Airdate: Attenborough at 90: Behind The Lens

Sir David Attenborough turned 90 back in May, but the appreciation continues with the documentary Attenborough at 90: Behind The Lens on ABC.

This was filmed by Atlantic Productions which has been capturing footage of the leading naturalist for the last decade. During this time he pioneered “world firsts”, employing 3D, 4k and Virtual Reality in the natural history genre.

This doco starts the moment Attenborough was expected to retire.

After the success of his Life in Cold Blood series in 2008, many assumed, including himself, the 82-year-old broadcaster had achieved all he possibly could in his television career. But he turned his back on retirement. The opportunities brought about through advances in new film technologies were too alluring to witness from afar. The result has been one of the most prolific periods of his career. For the last decade, a film crew from Atlantic Productions has been working with and capturing what it’s like to be on the road with the world’s most loved broadcaster to bring us new, unseen and unexpected stories from the natural world – from the Great Barrier Reef to the fossil fields of Xi’an and the jungles of Borneo.

Told with new interviews and by those who work closest to him, Attenborough at 90: Behind The Lens contains exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, and extraordinary clips from some of his greatest films. We discover a side to David Attenborough few have ever had the privilege of seeing. We discover a deeply passionate man, whose wit and humour draws teams together through the most challenging shoots, but whose imposing presence and legacy demands the very best from the crews around him.

As David is hoisted high into the Borneo rainforest canopy on ropes, and plunged deep into the Great Barrier Reef in a submarine, it’s hard to fathom that he is almost two decades beyond the average retirement age. As we follow him around the world, we witness his extraordinary work ethic.

As directors call “cut”, the cameras have continued rolling to reveal an honest and intimate portrait of a man loved and admired by millions. This film shows how David deals with the challenges of filming in his 80s, how he struggles as a perfectionist when increasingly tight filming schedules don’t allow for it, and how he handles the less than glamorous parts of his job.

This unique and personal film reveals an extraordinarily innovative mind, and one of the greatest broadcasters of all time. David Attenborough has always pioneered cutting-edge technologies to create “world firsts”, more than ever in the last 10 years. From 3D to 4k now Virtual Reality, we watch him take his message to a bigger audience than ever before.

Executive Producer: Anthony Geffen. Director: Anne Sommerfield. An Atlantic Productions.

7:40pm Sunday on ABC.