A circumscribed (natural) history: British television celebrates David Attenborough

Abstract

Four programmes celebrating the life and work of David Attenborough (Life on Air (BBC, 2002); the 3-part series Attenborough: 60 Years in the Wild (BBC, 2012); Attenborough at 90: Behind the Lens (Atlantic, 2016); and Attenborough at 90: Starring David Attenborough (BBC, 2016)) are examined to show what is chosen to be celebrated about Attenborough’s career, what they reveal about the television genre of natural history, and about the kind of television work which is most valued. The programmes concentrate on his role as a natural history presenter on location and on the technology used to produce natural history television. The later three are also concerned with his defying of age-related norms in continuing to work and his adventurousness on location. They do not show the range of his programmes, nor, with the exception of the first and last BBC programmes which acknowledge his long past administrative roles, make explicit the many other roles he plays in programme-making. While showing something of the range of the natural history genre, their concentration on landmark programmes reduces their value as a history of the genre, apart from its technological development.