Sir David Attenborough Returns to TV With a New Series at 97 Years Old

Sir David Attenborough isn’t ready to stop teaching us about the wonders of the animal kingdom just yet. The iconic biologist and natural historian is returning to our screens to reprise one of his most famous shows.

Planet Earth II (2016) was the most-watched natural history show for 15 years. After celebrating his 97th birthday, and eight decades since he started making documentaries, it was announced that Sir David Attenborough would be the narrator of the third installment of the series, Planet Earth III — the ultimate present to fans of the wildlife series. It is set to be released in Fall 2023 and has been nearly five years in the making.

The show’s executive producer said in an interview that Sir David Attenborough was essential for the project’s development. “Planet Earth wouldn’t be Planet Earth without David, so I’m delighted he is presenting the third series,” Mike Gunton admitted. “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.”

Planet Earth III will have eight episodes, with all of them except the last focusing on giving viewers unique footage of worldwide wildlife. “The opening of the series with David was filmed in the beautiful British countryside in exactly the location where Charles Darwin used to walk while thinking over his Earth-shaking ideas about evolution,” Gunton revealed. “It seemed the perfect place for David to introduce Planet Earth III and remind us of both our planet’s wonders and fragility.”

The finale will be an homage to those who spend their lives trying to save endangered species.

Animals are fascinating and become even more so after achieving “hero” status. A man woke up one night to find his dog had chewed his toe to the bone, and that unexpected act saved his life.