TV shows celebrating David Attenborough's 100th birthday and how to watch them

Sir David Attenborough turns 100 on May 8, and the BBC has a number of TV shows honouring the legendary broadcaster's incredible milestone.

The BBC has dedicated three programmes the the work and legacy of one of the world's greatest natural historians, and viewers can expect behind-the-scenes footage from some of his most memorable encounters, to exclusive interviews and amazing anecdotes.

Article continues below

Making Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure

David Attenborough during filming for the 1979 Life on Earth series.

Production for David Attenborough's Life on Earth began in 1976, and was broadcast in 1979. The show was the first history series of such huge scale that had ever been attempted.

Making Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure offers the incredible story behind one of the BBC’s most famous wildlife shows

Viewers can expect exclusive interviews with David Attenborough and members of the original crew, hearing about the challenges they encountered from a coup in the Comoros, to being threatened by Saddam Hussein.

There will also be another chance to look at David's encounter with gorillas in the mountains of Rwanda, which remains one of the most incredible moments in TV history.

Making Life on Earth - Attenborough's Greatest Adventure is currently available to view on BBC iPlayer.

Secret Garden

There's a secret world of animal activity happening in your own back garden, and David Attenborough gives you the the closest glimpse of it you'll ever see.

Having previously showed viewers the wildlife dramas happening in the British countryside and on the streets of London, Secret Garden offers five episodes of footage from five different gardens and the wildlife inhabiting them.

Viewers can see everything from otters in Oxfordshire to dormice in Wales, and find out how garden owners can do their bit to save struggling species.

All episodes of Secret Garden are currently available to view on BBC iPlayer.

David Attenborough's 100 Years on Planet Earth

David Attenborough beside two wandering Albatross on Bird Island, South Georgia for 'The Living Planet' - 1984

To mark Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday on May 8, Kirsty Young hosts a ninety minute special event to be broadcast from the Royal Albert Hall in London.

The celebration will begin at 8.30pm on BBC One and iPlayer, taking audiences on an incredible journey through a century of exploration and discovery in the natural world.

The evening combines memorable wildlife moments from the BBC’s natural history archive, live music from David’s previous TV shows, and reflections from public figures and leading voices in conservation and wildlife filmmaking.

Kirsty will be joined by those who have worked with and been inspired by David, including Liz Bonnin, Steve Backshall, Chris Packham, and Michael Palin. This will be a truly remarkable way to mark David’s work and unique legacy.

Watch David Attenborough’s 100 Years on Planet Earth on BBC One and iPlayer from 8.30pm on Friday 8 May.

How to watch the David Attenborough 100th birthday TV shows from anywhere in the world

If you’re going to be away from your usual TV set-up when all the David Attenborough celebratory TV shows air, but don't want to wait a moment to tune in to them all, there's no need to worry.

You can still enjoy all shows available, with the use of a Virtual Private Network - a VPN.

A VPN allows you to change your IP address to that of the area of what you want to watch, meaning you can tune in to the show, even if you're not there.

Our sister site, TechRadar, has tested all of the major VPN services and they rate Nord to be the absolute best.

They say, "It’s compatible with all of your devices, supports most streaming services, and ranks among the fastest. You can even install it on devices like an Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox, and PlayStation. So for a one-stop-shop, you can’t go wrong with Nord."

If you've never installed a VPN before, don't worry, it's quick and easy. Just follow these three steps:

Download and install the VPN following NordVPN's easy-to-follow instructions.
Once you've installed your VPN, open the app and select your server location as anywhere in the UK.
With your VPN installed and server location set to UK, you can now watch all of the David Attenborough 100th birthday TV shows on BBC iPlayer.

Lucy is a multi-award nominated writer and blogger with seven years’ experience writing about entertainment, parenting and family life. Lucy worked as a freelance writer and journalist at the likes of PS and moms.com, before joining GoodtoKnow as an entertainment writer, and then as news editor. The pull to return to the world of television was strong, and she was delighted to take a position at woman&home to once again watch the best shows out there, and tell you why you should watch them too.