will be reprising after celebrating his 97th birthday.
He may have had his birthday in May, but we feel like we’re the ones who’ve been given the ultimate present – the broadcasting legend will once again be bringing his soothing narration to the third instalment of Planet Earth.
Planet Earth III comes 17 years after the original series, which was followed up by a sequel in 2016. Fans can now get excited about the trilogy which is expected to be on screens in autumn, and will no doubt be the soundtrack to many Sundays across the UK.
It has taken a while to get the series off the ground – after the commissioning in 2019 it faced multiple delays due to , but it’s finally happening – good things certainly come to those who wait.
Executive producer Mike Gunton said: ‘Planet Earth wouldn’t be Planet Earth without David, so I’m delighted he is presenting the third series.
‘As ever, he has brought his huge enthusiasm and wisdom, has been encouraging about our new perspective and has, I know, really enjoyed seeing the extraordinary new wonders brought to the screen.’
Gunton also teased what we can expect from the episodes, reports
‘The opening of the series with David was filmed in the beautiful British countryside in exactly the location where Charles Darwin used to walk whilst thinking over his Earth-shaking ideas about evolution.’
He continued: ‘It seemed the perfect place for David to introduce Planet Earth III and remind us of both the wonders and the fragility of our planet.’
He also confirmed what we’d long suspected – Sir David is slightly magic: ‘For him, of course, the sun shone under blue skies …one of the only days it did all summer!’
The upcoming BBC series will be comprised of eight episodes – seven of which will give us an insight into animal life around the world, giving us once again a unique perspective of the wildlife – including Jacana birds and Mobula rays – that we don’t often get to see close up. In the finale, we will meet real-life ‘heroes’ who devote their time to saving species.
Viewers will get to understand how animals have adapted throughout evolution and the challenges they continue to face.
Sir David began making documentaries in 1952, but he’s showing
Gunton previously joked: ‘If I had a pound for every time somebody said, “This is probably going to be David’s last series,” I’d be a very rich man.’
Planet Earth and Planet Earth II are available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
