Mike Gunton, creative director of the BBC Natural History Unit, calls the project a remake of Life on Earth and emphasizes its game-changing impact on natural history storytelling.

Pajaro Campana, a piece from Zoo Quest, will be performed by Francisco Yglesias, connecting Attenborough’s early work to the celebration.

David Attenborough, born May 8, 1926, began his BBC career in 1952 and rose to prominence with Zoo Quest before returning to nature programming and creating Life on Earth.

Victoria Bobin, the show’s producer/director, praises Attenborough’s influence on defining natural history and shaping how the world is perceived.

The program features new footage of iconic moments, including a baby gorilla and a lioness hunt, and revisits the discovery of the coelacanth based on a fisherman’s tip.

A special live BBC event celebrating Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday will air on May 8 at 8:30pm on BBC One and iPlayer, hosted by Kirsty Young from the Royal Albert Hall in London.

The program pairs archival wildlife moments with live music and reflections from notable figures in conservation and wildlife filmmaking, including colleagues Steve Backshall, Chris Packham, and Sir Michael Palin.

BBC Studios Music Productions and Natural History Unit produce the event in partnership with The Open University, blending archival footage with live performances to mark Attenborough’s career.

The documentary includes anecdotes such as the coelacanth being filmed alive for the first time after a fisherman alerted the crew, highlighting pivotal moments in natural history filmmaking.

The show draws from Attenborough’s diary, recounting risks and logistical challenges abroad, including detentions by the Rwandan army and threats in Iraq, along with delays in film delivery and footage acquisition for the coelacanth moment.

Titled Making Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure, the program includes diary excerpts and notes on filming in Rwanda and Iraq, plus details about securing and protecting film reels.

A new BBC documentary Revisits early Attenborough classics with additional footage of gorilla encounters and a lioness hunt, offering behind-the-scenes stories.