Best David Attenborough Documentaries: 10 Must-See Shows
David Attenborough documentaries are the landmark nature shows on TV. There is nothing quite like a David Attenborough documentary, and while some have come close, this legend of broadcasting has been the voice of the best series available for numerous generations, and never been beaten in his particular form of art.
With a vast array of series under his belt, there are plenty of David Attenborough documentaries that take you on wild adventures across planet Earth. As huge fans of Attenborough, Xplore Our Planet is very familiar with all his modern works. To help you build that same familiarity, we’ve put together this list of the very best David Attenborough documentaries.
Our Planet
One of the most recent David Attenborough documentaries, it is clear from Our Planet (a Netflix original) that Sir David intends to not only leave behind a legacy as being a beloved national treasure, but also a climate and conservation activist that helped turn the tide of history. Our Planet explores different environments around the world, with a particular emphasis on their changing landscapes and vulnerabilities. Touching, sometimes heartbreaking, it paints a stark picture of the brutally wild world just beyond our doorsteps.
The Blue Planet
When it was released in 2001, The Blue Planet was considered the most ambitious nature documentary ever recorded, forget just on the already growing list of David Attenborough documentaries. In eight jaw-dropping episodes, we saw life beneath the waves in extraordinary new detail. Even now, the stories told and the scenes that unfold are some of the best ever captured. From sharks hunting seals to deadly species of the deep, The Blue Planet will go down in history as one of the best David Attenborough documentaries the man ever worked on.
Planet Earth
Planet Earth took the awe of The Blue Planet, and it’s world-leading visuals, and went global. Covering everything from coastal habitats to lush jungle, tiny insects to giant mammals, Planet Earth had everything. At the time, it was one of the most comprehensive nature documentary series ever put to film, and has been a great source of inspiration for many ever since, including plenty more David Attenborough documentaries.
Dynasties
Over a series of five shows, Dynasties offers detailed and intimate insights into the behaviours and lifestyle of one selected animal family person episode. We explore the lives of tigers, lions, penguins, chimpanzees and wild dogs. The way that this show follows generations and dives deep into very specific families offers something very different to the normal style David Attenborough documentaries are famed for.
Seven Worlds, One Planet
Very similar in style and tone to Our Planet, Seven Worlds, One Planet actually shares a few similar shots and stories as the David Attenborough documentary found on Netflix. Again, it pushes us towards thoughts of conservation and the vulnerabilities of our natural world, although this time each episode explores a different continent. From Europe right the way through to Australia, we see what life is like in every corner of our world.
The Hunt
The Hunt is an oft-overlooked TV series that may well be one of the most poignant David Attenborough documentaries to date. As with all his latest documentaries, it is beautifully shot with incredibly intimate visuals of wild animals. However, what’s really interesting about this David Attenborough documentary is the portrayal of predators. Typically in documentaries, the predator chases down a prey animal and the balance of power is always in the predator’ favour. We’re almost always cheering for the animal to escape the predator's clutches. In this David Attenborough documentary, we really get a sense of the struggles predators face. We see the hardships, the strife, the daily challenges. You feel the life-and-death nature of hunting really isn’t just about the prey surviving. The Hunt is a David Attenborough documentary that makes you cheer for the kill.
Frozen Planet
It can’t be said that nature documentaries, and even David Attenborough documentaries, have ignored polar animals. From penguins and polar bears to Narwhals and Walrus, we’ve become familiar with these species over the years. Frozen Planet, though, takes in more details. It follows animals over the seasons, allowing us to see new and rarely documented behaviours, including the dramatic moments killer whales tip over ice flows with artificial waves to hunt seals. Since the poles are filled with highly-charismatic animals, it’s also just a great chance to revisit some favourites.
Planet Earth II
A decade after Planet Earth aired, we were treated to Planet Earth II. It’s amazing to see how far we’ve come in terms of film technology in such a small amount of time. The difference between these shows is as dramatic as the scenes we are treated to. Beautifully shot, this stunning David Attenborough documentary series covers a range of territories and environments, in-keeping with the original Planet Earth series of following particular habitats for entire episodes.
Blue Planet II
Blue Planet II gets our vote as the best of all the David Attenborough documentaries. It brings with it all the visual genius of Planet Earth II, but there is something extra here. The Blue Planet wowed us by giving us a window into the underwater world, and Blue Planet II did nothing but blow these revelations out of the water. From showing us tool-wielding fish and fish that change gender, to an octopus that makes its own armour and the very origins of life on our planet, Blue Planet II is a groundbreaking David Attenborough documentary that shows how little we really know about our world.
Life
A celebration of Charles Darwin and survival of the fittest, Life was a 2009 David Attenborough documentary series that looked into extreme and fascinating behaviours devised by animals to stay alive. Its focus is on both the hunters and the hunted (a title of one of the episodes) although it doesn’t just observe the battle between predator and prey but also other fights for survival; against the elements, illness and reproduction.
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