The BBC has made a major announcement regarding the future of David Attenborough programming, confirming that the legendary broadcaster will continue to front new content. The announcement came during a special birthday celebration event at the Royal Albert Hall, marking Sir David's 100th birthday.
Special Birthday Celebration
Hosted by Kirsty Young, the event featured guest appearances from Dame Judi Dench and Sir Michael Palin, along with historic clips from Sir David's television career. Despite being a centenarian, the national treasure shows no signs of slowing down, as the BBC confirmed a new series of Blue Planet.
Blue Planet III Announced
Moments before the broadcast of David Attenborough’s 100 Years on Planet Earth concluded, Kirsty Young announced: "Well, even though it's his birthday week, David has still been hard at work, voicing a brand new series. Tonight, I am thrilled to announce that launching this autumn is Blue Planet III." She added: "We felt that we couldn't go this evening without sharing a little glimpse, recorded just a few days ago, into 100-year-old David Attenborough's typical working day." The programme then aired a clip of Sir David voicing an animal's 'mating call', with Young hailing him as "an inspiration to us all".
Following the announcement, viewers expressed their excitement on social media. One person said: "Ooohh Blue Planet III so excited," while another wrote: "Blue Planet 3!!! Always so hyped and it's not even out yet." The original Blue Planet series first aired in 2001, with the sequel following in 2017.
Producer Reflects on Attenborough's Dedication
This news comes after a film producer who has worked with Sir David addressed the centenarian's continued energy. Joe Loncraine appeared on Good Morning Britain last month, recalling the privilege of working with him over the last decade. He said: "I first worked with him just before his 90th birthday, and I thought, I’m so glad I got to work with him because surely he won’t be making films for much longer now that he’s nearly 90. Since then, I’ve worked with him on five projects, five different films over that time in the last ten years, and I’ve stopped thinking he’ll be slowing down. You’ll lose that bet if you have it any time. He always surprises us, he’s always wanting to do more. He remains very curious about the world and wants to learn more and show people what he’s learnt and show people what he’s excited about. I imagine he’ll probably rest a bit more, he’s earnt it. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he keeps doing stuff for as long as we want him, which will be as long as we can have him."
Attenborough's Own Words on Retirement
Back in 2019, Sir David, then 91, stated he would retire from broadcasting if his work became substandard or if he could no longer walk up and down stairs. He told the Radio Times: "I would like to think I would be able to detect when I couldn’t find the right words any more. If I think I’m not producing commentary with any freshness or which is apposite or to the point, I hope I would be able to recognise it before someone else told me. If I thought I was turning in substandard work, that would stop me." He added: "If I can’t walk up and down steps any more, that will stop me. Yes I do dread not working, although there are things I can do without running up steps six times – books to be written, things I’ve never got round to."
David Attenborough’s 100 Years on Planet Earth is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
