Image: David Attenborough at Kaieteur Falls in Guyana filming Life on Earth.
The landmark natural history series Life on Earth began on 16 January 1979. The series was written and presented by David Attenborough, in an ambitious attempt to provide an authored overview, as Kenneth Clark did with Civilisation. The series took 3 years to make and took Attenborough all over the world.
In the first episode he began in the South American rainforest and ended up on the Great Barrier Reef. However for most of the time he stayed out of the picture and provided a discreet commentary, allowing the impressive photography to speak for itself.
The most memorable sequence in Life on Earth saw Attenborough sitting with a band of gorillas. He was able to convey the similarities that humans and gorillas share as he calmly addressed the camera. Many creatures and behaviours were captured on film for the first time; the programme showed the living fossil fish coelacanth, and the spectacular courtship displays of birds of paradise.
The success of the series, confirmed the BBC Natural History Unit as world leaders in natural history filmmaking. Life on Earth provided the template for several more Attenborough series, including Living Planet, Trials of Life and Life of Birds. It created an audience expectation for stunning and unique photography that the NHU continues to meet with series such as Planet Earth.
January anniversaries
The Six Wives of Henry VIII
1 January 1970
The Brains Trust
1 January 1941
The Archers
1 January 1951
Z Cars
2 January 1962
