Sir David Attenborough will return to TV with a brand new BBC One wildlife documentary series.
Provisionally titled Wild Isles, the five-part series aims to do for the wildlife of Britain and Ireland what the Planet series have done for the wildlife of the world.
Having been filmed over three years and will use the very latest technology to capture dramatic new behaviour, from battling butterflies to hunting sea eagles and killer whales – revealing a previously unseen wild side of the British Isles.
Sir David said: “In my long lifetime, I have travelled to almost every corner of our planet. I can assure you that in the British Isles, as well as astonishing scenery there are extraordinary animal dramas and wildlife spectacles to match anything I have seen on my global travels.”
The BBC share: “Britain and Ireland have some of the most diverse and beautiful landscapes on Earth. We have more ancient oak trees than the rest of Europe put together; sixty percent of the world’s chalk streams flow in southern England; our remaining flower meadows are a vital refuge for breeding birds and butterflies; and our coasts are home to internationally important numbers of seabirds. Yet our wildlife is increasingly fragmented and fragile – this series explains the challenges nature faces today, and what can be done to make our wild isles even wilder in the future.
“The series will be packed with new behaviour filmed all around the country. We will see gulls steal fish from puffins off Northumberland; wild horses battling for access to females in Cambridgeshire; black grouse and hen harriers courting in the Cairngorms; blue fin tuna gathering off the coast of Cornwall; red deer stags rutting in one of Ireland’s wildest corners; mayfly hatching on a river in Wiltshire; foxes hunting rabbits at night; and even a bee that rides a broomstick in Dorset.
Aerial photography will reveal the beauty of the British and Irish countryside, as it has never been seen before. Motion controlled time-lapse photography will bring to life the story of the passing seasons; the latest low light cameras will uncover the secret nocturnal lives of many of our favourite animals; and macro photography will reveal the miniature worlds of rock pools, ponds and grasslands. The series will be shot at 4K resolution allowing for an ultra-high definition television delivery.”
The series is being made by Silverback Films and is co-produced by The Open University, the RSPB and WWF.
Alastair Fothergill, Executive Producer, said: “I have always wanted to make a landmark series that really does justice to our own extraordinary wildlife. I am sure people will be amazed at what is happening right on their own doorstep”.
A broadcast date is to be announced.
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