Sir David Attenborough returns to present Planet Earth III

Sir David Attenborough has already started filming the introductory scenes of Planet Earth III and he has also begun recording his legendary voiceovers for the BBC show.

The 97-year-old biologist and natural historian first became a famous face of the wildlife series in 2006 and returned a decade later for the sequel.

Executive producer Mike Gunton exclusively revealed to The Mirror: “Planet Earth wouldn’t be Planet Earth without David, so I’m delighted he is presenting the third series.

Sir David Attenborough:

“We now have a few short years during which we can still make a choice – where just enough remains of the natural world for it to recover.

“This starts and ends with us.”#SaveOurWildIsles pic.twitter.com/xMgM1NAC49

— National Trust (@nationaltrust) August 20, 2023

“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.

“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.

“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.”

When will Planet Earth III air on BBC?

It’s thought Planet Earth III will air on the BBC later this autumn.

The latest instalment was commissioned back in 2019 and has been in the making for almost five years as filming was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The 2023 series will feature seven episodes, showing astounding footage of animal behaviour from around the world, including some species that have never been seen before.

The Mirror reports that the eighth and final episode will “celebrate the human ‘heroes’ who dedicate their lives to trying to save certain species.”

Sky announces new Sir David Attenborough series

Sky recently announced a new Attenborough series will be coming to the TV streaming service in spring 2024, during the Edinburgh TV Festival.

Titled Secret World Of Sound, Sir David will explore how unhatched caimans communicate with each other while in the egg, how lions and hyenas battle in the dark using sound, a fish with an eerie hum, and mimicry in birds.

Poppy Dixon, director of documentaries and factual at Sky said: “With Sky Documentaries we aim to bring our audience incredible true stories, made by the best storytellers in the business – which we’re proud to showcase in the richly compelling narrative of Louis Theroux’s Tell Them You Love Me, as well as in the riveting, thought-provoking series House Of Kardashian.

“We also could not be more delighted to announce our ground-breaking natural history series, Secret World Of Sound With David Attenborough, set to premiere next year.”