Documentaries Best of British

Sir David Attenborough showcases the UK’s stunning flora and fauna

NEW NATURE

Wild Isles Sunday, 7pm, BBC1

In his long career as a wildlife broadcaster, Sir David Attenborough has visited every continent to explore the incredible diversity of life on our planet – but in his latest series, the veteran presenter stays much closer to home.

In BBC1’s Wild Isles, he shows viewers that you don’t need to visit the Serengeti or the Amazon to find incredible wildlife stories, as we have them right here in Britain and Ireland.

‘The UK has the scenery and the spectacular dramas that you would expect from a global series,’ says coproducer Alastair Fothergill. ‘The good news is that we are globally important for nature, but we’re also in the bottom 10% globally in terms of biodiversity. They’re two contradictory statements, but it’s also a very interesting narrative that has never been told.’

ON LOCATION

While 96-year-old Attenborough appears in front of the camera less often these days, he didn’t take much convincing to accept the presenting role in this series. ‘He was unbelievably enthusiastic, and said:

“Alastair, I love doing new things, and nobody’s done this,”’ recalls Fothergill. ‘I was so pleased that he agreed to go on location and introduce every episode. We took him to Skomer Island, off the coast of Pembrokeshire, and, as always, he was like a little boy!’