Happy 100th anniversary, David Attenborough!
My dad introduced me to a lot of different shows growing up; a bit of fantasy, some comedy, a lot of sci-fi, and also some educational/"edutainment" programs (he had (and still has) a whole harddrive full of tv shows, and I could make a whole separate post about all the stuff I even just remember watching with him). And amongst that line-up, there were also David Attenborough documentaries.
I've always been a fan of animals and nature, and my dad happened to be enough of a fan as well to have a lot of science/nature documentaries downloaded to his harddrive. Some were hosted/narrated by other people (I remember watching one or two narrated by Richard Hammond, for example), but mostly they were David Attenborough ones.
I don't remember how old I was when I started watching them, and I certainly can't remember how many I've watched with my dad, but I remember some of the animals that I particuarly loved watching and learning about, and I remember that we'd typically watch the behind-the-scenes featurettes as well, learning how each doco would get made, and the challenges and precision timing involved in achieving certain shots.
We've never had cable TV, but one of the free-to-air channels here sometimes gets newer David Attenborough docuseries every once in a blue moon, usually showing them at night once a week. Sometimes I've watched them with my dad, like old times, and sometimes I've watched them by myself in my bedroom (as my dad is getting older and doesn't always feel up to it).
Over the years, David Attenborough's documentaries have made me laugh, cry, and gasp in joy and amazement. I'm sure many of us remember the viral Lizard Vs Desert Snakes clip (from Planet Earth II, iirc) that had many people on the edge of their seats! And I've often delighted in seeing the sillier side of the animal kingdom, such as the courtship rituals of bowerbirds and birds of paradise. However, I've also shed many a tear over the documentaries as well, especially when it comes to those released within the last 10 years or so, with depictions of the adverse (and even heartbreaking) effects of anthropogenic climate change, pollution, and habitat destruction on vulnerable species.
I will admit that there are at least one or two ideas of Sir David's where I'll agree to disagree with him, regarding how best to tackle some of the aforementioned issues. However, he is still a very intelligent, caring, and compassionate man, and I am so glad that he made it to his 100th, because few others deserve it more than him. And I might as well add (because I did almost forget to mention this in the post) that in 2024 I graduated university with a bachelor of science degree, with a major in marine biology! And though there were multiple factors that helped shape my knowledge and passion over time, I'm quite confident to say that Sir David Attenborough's programs would be one of them!
He's experienced more in his lifetime than most people could ever possibly begin to imagine, but let's hope that he's still got a decent handful of good times yet to come! Happy 100th birthday, Sir David Attenborough, and thank you 💜
