Why Hong Kong features in David Attenborough’s new Planet Earth II series
Impact of city’s light pollution on wildlife features in wide-ranging follow-up to landmark 2006 series that veteran presenter says is his way of getting people to care about how climate change threatens nature
David Attenborough sinks into a garish orange armchair in a central London hotel alongside his boss, Mike Gunton, the BBC’s creative director of factual television. As the broadcaster refuels in the middle of a long day of promotion – wolfing down a bar of Dairy Milk chocolate – Gunton recounts a pivotal meeting.
He recalls the head of the organisation’s Natural History Unit explaining that their 61-year-old star had just finished his second landmark series; he would do one more, and then he would retire. “Now who is going to replace Sir David Attenborough?” the executive announced. Gunton was charged with finding his successor.
That was 1987, and he is still searching. Meanwhile, the plainly irreplaceable television titan, now 90, is still at it.
Planet Earth II, the follow-up to the series that redefined natural history filmmaking exactly a decade ago, is punctuated throughout by the honeyed tones of the world’s favourite teacher.
Using state-of-the-art drones, remote camera traps and 4K technology across 40 countries and three years of filming, the six episodes get us dizzyingly close to the world’s most engaging creatures.
