 |issue=1 |pages=40–54 |doi=10.1080/17524032.2020.1780458 |bibcode=2021Ecomm..15...40M |hdl=10067/1703940151162165141 |s2cid=221492454 |issn=1752-4032 |hdl-access=free |access-date=28 April 2022 |archive-date=31 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230831232304/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17524032.2020.1780458 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Has Blue Planet II had an impact on plastic pollution? |url=https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/has-blue-planet-ii-had-an-impact-on-plastic-pollution/ |access-date=28 April 2022 |website=BBC Science Focus Magazine |date=12 April 2019 |language=en |archive-date=30 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630004825/https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/has-blue-planet-ii-had-an-impact-on-plastic-pollution/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Attenborough narrated the 2018 five-part series ''[[Dynasties (2018 TV series)|Dynasties]]'', each episode dealing with one species in particular.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC – Sir David Attenborough to present BBC One's Dynasty – Media Centre |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2018/dynasty-david-attenborough |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190112022513/https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2018/dynasty-david-attenborough |archive-date=12 January 2019 |access-date=4 November 2018 |publisher=BBC}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=White |first=Peter |date=25 September 2018 |title=Sir David Attenborough's Wildlife Doc Series 'Dynasties' Goes Global Via BBC Studios |work=Deadline |url=https://deadline.com/2018/09/dynasties-david-attenborough-1202470705/ |url-status=live |access-date=4 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417002123/https://deadline.com/2018/09/dynasties-david-attenborough-1202470705/ |archive-date=17 April 2019}}</ref> In 2021, he presented the three-part series ''[[Life in Colour (miniseries)|Attenborough's Life in Colour]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|title=Attenborough's Life in Colour Season 1|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/programme/b-dj3d88/attenboroughs-life-in-colour-season-1/|access-date=15 November 2021|website=[[Radio Times]]|language=en|archive-date=15 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115205203/https://www.radiotimes.com/programme/b-dj3d88/attenboroughs-life-in-colour-season-1/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and ''The Mating Game'', a five-part series.<ref>{{Cite web|title=BBC One – The Mating Game|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0010bc1|access-date=15 November 2021|website=BBC|language=en-GB|archive-date=15 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115205202/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0010bc1|url-status=live}}</ref>

Attenborough returned to prehistoric life with ''[[Dinosaurs: The Final Day]]'' and ''[[Prehistoric Planet (2022 TV series)|Prehistoric Planet]]'', aired in April and May 2022 respectively.

===Environmentalist advocacy===
[[File:Sir David Attenborough- “O mundo está olhando para vocês”.webm|thumb|Attenborough speaking at the [[2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference]]]]
By the turn of the millennium, Attenborough's authored documentaries were adopting a more overtly environmentalist stance. In ''[[State of the Planet]]'' (2000), he used the latest scientific evidence and interviews with leading scientists and [[conservationists]] to assess the impact of human activities on the natural world. He later turned to the issues of [[global warming]] (''[[The Truth about Climate Change]]'', 2006) and human population growth (''How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth?'', 2009). He contributed a programme which highlighted the plight of [[endangered species]] to the BBC's ''[[Saving Planet Earth]]'' project in 2007, the 50th anniversary of the Natural History Unit.<ref>{{cite news |date=21 September 2007 |title=IBC Honours BBC Natural History Unit For Contribution To Wildlife Film |publisher=4rfv.co.uk |url=http://www.4rfv.co.uk/industrynews.asp?id=66138 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090108102754/http://www.4rfv.co.uk/industrynews.asp?id=66138 |archive-date=8 January 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=David Attenborough lays out 7 actions to save the world |work=MINDFOOD |access-date=6 September 2021 |url=https://www.mindfood.com/article/david-attenboroughs-7-actions-to-save-the-world/ |archive-date=28 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328061111/https://www.mindfood.com/article/david-attenboroughs-7-actions-to-save-the-world/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2019, Attenborough narrated ''[[Our Planet]]'', an eight-part documentary series, for [[Netflix]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/nov/08/david-attenborough-to-present-netflix-nature-series-our-planet |title=David Attenborough to present Netflix nature series Our Planet |last=Waterson |first=Jim |date=8 November 2018 |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=9 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181108223343/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/nov/08/david-attenborough-to-present-netflix-nature-series-our-planet |archive-date=8 November 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> In contrast to much of his prior work for the BBC, this series emphasised the destructive role of human activities throughout the series. Before, he would often note concerns in a final section of the work.{{Sfn|Gouyon|2019|p=247–251}} He also narrated ''[[Wild Karnataka]]'', a documentary about the [[Karnataka]] forest area.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/173503/wild-karnataka-documentary-david-attenborough-kalyan-varma-india/ |title=Exclusive: The Story Behind Wild Karnataka, India's First Blue Chip Natural History Film! |date=26 February 2019 |last=Norbu Wangchuk |first=Rincehn |access-date=27 February 2019 |publisher=[[The Better India]] |archive-date=5 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210905203602/https://www.thebetterindia.com/173503/wild-karnataka-documentary-david-attenborough-kalyan-varma-india/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2019, Attenborough's one-off film documentary about climate change for BBC One called ''[[Climate Change – The Facts]]'' was aired; the tone of the documentary was significantly graver than his previous work for the BBC.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-47666007 |title=Sir David Attenborough to present climate change documentary |work=[[BBC News Online|BBC News]] |date=22 March 2019 |access-date=23 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323071233/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-47666007 |archive-date=23 March 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=18 April 2019 |title=Climate Change: The Facts review – our greatest threat, laid bare |url=http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/apr/18/climate-change-the-facts-review-our-greatest-threat-laid-bare-david-attenborough |access-date=22 August 2021 |website=The Guardian |archive-date=22 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210822150927/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/apr/18/climate-change-the-facts-review-our-greatest-threat-laid-bare-david-attenborough |url-status=live}}</ref> This was followed by ''[[Extinction: The Facts]]'', which is partly based on the 2019 [[IPBES]] [[Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services|report]] on the [[Biodiversity loss|decline of biodiversity]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Vaughan |first=Adam |date=6 September 2020 |title=Extinction: The Facts – An Attenborough guide to nature's destruction |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2253673-extinction-the-facts-an-attenborough-guide-to-natures-destruction/ |work=[[New Scientist]] |access-date=9 September 2020 |archive-date=7 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200907092915/https://www.newscientist.com/article/2253673-extinction-the-facts-an-attenborough-guide-to-natures-destruction/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-54118769 "Sir David Attenborough makes stark warning about species extinction"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928045146/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-54118769 |date=28 September 2020 }}. BBC Science. Retrieved 14 October 2020</ref>

In 2020, Attenborough narrated the documentary film ''[[David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet]]''. The film acts as Attenborough's witness statement, reflecting on his career as a naturalist and his hopes for the future.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lowry |first=Brian |date=2 October 2020 |title=David Attenborough offers his 'witness statement,' and a warning, in 'A Life on Our Planet' |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/02/entertainment/david-attenborough-a-life-on-our-planet-review/index.html |work=[[CNN]]|access-date=9 October 2020 |archive-date=8 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008031049/https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/02/entertainment/david-attenborough-a-life-on-our-planet-review/index.html |url-status=live}}</ref> It was released on Netflix on 4 October 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |title=David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet |url=https://www.netflix.com/title/80216393|access-date=27 March 2021|website= [[Netflix]] Official Site |archive-date=12 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210312003952/https://www.netflix.com/title/80216393|url-status=live}}</ref> Further work for Netflix includes the documentary titled ''[[Breaking Boundaries|Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet]]'', released on 4 June 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet release date – David Attenborough to narrate Netflix documentary |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/documentaries/breaking-boundaries-the-science-of-our-planet-release-date-netflix/ |access-date=27 May 2021 |website=Radio Times |archive-date=4 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210604102100/https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/documentaries/breaking-boundaries-the-science-of-our-planet-release-date-netflix/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In October 2020, Attenborough began filming in Cambridge for ''[[The Green Planet (TV series)|The Green Planet]]''.<ref>[https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/david-attenborough-bbc-cambridge-programme-19018399 "Sir David Attenborough spotted filming in Cambridge for new series of The Green Planet"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003163816/https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/david-attenborough-bbc-cambridge-programme-19018399 |date=3 October 2020 }}. ''Cambridge News''. Retrieved 14 October 2020</ref> In 2021, Attenborough narrated ''[[A Perfect Planet]]'', a five-part [[earth science]] series for BBC One.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Marshall |first=Sarah |date=3 January 2021 |title=A Perfect Planet: Behind the scenes on David Attenborough's breathtaking new show |work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/safaris-and-wildlife/perfect-planet-behind-scenes-david-attenboroughs-breathtaking/ |access-date=27 March 2021 |issn=0307-1235 |archive-date=5 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210205141248/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/safaris-and-wildlife/perfect-planet-behind-scenes-david-attenboroughs-breathtaking/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Attenborough was a key figure in the build-up to the [[2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference]] (COP26) and gave a speech at the opening ceremony.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Attenborough's full speech: 'Not fear, but hope'|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/science-environment-59121615|access-date=5 November 2021|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104205855/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/science-environment-59121615|url-status=live}}</ref> In his speech, he stated that humans were "the greatest problem solvers to have ever existed on Earth" and spoke of his optimism for the future, finishing by saying "In my lifetime I've witnessed a terrible decline. In yours, you could and should witness a wonderful recovery."<ref>{{Cite news|date=1 November 2021|title=COP26: David Attenborough says world is looking to leaders|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-59125138|access-date=5 November 2021|archive-date=5 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211105201611/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-59125138|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2022, the [[United Nations Environment Programme]] recognised Attenborough as a [[Champions of the Earth|Champion of the Earth]] "for his dedication to research, documentation, and advocacy for the protection of nature and its restoration".<ref name=champion /><ref>{{cite web |title=Sir David Attenborough named Champion of the Earth by UN |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-61167925 |website=BBC News |access-date=21 April 2022 |date=20 April 2022 |archive-date=20 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220420235456/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-61167925 |url-status=live }}</ref>