Two In The Think Tank - 39 - Sir David Attenborough

Episode Date: July 20, 2016

One of the most iconic documentary presenters in history, this week we talk all about the legendary Sir David Attenborough. The man, the myth, the legend.Twitter: @DoGoOnPodInstagram: @DoGoOnPodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/DoGoOnPod/Email us: [e-mail] the show and get rewards like bonus episodes:www.patreon.com/DoGoOnPod  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey everybody, Jess and Dave, just jumping in really quickly at the top here to make sure that you are across all the details for our upcoming Christmas show. That's right, we are doing a live show in Melbourne Saturday December the 2nd, 2023, our final podcast of the year, our Christmas special. It's downstairs at Morris House, which usually be called the European beer cafe. On Saturday December the 2nd, 2023 at 4.30 pm, come along, come one, come all, and get tickets at dogoonpod.com. For the ones who get it done,

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or with any other consumer incentive offers, residency restriction to plot. Take retail delivery from dealers thought by 1130. Jeep is a registered trademark. Alright welcome down to do go on where everything is going to be alright. My name is Dave Warnke and I'm here with two other all righties. One's also a left-handed woman, it's just Perkins. And my all righty right-hander, Matt Stewart, hello Matt. Hi Dave, I am all right. You do always say welcome down to Do Go On.

That is because I have posted over 1,000 trivia nights with the opening line, welcome down to this week's trivia. That is because I have posted over 1000 trivia nights with the opening line welcome down to this week's trivia That's why that's what that's so weird. We're on a mezzanine Here we are currently in an elevated space in a warehouse studio. Yeah, we're floating But also it kind of gives the impression that we are inviting our listeners and our friends into some sort of Dungeon like some sort of dodgy basement, when really we should be saying welcome up, you know, cause they're... To the attic.

Yeah, okay, maybe more like a rooftop bar. Okay, no, we're not killing people. I would love to say welcome to the rooftop bar and it's called doo-ko-long. Yeah, that'd be pretty sick. Anyway, I'd... Cosmo's a half price and Matt Stewart's drinking them all night. I'd say that's a good one. Maddie loves the Cosmo. Yeah, you did accidentally pretty sick. Anyway, Cosmo is a half price and Matt Stewart's drinking him all night. That's a good one.

Maddie loves the Cosmo. Yeah, you did accidentally, you didn't accidentally, you ordered a Cosmo, that's fine. Well, I mean the accident was that I was, I probably just wanted a water. Sure, but you instead, she said you ordered a 17. You ordered a Cosmo. I'm so easily sold to, I'm the best buyer in the land.

And then so she came around, I was finishing it. It was nice. I'm like, thank you very much. She said, no, you liked it. Well, we've just got a new cocktail on the menu. Are you interested? I'm like, ah, wasn't really gonna have anything to drink tonight. And she said, it's blue.

It's got tequila. In my head, I'm gonna, I don't like tequila. I don't like blue. I'm like, green man. And she's like, yeah, it's really good. And I said to like to Kevla. I don't like blue. I'm like green man. And he's like, yeah, it's really good. And I said, I'll have one. Thank you. Did you actually take one?

Yeah. And then she said, and it's, but she hadn't even got to the pitch. Part was saying it's on a special. It was like $4 off. I'd already purchased it. So both of us sucked at our jobs there. You're the kind of guy.

You're the kind of guy who says, we've got some specials to know. I'll take them. All three of them, the soup, the steak. Have the dessert. I'm a vegetarian, but I'll have the steak. You had me at hello. I never said that, whatever. You had me at hello.

I don't know if it's going to make any sense. All right, great. What have you guys been up to? I had a cocktail on the weekend, I will say. It was a, I didn't get it at the time. It was a um... I didn't get it at the time. It was called a simian sling. Okay, simians like a monkey?

I didn't think of that at the time, but then it came out in like a coconut thing with a little monkey hanging office. Oh my god, so cute! That was really cute. Well like a little plastic one. Yeah, no shit. I didn't think it had an actual monkey on it.

An actual simian. So you pay $17 for a cocktail, but it comes with a free monkey. Well, that's good value. Matt would say yes. You have to look after it forever. You had me at monkey. Monkeys could cost upwards of $20.

So it's a bug. That's an absolute bug. You had me at, would you like a... Yes. Yes. You are freeing something, I'll take it. Yes, I would. Yes, one last time you had a cocktail, talk us through the situation.

It's become that. I had a cocktail on a tour in New South Wales, actually. We went to a Mexican restaurant and they had frozen margaritas that were on, they were like $10 happy hour or something like that. So we had these Ursula Carlson and I were both like, um, strawberry bugger reader. Thank you. And it was delicious. It was great Little name drop their tears. I'm what you're smoking it. No, no, I was just I mean you had no regret That's not what cocktails are about. Well, yeah They're you're right. Just sounded like a pleasant experience to you. It was they've had a monkey accidentally

Yeah, I'm still looking after him. His name's Pusqually Yeah, I'm still looking after him. He's names Pusqually. Yeah, Pupa Squally. Pupa Squally. Pp. Pp. A little baby. Pupa Squally. He's under the table. He hasn't said his first word yet. He is a monkey. He keeps sucking on my leg. He bites me a little bit. Sucking on my leg. Oh, right. Okay. As he was taught. Pp. So far you haven't found an easy segue into today's topic. I'm really trying. Well, how about I just tell everyone that this is the show where we do a report on a topic.

I hope it's cocktails because I do like them even though Matt finds them regretful. Well, prepare to be disappointed. Yes, we're all going to be disappointed about it. Not just you with your old goal choices. What go I'll have them ahead though. Stop bugging us. I love Mahidah, I'll take it. Right, so yeah, it is my turn to present a report

and we always start with a question. Yes. Okay, gentlemen, so my question for you today is who is the most iconic TV presenter in history. Darryl. Darryl, sorry. Very good. A very good astronomer. Ernie Dingo. Ernie Dingo. Another Australian one there. One get away. I'm a nice tree. Darrell Starrall Starrall Starrall Starrall Starrall Starrall Starrall Starrall Starrall

Ernie Dingo. Ernie Dingo. Another Australian one there. One getaway. We are, um, David Letterman. Okay. Uh, you call him, yeah, I guess he's a presenter. That's a good one.

It is not Australian, also not American. Oh, okay. Uh, Pulp Asqually. Pulp Asqually it is. It's a monkey hour. Oh, I'm a pulp Asqually. What else we got in New Zealand? That guy that got sent away for being a racist

from Morning TV in Australia, that Kiwi guy. Oh, please elaborate. I remember that. He was like a super crazy racist guy. And they paid him a lot of money to come over to do Australian Morning TV and just did not rate very well. Which is weird in such a racist country,

but we did not get on board him We did not get on board him. His name might have been Paul something Simian on the brain. Oh, Louis Thoreau. Oh good one. Correct Nationality, okay, I think yeah, okay. It's just hit me Yeah, it's got to be the great man the great man the one the only the 90-year-old man David Edinburgh Sir David Eddenbroh. Do you say aton brah aton borrower? I say aton borrower I'll probably pronounce a different way through that

I think if I'm talking casually. I'll say David aton bra. Yes, my friends because I'm lazy Aton brah. I think so this one Richard aton lazy. I got a bra. Attenborough, I think. So this one. Richard Attenborough. Richard Attenborough. Under time, I'm practicing. This one was suggested by a good friend and listener, Andy Matthews. Oh, thank you very much. Andy, what is the at-stupid old Andy? Correct, that's stupid old Andy on Twitter. Okay, so he's English. Oh, Jesus. He's 90-something. He's David Attenborough.

This is genuinely on the tip of my tongue. Uh-huh. Can you take your time, buddy? I'd to rush you. Is it? I can almost certainly say it's not to whatever you could say. He's going to say it out of something again. Is it Richard Attenborough?

Clio! It's so close. Fuck. It's his brother,. So close. Fuck. It's his brother, David. Okay. Okay. All right.

Well, I feel like that was not a bad guess. Very good guess. I mean, with the limited information I had it my fingertips. I'm going to tell you that I'm really excited about this. Are you going to talk about his brother at all? A little bit. A little bit. Because why does successful family, but I'll let you talk about that.

But it is my, but you know, like, if I was to present a topic of Dave Wanakie, and I suddenly started talking a lot about your sister, you'd be like, the fuck, you know? But if she won't Academy Award, maybe. No, but you could mention that. But not like, yeah, no, yeah, not change the whole thing. But I just didn't, you know, possible you talk about them growing up, whatever. So I'm really sorry. Richard will be mentioned. I mean, Richard did bring back dinosaurs as well. Richard did do that so I mean is that anything come on mate. But I want to have a bit of a look at at the life and work of David Attenborough if I may if you will indulge me. Please Attenborough. Okay so David Frederick Attenborough. I like that.borough was born on the 8th of May 1926 in West London,

but he grew up on the college house on the campus of the University College in West Oak, because his father Frederick was a principal there. So he grew up around a university. He's the middle of three sons. His eldest brother Richard became an actor and director. Okay, it's a happy day. In the first couple of minutes, he's Elder's brother Richard became an actor and director. Okay, is a happy day. In the first couple of minutes he's... Oh man, I'm excited.

Would you say most famous for Jurassic Park? That'd be the big one. From today's generation. You said he won an Academy Award, which must have... Yeah, Gandhi. Another film got about... Oh yeah, sorry, he directed that. Oh, director, right.

Which one, the Academy Award for Best Picture Yes, sorry, which is quite a feat and Gandhi and that was played by that English fellow, right? Yes, what is it? He played crazy bastard or something. No, he was in a movie called yeah, and he's What is fucking And we watched it we you know that did you ever have this situation in high school where you'd have a feeling teacher for a while? We had one and different ones because a teacher was away for the week. So every day was a different feeling teacher.

So I have to start again every time, don't I? And that week we were watching Gandhi and then we were gonna do some work about it So every day the tape we rewind back to 10 minutes into the movie and just watch it over and over and it was the Teacher of the Confuse was to why everyone thought Gandhi was so funny Why do you know all the words I'm getting a joke and I'm sorry, and then we saw the it so we ended up watching the end over and over and then people were saying when he gets shot He goes Ben King's easy Well done. He when he gets he gets shot. He goes oh no Just sort of like that just really calmly and which is so Gandhi

It's very Gandhi, but they became a catchphrase around the quadrangle if everyone would say that If there was ever like if anyone was hit with a brandy ball or whatever, is that... Or shot. Yeah. You knew what to say. Seems like... Oh no. Seems like some Dave Waniki.

Oh no, no, no. No. If it is slow-mo. Oh no, no, no. Oh no, no. I wonder if I'm remembering that right. Hopefully. Pretty relevant.

So Richard obviously was an actor and director as we We I was gonna say touched on but talked talked a lot about great look. I'm happy. We've filled the quiet You don't mention again. Well, no he comes back again, but anyway, I'm over him the youngest brother John No, you're talking was an executive at Alpha Romeo The time I'm in fact, so they were so like exact like you know some sort of high up. Yeah, quite high up in that company. What a fam, Frederick. They're quite a fam. And Mrs. Edinburgh, I imagine. Yeah, they're very some good, some good boy. Doesn't a great job. Now from a really early age,

David spent his childhood collecting fossils, stones, and other natural specimen. He is an interesting little fun fact. He received encouragement for his efforts at the age of seven when a young jacquette a hawk admired his museum. Now she was a British archaeologist and writer. So it was a type of hawk. Oh no. Yeah, hawk came out and said, this is pretty good stuff. Pretty good stuff. You should keep this up. Now she was a British archaeologist and writer and the daughter of Nobel Prize winning Scientist, Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins, who won the Nobel Prize in

1929 for the discovery of vitamins. Isn't that cool? Wow. Yeah, some things you forget had to be discovered as well. Yeah, you just accept it. We discovered vitamins. Before that, we didn't really have a concept of vitamins. Wow. Or vitamins. I want to, you probably wasn't even a rich man and now that's a multi-billion dollar industry. It's a multivitamin kind of thing. Ha ha ha. She did it. Oh my god. She did it.

Now, David also spent a considerable amount of his time in the grounds of the university. And at age 11, he heard that the Zoology Department needed a large supply of Newts for one of their studies. Newts. Newt Gengrich. Newt. Who was the old? The guy ran for Presidency in America. Newt. Gengrich. Newt. All right, great. Lots of Newts. I thought I was gonna have more than that. Newt. Did you say Newt? All right. I said Newt? All right. I said newt. All right, I'm going to give myself a little bit of time in the quiet corner. Right, so the Zoologist Department needs newt's for their studies.

So he offered, fire his father, so that I'd tell them I can give them some, I can supply them with the newt's that they need. What then was like three penny three penny a newt? So he was like, oh, you know, I'll supply a little business Yeah, I'll supply with the newt that you need but you got a you got a pay me and they were like, yeah That's fine whatever the world the department didn't know at the time was that David was getting the newt It's from a pond at the university. It was about five meters away from From where the the department was so good at it themselves. Yeah, I got just gone out there

But he went and did it instead. And I think it's genius. Very good. Absolutely. What a little what a little cheek stuff. Is that a thing? A cheek stuff? Probably not. He's now. Cheek stuff. In 1936, so David was 10. He's brother, he and his brother Richard. There he is. Hey. They attended a lecture by Gray Owl, who was a Canadian conservationist. I thought it was going to be an owl. I keep disappointing you today. They were really influenced by his advocacy for conservation. Now Gray Owl was a first nation man who they're like the Aboriginal people of Canada and according to Richard David was bold over by the man's determination to save the beaver by his profound

knowledge of the flora and fauna of the Canadian wilderness and by his warnings of ecological disasters should the delicate balance between them be destroyed. I have no qualms in saying that I'm a big fan of the beaver. Big, big fan of you ever see beavers, they are an amazing looking thing. stay, and amazing looking thing. I genuinely, I genuinely, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really , I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really

really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, I really, this lecture by Gray Owl, because he was really into the beaver. Into the beaver. You're the worst. So then Richard goes on to say that the idea that mankind was in danger in nature by recklessly dispoiling and plundering its riches was unheard of at the time.

Right, so here's the first one to care about the beaver. The first one to sort of notice that humans are really killing the world. And this is what the 19th century's, he's 10 years 10 years old and that's still like if you see who he's Work now that's still largely what he's Which is pretty cool right so You know this gray. I was probably really influential to both of them because in 1999 Richard directed a biopic Of him entitled gray else. They both was a really impressed and inspired by him, which is

Pretty cool. That is cool. Except. Oh no. What's the except? When Grey El died two years after the boys saw him speak so 1938. Alright, yep. Doughts about his first nation identity had been circulating and stories were published immediately after his death.

So for example the North Bay nugget newspaper ran the ran the first exposé the day of his death, a story which had been holding for three years. So basically they're saying he's not actually part of that tribe of people. Right. Greyhale was a name he chose for himself, it was like false and his name was actually Archibald Balany. He was born in the UK and immigrated to Canada when he was 18. Right, so he wasn't Indigenous to Canada. He wasn't Indigenous to Canada, but his popularity and support for his causes led the Ottawa citizen, I think, as another newspaper, to conclude, of course the value of his work is not jeopardized.

Yeah, of course, he's got a great message. Yeah, absolutely, and all the work that he did and everything, and that was pretty wildly shared in the UK press as well, it was like, well, he, you know, a good black still. Yeah, it may not have been entirely above board, but all of his work still. Do you get the feeling that the biopic that Richard Addenborough made would have mentioned all this controversy or? Yeah, maybe. Or do you think that he portrayed him just as the man he said he was? Here I, yeah,, don't know.

Grail. You can speak, Matt. I know you've put yourself in the quiet corner, but you're allowed to speak. Yeah. Just thinking about Grail and the Beaver. Oh, boy. That's what I mean. Grail, I love the Beaver.

No, no, no, no, just no, no, no, no, no. Just thinking about it, like, yeah, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, Completely. I mean he helps, he helped out some animals. Is that enough to like... I think you did a lot more than that. I'm just sort of making it... What do we, it seems like, how do you, it feels like the kind of thing you just get caught in a lie? Yeah, you tell someone at the bank and then one day you're like, fuck everyone thinks this now. But why are you telling people things at the bank?

I don't talk to people at the bank. Yeah, Dave. It was a different time, not only 36. That's true, it wasn't that time. We used to chat at the bank. I don't talk to people at the bank. Yeah Dave. It was a different time. Not only 36. That's true. We used to chat at the bank. Speaking of that different time. So David Edinburgh was educated at this is like the most like posh sounding boy school. It might not be, but it sounds pretty. It's the Wiggiston grammar school for boys Oh, Wiggiston. Wiggiston, it was in Lester, and then he won a scholarship to Clear College in Cambridge in 1945, where he studied geology and zoology and obtained a degree in natural sciences. Which is pretty cool. But in 1947, he was called up for National Service in the Royal Navy and spent two years stationed in North Wales and in Scotland

So I'm you enough and did he is His Navy service. I'll be pretty lucky that Second World War just finished It's a lot less dangerous time to be called up. Yeah. Yeah Now after leaving the Navy attenborough took a position editing children's science textbooks for a publishing company editing children's science textbooks for a publishing company. Just editing, yeah, editing textbooks. And obviously he's into science and he's got that degree. So that's kind of up his alley, but he kind of, he became quite bored with the work.

And in 1950, he applied for a job as a radio talk producer for the BBC. And although he was rejected for this job, his CV later attracted the interest of Mary Adams, who was ahead of talks, the talks department of the BBC so the talks is just like any it's a fact. Yeah factual broadcasting sort of how they describe it. So she was ahead of the talks department for the BBC. Sorry for the BBC's television service. So he's applied for radio. He's applied for radio job. He didn't get that job but he's attracted her attention for TV He's a plumber radio job, he didn't get that job, but he's attracted to her attention for TV. And the BBC's TV service wasn't doing that well.

And it's probably pretty early on, wasn't DC in 1950. Yeah, so it's early and it's... Early days. Yeah, yeah. Attenborough, like most Britons at the time, didn't own a television, and he hadn't, he'd only seen like one television program in his life. So you... And now I'm going to make television.

Well you're absolutely right and that TV was starting it was just sort of starting out. And that show he'd seen was leave it to be for some reason. Matt's back. Good night everybody. Good night everybody. Right so even though he hadn't really seen much TV, he didn't even own a TV. He accepted the offer of a three month training course. And also in that year, he married Jane Elizabeth Ebb's

Worth Oriol, which is fantastic. Fantastic name. I actually married her on the name. Yeah, well, I mean, who were you choosing based on their name a couple of weeks ago? There was somebody whose name you're like, yeah, I'd marry that. Is that?

Do you remember that? Was it a lovering? Yes, it was. whose name you're like, yeah, I'd marry that. Do you remember that? Was it a lovering? Yes, it was. It was lovering. It was something lovering. Clara? Clara Loha was involved with HHD. It was a very, very dangerous man.

I love her name. You're like, yeah, lovering, for sure. I'd marry her for her name. You creep. In 1952, he joined the BBC full time. So originally, he was just kind of doing a little bit of work. joined them full time initially he was discouraged from appearing on TV like actually on camera because Adam's thought his teeth were too big She's like how do you bring that up for someone? You got a weird look how can I go on the TV? No your teeth are too big Get back behind the camera. You know TV's all about you know know, image and stuff like that. It's all about teeth size.

It's all about teeth size. Your smile is too big. It's a serious business. I think your teeth are just right size, Jess, but. Do you reckon? Matt, do you think I'm a teeth? Probably you could knock off a couple of mil. Do you reckon?

Yes, chisel them down. That's what industry people do. They chisel their teeth. I've heard he sort of talks with his mouth closed a bit, doesn't he? Does he? I can't say no to his teeth. Turtle. Do you think that he's trying hard his teeth?

I think he's hard his teeth. He's a teeth fighter. Oh no. Because of her, she put, maybe he used to be really smiley and she's kind of ruined that for a while. I bet that's probably created his amazing voice though. That's true. As he was like, hello everyone, I've got my teeth out.

No, it's sad. Here we find. It was like hello everyone. I got my teeth out. No We find the Dave Warnocky Watch as he blinks Blinks that's good commentary you are now. I'm pretty good. I do a pretty good at and breath. Yeah sit and blink. We're gonna go What's he sheds his skin at this time of, the warnocky sheds three layers of skin. Front around naked. This is part of their mating ritual, and it is very rarely successful. Please!

Please! There's the mating call. Please! No, it's my gun! God, God, please! Please! Oh, that's interesting. You're not enjoying that mat, okay? No, that's just interesting.

It feels a bit sad. Well nature. It feels too real. It feels too real, for me. It feels too real, for me. Oh, fuck off. That's the main spot. It feels too real.

It's definitely not real. Dave's a beautiful man. Certainly him. In the who? Perfect size teeth. So David Landbrough has teeth that are too big. So we're not going to put him on camera. So instead, he becomes a producer for the talks department.

Well, I should have put him in the radio department. That way you make sure they never get on camera. Space for radio, exactly. But now he's behind the scenes. He's a producer for the talks department, which as we sort of mentioned before, handles like non-fiction broadcasts, basically. So it's all factual kind of stuff.

Now, he's association with natural history programs began when he produced and presented a three-part series called Animal Patents, and it was like a studio-bound program. So it was all shot in a studio, and it featured animals from London Zoo, with the naturalist Julian Huxley discussing their use of camouflage, self-defense and like courtship display sort of like the Dave Warnocky mating ritual. Right, right. So what they bring in the bird or the... Yeah. I know. It's not the rhino, but... Yeah, well... I mean, that's why it's kind of interesting because it does say it's a... Bring in the jocata hawk!

Bring it in! Because it says it's a studio-bound program, so yeah, it would be, must be sort of small right? But he's, do you say he's presenting this? Yeah! So they're giving him a go! Yeah! Well, yeah, I'm pretty just a presenter. You're wearing some sort of device to cover his mouth.

Fake Tathie, he's wearing a Gess mask, at all times. It's very straight. They never explain it. Well, you know, people just kind of accepted it. Now, screw this program and all the patterns that he was working on, Edinburgh Met Jack Leicester, who was a curator for the zoo's Reptile House, and they decided to make a series

about an animal collecting expedition, and the result was a show called ZooQuest, which first broadcast in 1954. ZooQuest. ZooQuest is pretty cool, okay? That's a fantastic name. Yeah. Now, he became, Edinburgh became the presenter of this one as well at short notice because

Jack Lester was really sick. Right, his teeth were falling out. His teeth were fine, but he's like kidneys weren't like he was sick, I don't know. He was ill so David Unbrostevedin, he was a presenter of the series. Um, so that's kind of, uh of like those two shows are sort of the start of his work with natural history programs, which is kind of cool. In 1957, the BBC Natural History Unit was formally established in Bristol and Edinburgh was asked to join it, but he declined because he didn't want to move

from London where he and his young family was settled because by this stage, he and Jane had a couple of kids. They've had Robert and Susan. So he doesn't want to move his kids. So he's like, no, I'm not gonna, I'll have to stay here, which is nice, he's a family man. That is nice. You're so quiet, you can talk. No, I'm not saying you have to, but.

Quick, think of something, quick. No, it's fine, I'm just sorry, are you okay? I've hit a wall okay sure that's fine well do what you got to do I'll bounce back yeah no you will buddy so instead of moving to be part of the natural history unit he instead formed his own department which was the travel and exploration unit uh much cooler name much cooler but also I imagine the travel and exploration unit, a much cooler name. Much cooler, but also, I imagine the traveling exploration unit has to leave London away from his family, probably a lot more than the other human. He did, not think that through.

I don't want to travel, but I'm setting up the travel path. Well, no, but like that way at least the family stays where they are, and he can just travel around, I suppose. Yeah, I don't care about it. No, but like he's not, he's not uprooting the whole family, making the kids move. They stay there and leave their traveling. That doesn't make sense. That doesn't make sense. That's the best. We tease. I can't believe that I was

second-guessing David out in the evening. Even in the 950s. So that did sort of allow him to continue to present ZooQuest as well as produce other documentaries. We've got to talk about ZooQuest. It sounds like a board game. Yeah it does of it. Sounds a bit like a board game. Yeah, it does of it. Sounds a bit like Jumanji. Yeah, it does. Another name for Jumanji. But you've got to like collect, I know it.

It feels like you've got to go on safari and like, and I capture animals for the zoo. Well, it's a show about collecting animals for the zoo. So yeah, I guess it's a different time. What a different time. I guess it's a different time. They still do that. Not catching them, but like.

It's just now they just the zoo animals all just came in on of their own accord right yeah but they have one door like a one-way door so I'm gonna open oh no you can you can come but you can never leave they walk in and go oh shit I left my phone out there oh god if I could just I'll come back in I just left my promise my girlfriends out there can I just go see you quickly I just need to give it get my phone offer No Getting the penguin enclosure doesn't work for prison does it that doesn't work for the zoo

Because the zoo is a prison for animals I never thought of it like that before Yeah, it is first So he worked out that for a while and then in the early 60s He resigned from the permanent staff of the BBC to study for a postgraduate degree in social anthropology at the London School of Economics. Oh, huh. Into weaving his study with further filming. Oh, so he's still presenting.

Yes, I think so. So he's doing like a little bit, but he's resigned from the full time permanent staff. So he might just still kind of do a few things, but he's free lands now. Yeah, that's a good way to open it. However, he accepted an invitation to return to the BBC as controller of BBC 2 before he could finish the degree. That sounds very high up. By looking at it, I think it's sort of like an executive producer or he's like at the in charge of the whole channel, right?

Well, it's made yes, but say yes. Do you like the remote controller, but he's the one who's at the station. So whenever... He's the fat controller. Fat controller. Without the remote controller. I don't know. Fat controller.

Fat controller. He's the one who changes the channels. Mm-hmm. And then... That'd be remote controller. That controller. He's the one who changes the channels. And then that'd be remote controller. And then the fact controller is the one that turns the volume up. Yep. Was that worth putting in there? It's all making sense. Is that worth contributing to the conversation? Well, to be honest, if you were there for me, and this was a team game, you would return that into something great. This has never been a team game.

Mate. I think I'm imagining that you said some sort of director. Yeah, it seems to be quite like a... I would almost say like an executive producer sort of thing. Like overseeing a lot of things. But the whole channel rather than a TV show. Yeah, exactly. Amazing.

Yeah, so that's for BBC2, so. What year were we up to? That's in 1965. He became the controller of BBC2. But he had a clause inserted into his contract that would allow him to continue making programs on an occasional basis. So he's still kind of like on the business side,

but also like he can be writing stuff and working on programs, because that's what he really loves to do. That's cool. Yeah. And he must have been pretty good if they were like, yeah, well, they did that. Exactly. And later in the same year, he helped film Elephants in Tanzania.

You know, like this is all sorts of projects that he got to do while he was a controller. Like in 1969, he made a three-part series on the cultural history of Bali. like so he's working on all sorts of different things, it was pretty cool. And although BBC2 was actually launched the year before in 1964, it had really struggled to capture the public's attention, like it was struggling, it wasn't doing very well. So when Annver arrived as controller, um, he quickly shook up the schedule. He was like, he came in, just made some changes. He's like, I'm gonna buck shit up.

I am burning everyone. You're all fired. You're fired. I am BBC 2 and I'll make every show. It's amazing. Their National Broadcast had a second channel about 50 years before Australia hit it. Amazing. Yeah. It's pretty... I mean, their population probably demands it. So does make sense. Amazing. Yeah. It's pretty, um. I mean, their population probably demands it for us. So does make sense. So he wanted to make BBC 2's output diverse and different from that offered by other

networks. So he began to establish a portfolio of programs that would go on to basically define the channel's identity for decades to come. Right. So he made some huge changes, which was, um, which was really cool. So, um, he introduced, like, music, the arts, entertainment, archaeology, experimental comedy, travel, drama, sport, business, science and natural history. They all had a place in the weekly schedule or maybe see just a bit before that.

Before that, they just had a camera on the roof of the building. There was no entertainment. He introduced entertainment to TV. Hey guys, how about we replace that one show with several others? About different topics, renting in interest in age groups. It'll never work out and bro you're a bad man. You're crazy. You're fucking crazy. But I like that. Let's give it a go. Let's give it a go. So it did do. Apparently sport is popular.

We'll find out, won't we? We will find it. We are in petite I'm perfect for television I'm perfect I got no teaches it on down a desk it is on town they said they were too big now they gone learn from my mistakes David mom makes learn from my mistakes I'm just imagining he's the janitor, but still I think he knows more than the director of the movie. Because he used to be a controller.

He used to be a controller. Now I clean the John. I'd wear the gun. Oh Dave, no, it was funny until you went there. No, I think when he said John's he meant Richard and David's Uncle Brother. I cleaned John. I cleaned your house. I cleaned your house. Just scraping off. Stop it! Scraping Grime off with my teeth. Yeah, I can't enough stop please. It was a gritty time. Stop it!

Yeah, okay. Back to BBC 2 and shaking things up. Shaking it out. So programs here commissioned included man alive, call my bluff, maybe one that we've already spoken about before such as Monty Python's flying circus. What? Woo! Yes, I hear a commission that's really cool isn't it? Yeah, isn't that kind of interesting? He gave them a go.

Yeah, and so... And it was really weird. That would have been part of the it? Yeah, isn't that kind of interesting? He gave them a go. Yeah, and so... And it was really weird. That would have been part of the experimental comedy section I would assume. Yep. Because they were a little bit different. For the ones who get it done, the most important part is the one you need now.

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or on campus, and financial aid is available to qualified students, including the GI Bill. Now is the time, mycomputercareer.edu. Um, now, BBC 2 later became the first British channel to broadcast in color. That was in 1967. To David make that choice? I don't know. This one catch on. I don't know if he made the choice, but he did. He took advantage of it by he introduced televised snooker, as well as bringing rugby league to British television on regular basis.

Both still very popular in England. Yeah, so he was, you know, he knew what he was doing. He was goodly job. Snooker would have been hard in Black and White. Yeah, yeah, true. So colored. Color balls. So colored, yeah. So colored.

It's just colors. There's about 16 colors. Name them, Jess. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again.

Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again.

Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. I was like, where I tried to name 16 colors. And did it successfully? And, man, why don't you? Did it in record time? I think you'll find it was the world record for the fastest time to name 16 separate colors. I yelled it, so you're welcome. It only took 49 seconds.

The. One of his most significant decisions was to order a 13-part series on the... Sorry. That was very funny. 13-part series on the... Sorry. That was very funny. 13-part series. I get it as I... I'm talking about days.

It's really domestic. I thought you were going to say, one of you is, most successful things was ordering a 13-course meal. That's what I thought you were going to say. There was pasta. There was pizza. Okay, no.

No, 13-course meal. All right. You come out. You go in there. There was pasta, there was pizza, name, name, name, name, course. Alright, you come out, you go in there, there's a can of hay, some sort of order. Second order, garlic bread is there. She's gone vaguely, some sort of, you know what, you couldn't even name one, we're not in there, some sort of order. We've got garlic bread, some two, followed up by sushi as it always is. She next shot. We're back to Italy with pizza.

Show up for? There's a roast. Yep. There's a chicken. Obviously. Not roast, boil. So, different six. It's an egg dish.

An egg dish. I'll call it an egg dish. Look, what am I? A master chef, fuck. There's a... Everyone takes a break and has a glass of sangria. That's not even as coarse. But they eat it with a spoon, so it's like a soup.

That's a thick sangria. You have to age. How many did I promise 13? Of course, then there's time for, I can't even think of things. Are baked potatoes. Sure, baked potatoes. Spring rolls. Spring rolls. See, just thinking of food you want.

I'm really, really, what did I eat today? What did I eat? Two roasts comes out. How about a roast for lunch? Okay. Yes, I hate that for lunch. I think you do. There's a Greek yogurt.

Two. Followed by a normal yogurt. Just in case. Wow, we did it. And that is what David Attenborough on the mat. Greg Jagger, followed by a normal Jagger. Yeah, 14. Thank you, we've not only talked for three minutes and seven seconds.

We break records every week here. The most bullshit spam. Name 13 dishes go. But I didn't mean to you sit on the streets. Oh man, I'd love to do an interview show. Name 13 dishes. Easy, no problem. Here we go.

All right, well, I'm so sorry to disappoint you with the rest of my sentence then. Okay, so what did you order 13? 13 parts series. Oh, that makes much more sense. Yeah, because he works in television. Oh, not in television. He's not a caterer. Theatre part series on the history of Western art and kind of the idea of that

was to show off the quality of the new UHF color television service that they paid to BBC two often. That sounds like a very ambitious show, the history of Western art even in the 13 episodes that's pretty. It was pretty ambitious. Really successful. And people loved it, did they? Yeah, it was broadcast in Universal of Claim. It was in 1969, they did it and it was called Civilization. And it kind of set...

I like the way this is word, it set the blueprint for author documentaries. So it was sort of like this is... Like it was revolutionary in a way. I was thinking the host as well. I don't know. No, I don't think he was the host, no. Right, but he's devised it. Yeah, yeah. And he's he's sort of commissioned that series and made it happen. So that's kind of cool. So Edinburgh also thought that the the story of evolution would be

would be a good topic to tackle in a one part episode for a series. So he shared his idea with a guy called Chris Parsons, who was a producer at the Natural History Unit, who came up with the title, Life on Earth. And he returned to Bristol to start planning the series. And David Adenberg was like, he really, he harbored this strong desire to present this series himself, he wanted to be the presenter. But like, it wouldn't be possible

so long as he remained in a management position. He couldn't really, like then it's sort of like like I'm running the show. I'm on the show I am the show that I have little breaks, but it's just like a massive yeah Probably like takes a year to film Yeah, and I don't think he's really doing a lot of on-camera stuff when we say he's working on the project I think he's writing a lot of stuff or contributing to shows But he's not necessarily always the presenter Cool, right? So he really wants to like he's really invested in anything that would be really

great, but while he's still, you know, one of the bosses, he can't do it. Bit of a dilemma. Yeah, well, and it's sort of, almost I guess in a way got worse, because in 1969 he was promoted to director of programs, making him responsible for the output of both BBC channels, which is huge, right? Well, yeah. Now, his task, which includes... He had no idea about any of this side of him. Yeah, I know, right? Like he's...

He's got like a real background in television, like a real high-up top... Yeah, yeah, yeah. Absolutely. A lot of people kind of don't really know that. So when you find out that he studied natural history and stuff, you're like, yeah, that makes sense. Good looking him now. Exactly, but then he goes, he's sort of working behind the scenes in a lot of TV Which is really interesting. I'm here for those about four or five years. It was a hairdresser, which I also found surprised Yeah, it is surprising and then he was a butcher for a bit Mm-hmm, which was weird because of his love of animals love of animals, but um, hey

I wonder if he's a vegetarian yeah, I don't know I don't know there wouldn't be that many 90-year-old vegetarians, right? When was it invented? I don't know. You're the veteran vegetarian. I'm the vet. You tell me. It's through many campaigns. Not eating a certain thing. Yeah. No, I don't know. Good question though. I'll maybe I'll come back with you next week Well, to the answer the question is David Attenborough vegetarian. Yeah, great I think I was somewhere good find there. Hmm. Anyway So with this new job

He was sort of a bit more Businessy, you know, he was sort of he was in a lot of meetings board meetings had to agree to budgets He now sort of He had to agree to budgets. He had meetings. You know what it's like. It sounds horrifying. No, but it just meant that he was He was far removed from the business of filming programs Like I can't imagine if you've made a documentary about elephants in Tanzania That's a lot more interesting than going into a business meeting and talking about meeting targets Yeah, exactly even if it is television, that's still the... And his passion.

There's a business eye and he likes animals. Yeah, his passion is actually creating the film. So he's got a promotion and that's good, but it's not quite... Yeah, he's probably getting paid quite well. Yeah, but it's not quite what he wants to be doing. So when his name was sort of being thrown around as a candidate for the position of Director General of the BBC in 1972. So that the absolute top job? It seems to be, yeah, pretty high up.

Man, that's awesome. He phoned his brother Richard and confessed that he had no desire for the job. He's like, I don't want that. He wasn't like, it wasn't that he was offered. People were just kind of, his name was sort of being suggested when the role was coming up. He's like, I don't want that. Earlier in the following year, he actually left his post to return to full-time program making, which left him free to write and present the planned natural history series that he'd wanted to

present. So we got to do it. The life on Earth series. I hate the one that he was angling to be. Yeah, that he really wanted, but he's like, I can't do it while I'm, you know, while I'm the big boss. But now he's taking a back seat and he's like I can do the show I want to do Which is lovely? Oh, he's lovely. Hey you guys you notice how I just popped out to the library for a bit Mm-hmm. I was just checking about his fidgeting. Oh, let's all go around the table and take a guess all right Well, you know the answer now obviously I reckon he is a meat eater. I reckon he is a vegetarian David's correct. He's a meat eater.

He's an omnivore. Apparently it's because he sees it out in nature. We think of us as... let's tell we evolved to be omnivores. He's an omnivore. Fair enough. He likes meat basically and he can't be fucked. Changing his ways. Stop when I'm old.

Oh no, no, no. I want to keep that he's so bad. can't be fucked, changing his ways, stop when I'll- Oh no, no, no! I want to keep that in so bad! I could not have said something else. Can you beat it? Yeah, probably. Yeah, that'd be fun. So after his resignation, Attenborough became a freelance broadcaster and immediately

started work on his next project, which was a pre-arranged trip to Indonesia with a full crew from the Natural History Unit. It resulted in the 1973 series Eastwoods with Attenborough, which was a similar in tone to the earlier Zoo Quest show. Like, I just wanted to be able to do a quiz. Right, I'm glad it's making you come back and I should make another comeback. So Eastwoods with Attenborough as that series. And after he came back from that trip, he began to work on the scripts for life on Earth. And due to the scale.

Oh, so that hasn't started yet. It hasn't started yet. It's kind of just a work in progress. Right. Due to the scale of his ambition, like this is a big project they're taking on. The BBC decided to partner with an American network to secure the necessary funding.

And while the negotiations are happening for that, he's working on a number of other TV shows anyway. Like he's always just working on lots of different projects. with an American network to secure the necessary funding. And while the negotiations are happening for that, he's working on a number of other TV shows anyway. He's always just working on lots of different projects. So there's one about tribal art, which is called the tribal eye, and another one on the void. Tribal eye for the straight guy. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha 1975, they were ahead of their time. And there's another one about voyages of discovery,

which is called the Explorers, also in 1975. So he's busy working on other stuff. Explorers eye for the straight guy. Eventually the BBC signed a co-production deal with Turner Broadcasting and Life on Earth moved into production in 1976. So that's the CNN guy, the guy that found the CNN? Yes.

Yeah, Ted Turner. I didn't know that. Is that right? Tentana so that's the CNN guy the guy that found the CNN yes, yeah, Tentana Yeah, that's right the first 24 hour news network. I did this I did this report this morning Tentana is a billionaire media mogul, but it's the same tenor is Oh, certainly how many turners could they be? Tina Turner. Fitter and Turner. That always comes up. That's always an answer to a list. Fitter and Turner. Corner Turner. Bunsen Booner. No, that's not quite a saying. You get a better rhyming though, which is good. We've been working on that for a few weeks, haven't we? Yeah, we have.

Page turner. Oh, now you're back. You're back on, because that one exists. Right, so this is sort of the beginning of the... Not the end. Not the end, because he's still. The beginning of his sort of most well-known body of work, which is kind of known as like the life series because they all, I think they all include the word life in the title.

So beginning with life on earth in 1979, David Atmer set about creating a body of work which would become a benchmark of quality and wildlife filmmaking and influenced a generation of documentary filmmakers. So he's, you know, like- He's the Godfather. He's the Godfather of documentaries, especially in wildlife. The series also established many of the hallmarks of the BBC Natural History Output, so by treating his subjects seriously and researching the latest discoveries, Tanbra and his production team gained the trust of scientists who responded by allowing

him to feature their subjects in his program. So because he knew his shit and did the work and- He's not just some paid actor that's just the ones. He respected it so much and was so passionate about it that he sort of had their respect and then that's how he has, you know, such amazing resources that he uses for all of his documentaries, which is really amazing. So for example, in Rwanda, Attenborough and his crew were granted privileged access to film a research group of mountain gorillas, like other people would not have access to,

but the people who were using these gorillas as research allowed him to film them, which is amazing. The success of Life on Earth prompted the BBC to consider a follow-up, and five years later the living planet was screened, and this time, Attenborough built his series around the theme of ecology, and the adaptations of living things to their environment. So it was another critical and commercial success, which generated a huge international sales for the BBC. Right, because I can sell it to every network ever. Exactly. So they're doing really well. He's making them a lot of money.

And in 1990, the trials of life completed the original life trilogy, looking at animal behavior through different stages of life. Now, we kind of drew some strong reactions from the public, because it had sequences of killer whales hunting sea lions, and chimpanzees hunting and wildly killing other monkeys. But. Because it was pretty, it was probably. Oh, so yeah, that was new.

Pretty graphic. Yeah, really. Yeah, what do I mean? Or you know, you shouldn't be showing that. But that's not all. That's kind of what you think about. Like when I think about those kind of shows, it's always a cheetah chasing down an antler or something.

Yeah, an antler. An antler. Give me that antler. Give me a cheetah chasing down an antler or something. Yeah, an antler. An antler. Give me that antler. Give me that antler. That is why they chase down those antelope trot. It's good for their antlers. That's why the cheetahs do it. Yeah, they do it. To sell the antlers.

Yeah, they are antler dealers. They make trillers. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They're a big market for it. How they make a buck and then they sell that and then they buy food with the money. They buy it. Yeah, buy antelope. And that's why David Attenborough eats meat.

He seats that circle of life and it makes sense. He gets it. Hey, can you beep out early when I said, you've already asked. Why can you do it again then? Yes. If it just misses, even better. In the 1990s, Attenborough continues to use

the life strand title for succession of some more documentaries. So in 1993, he presented life in the freezer, which, uh, have a guess what that one's about. I reckon he had a weird turn, obviously. And he went down to the supermarket. And he just sat in there with the police for a while. He went for a reason, P. He just suddenly hit him.

I filmed everything outside. Maybe I start filming stuff inside. Please, please, are on special for $3 for a killer bag. Hahaha. Like in the shower. You have spent the long time, every day in here. I'll just look up a camera. Here we go.

This is it. No, it was about, it was the first television series about the natural history of Antarctica. And although he was part of the first one, the television series wasn't until the 90s. Yeah, that is incredible. Natural history of Antarctica. And although he was well-past the normal retirement age, he was 67 at this time, he then embarked on a number of more specialized surveys of the natural world, beginning with plants. Plants proved to be a difficult subject for his producers who are to deliver five hours

of television featuring what are essentially immobile objects. That is... So do you use bees? That is an amazing feat. Well the result is the private life of plants which is in 1995. Private life of plants. I like it. Everything's just blurred.

Well, check it out Everything's just blurred. Well, it's, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we That's the bleeding from the hands of Jesus Christ. It's something like that though. Stamen. Stamen. Stamen. Stamen. Stamen. Stamen. Stamen to that.

Stamina. Stamina. Stamen. Stamina. Stamina. Stamina. Stamina. Stamina.

Stamina. Stamina. Stamina. Stamina. Stamina. Stamina. Stamina. Stamina. Stamina. Stamina. as dynamic organisms by using time lapse photography to speed up their growth. So that means that they just filmed every plant you see, they just filmed for like four months. Imagine. Isn't that crazy? How much footage, how long it takes to ingest

all that video. That would make it interesting viewing. I'd love to see that sped up plants going. Yeah, it looks really cool. And the light changes around it. And you can see like, they know, they let vines and stuff like crawling out and racking around. Absolutely amazing, so it's well worth it.

Now next he was prompted by an enthusiastic onathologist at the BBC Natural History Unit. That's a bird lover. Okay, well that was about to make sense in the next sentence. Thanks Dave. Attenborough then turned his attention to the animal kingdom and in particular bird. That's because onethologist like birds. It's not related to their name or just as a coincidence. Yes, it's amazing.

Well yeah, onethologist actually the study of ants. This guy just happened to like birds. How did you know? I just... So as David attenborough was neither an obsessive twitcher. She's like a bird. I think name for a bird watcher. And he wasn't a bird expert. He decided he was better. Sorry. He was very qualified to make the life of birds, which came out in 1998, on the theme of behaviour, because he's not an expert, but he's like, I'm going to just study their

behaviour. That documentary series won a P-Body Award the following year, which recognizes distinguished work by the American Radio and Television stations, so obviously for its broadcast in the States. Did his documentary about the freezer win a P-Body? No. Frozen P-Body. Sorry, everybody. So the order of the remaining life series was dictated by developments in camera technology.

So for example, for the life of mammals, which is in 2002, low light and infrared cameras were deployed to show the behaviour of nocturnal mammals. And advances in macro photography made it possible to capture natural behaviours of very small creatures for the first time. And in 2005, life in the undergrowth introduced audiences to the world of invertebrates. What are they Dave? They're people who don't like to socialize. That's right. I just wanted to say that the camera work of those documentaries is so incredible. When you think about the one that fascinates me is

the one's underwater, where he's in the right, like obviously David Attenborough's the face of it, he's narrating it, done a lot of research, an amazing guy, I always feel that the camera people don't get enough credit for spending like months underwater filming, it must be so cold, also dangerous at times, dark It's abs, yeah. I'm not saying that. They know they do feature in the credits. How much credit do you want them to have? They get paid very well, Dave.

Do they get paid well? They're not doing that job to be in the spotlight. They just want to, but he get wet every now and then. Some people just like moisture. You fucking, we all like to get wet. It's not all about, not everyone wants to be just in the bloody public eye like you, Davy Boy. Come on mate.

Some people like just to get a little bit, damn. All over. It's a weird episode. I feel very weird. Touch me. I feel weird. You're all dead. Some people are old, dad. Some of us just look to be that way. I shout fully closed. Oh no, no, no, no, no. At this point, Edinburgh

realised that he'd spent 20 years unconsciously assembling a collection of programs on all the major groups of animals and plants. You suddenly realise, hang on, I've done everything. Hey, are you knocking David Attenborough? No, it's an amazing realisation. There's a butt. Oh. Only reptiles and amphibians were missing.

Oh, alright, so the only two of the largest groups. So he did him. A life in Cold Blood was broadcast in 2008, and he completed his whole set. And it was actually brought together in a DVD in Cyclocopia, as well, called Life on Land, which is pretty cool. He's covered everything now. And in an interview that year, he was asked to sum up his achievements, and he responded,

the evolutionary history is finished. The endeavor is finished. The endeavor is complete. If you'd asked me 20 years ago whether we'd be attempting such a mammoth task, I'd have said don't be ridiculous. These programs tell a particular story and I'm sure others will come along and tell it much better than I did. But I do hope that if people watch it in 50 years time, it will still have something to say about the world we live in. Oh, it's a? Oh, I really like that. I've got a couple of other things that he worked on

outside of his life series. So he narrated every episode of Wild Life On One, which is a BBC One Wild Life series, which makes sense. It's a Wild Life series on BBC One, so they're called it Wild Life One. They're pretty creative. It ran for 253 episodes between 1977-2005 and at its peak, it drew a weekly audience of 8 to 10 million. That is. Is that amazing? A lot. And they also had

a long span. Long span. And the 1987 episode, Mircats United, was voted the best wildlife documentary of all time by BBC viewers. That's pretty cool. I love me, cats. Yeah, and he also narrated over 50 episodes of Natural World, which was a BBC 2 flagship wildlife series. So he's just across BBC, like you wouldn't believe. He's either the poster boy. Yeah, he totally is. And a guy called Alistair Fought the Girl, who was a senior producer that I had worked with on The Tri trials of life and life in the freezer. He was making the blue planet, which was the unit's first comprehensive series on marine life. This is one of my favourite sentences that I came across. He decided not to use an on-screen presenter due to difficulties in speaking on camera through diving apparatus. I love that.

But the big advantage here. Couldn't say his teeth. Couldn't say his teeth. So David Attenborough, it was asked in the right of the film. So I think it's probably a better idea than having somebody on. I guess I do do that noise very well. Thank you. Yes. Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr environmentally themed musicals. What? With the WWF and writers Peter Rosen and Conlon.

Um, yeah, so there was one about the Amazon Rainforest and the second was called Ocean World, which, uh, premiered in 1991. There's a couple of musicals that he worked on. It's pretty cool. Ocean World. Is this Fun Facts? Uh, it's kind of leading into Fun Facts.

I have a section called Fun Facts, but all of this is pretty fun from now. Right, I just wanted to say it because you did promise them last week. Yeah, and I am kind of, I'm getting towards the end here. I wanted to mention some of these awards and then I've got a couple of fun facts. Okay, great. I'm excited. Right. So that I came at?

So awards, firstly or awards and recognitions, by January 2013, Attenborough had collected 32 honorary degrees from British universities. 32. More than any other person. So, wow. 32 honorary degrees. I, I, I, I, I'm a genuine.

I'm a genuine. They're listed on the internet. I'm not going to read them all out because that's ridiculous. That's absolutely amazing. I'm ready to. Oh, his study must be full. This is, when you're honorary rarity, that means they just go

to come to this barbecue we're having we're going to give you a piece of paper. Or do you have to do anything for that? You have to have achieved something in a hopefully in that field. So just come to a barbecue. Right, okay. Jesus Christ.

But you don't have to be done. You've already done it. You've happened to have done it and they'll invite you in. Just because every time we have a barbecue and I give you a little certificate. Yeah I just saw that might have been how it works. That's not how it works. I said a police don't once by doing that and you cried the next time we had a barbecue and I didn't have one for you so I had to go and print one off from with clip

art on it. Welcome to the barbecue. I mean you know the crying was just that was a coincidence Jess. It wasn't Matt you was you was throwing you be through yourself down the ground you're stomping your legs and you're screaming about you Yeah, you were screaming. This is about the lack of Yeah, but that was a that was a coincidence What what what's it? What were you talking about then? Oh, I mean, I was just I was just making noises and it just Coincidentally formed words that said those things. Well, you'd never get that from David at birth What I'm saying yeah, well, I mean it was a one and a billion chance.

You could, if you followed me around with a camera David Attenborough's if you're listening you probably are, your buddy arrogant c- Oh what is happening? Hey alright alright alright okay we get it. You hate David Attenborough. I'm. I'm really finished talking about him. You piece of work. No, he's alright. He's got some issues, obviously. He's got 32 degrees, mate.

He was also, he was also, he was also, he's not. Is there any downside to him? He does seem like a pretty good guy. There's no downside. He's a majestic human. God. He was knighted in 1985. That's when he became Sir David Atenborough. You were Sir Matthew? No, you're not.

He was named, I'm not even letting you use this. One of those tickets you gave me said, I was. No, it said Prince. It said you're a little Prince boy. My little Prince Maddy, it said. A little Prince Maddy. The other day I went and had got some shoes. And the guy said, excuse me, sir, do you want

to try and repair? So who's not a sur now? Fuckhead. Do you know that sounded like? In that scenario, it sounded like you were walking around a shoe shop. You tried on the one that's on display and the guy came around and said, excuse me, sir, would you like a pair? It's the way that you want one. No, no, I'd like one and then you call the salesperson a fuck it I've gone off the ride a little bit Okay, yeah, your language is something so I'm really sorry about language. So I'll be back on track next week Um, at Rose named the most trusted celebrity in the UK, you know, 2006 readers digest Paul. I just think that's really cute.

Most trusted to do what? To pick up your kids, to be home alone with? Anything. He's trustworthy. With his secrets? Trust with his secrets. Yeah, all right. David, here are my financial details.

Yeah, here is my card. My pet number is triple 37. Help yourself. Help yourself. I'm sure you know. You won't, though, because I trust you. I trust you not. Please look after my infant. Help yourself. I'm sure you know you won't you won't though because you trust you. I trust you not. Please look after my infant. Thank you. Here's a... Dude I feel that, man. Here's my infant. Did I ask you to do a doorstep? Please look after

I'll be back before. He was a DVD of me engaging in a sexual act that I wouldn't know to see. I trust you not to watch this. I'll be back next weekend and I reckon you'll still be able to look me in the eye. Better than the cloud. I reckon. Don't you reckon? Ah, but yeah. We should store everything in David Attenborough. It's so trustworthy. He's packing up his art soul. Yeah. The callback. You can't say that about David. You can't say that about David. He was also in 2007 he won the Culture Show's Living Icon award. So he's also a Living Icon about... He is.

Yeah, he's a national treasure. He's been named among the 100 greatest Britons in 2002 BBC poll and is one of the top 10 heroes of our time according to New Statesman magazine, which is kind of cool. In September 2009 London's Natural History Museum opened the Attenborough studio, which is pretty cool, which is part of its Darwin Centre development. So he's got a studio named after him, which is kind of cool. That's real cool. I mean I did just carve in the Jess Perkins podcast studio into the wall here, but. And you will be paying for that damage.

And nobody came to the ribbon cutting ceremony, even though I sent you all an e-vite. Well, if you'd better be above it, can you mount what I've been there? Yeah, something significant. There's my certificate. Can my Jess don't make this a bit you? What do you buddy, David, Aunt Brutal, something?

This is a good one. This is quite a recent one that you may remember. In May 2016, so just a few months ago, it was announced that the British poll or research ship will be named the RRS Sir David Attenborough in his honour. That's right. It ignores it. Oh, no, that's it. Well, internet poll suggesting the name of the ship had the most votes for Boate McBodeface because the UK is the best. Science Minister Jo Johnson said there were more suitable names and the official name was

eventually picked up from one of the more favourite choices. So it was still, like people still voted for it, they thought that was really nice. However, one of its research subs will be named devotee in recognition of the public vote. Right. Good compromise. The RRS, Sir David Attenborough, informally known as boaty mcboat face. Yeah, I'm sure that would be the neat name for a long time. Yeah.

Oh, I wonder if it transfers across to him now if people start calling him Boate. Ah, good question. We'll soon find out. Attenborough also has the distinction of having at least 15 nearly discovered species and fossils being named in his honor. Which is pretty cool. Did you say nearly discovered? Nearly. Okay, that makes that just make more sense. being named in his honor. Which is pretty cool. Did you say nearly discovered? Nearly. Okay, that makes that just make more sense.

I reckon there might be a sheep over that hill. And if there is, I'm going to call David Attenborough. Well, back to bed. Okay, a little weird conversation that I had with himself. With itself? I'll see that sheep tomorrow. Just some liturant ticket of field. I'll give it a name, everything. David Attenborough.

That tree, David Attenborough. That fence, David Attenborough. Oh, I'm David Attenborough. It was David Attenborough. He's constantly narrating. He can't help it. He narrates his breakfast. Do you have a few fun facts?

Yay. Oh, see, I think that was fun. They were all fun. he's breakfast. I do have a few fun facts. Yay! See, I think that was fun. I was like, I can't have fun going in a beach. Then I'll just say I'll continue with the fun facts. No, start him up. I'll fire him up. He's the only person to have won BAFTAs for programs in each black and white, colour, HD and 3D.

Oh, he's one of a 3D BAFifter. That's kind of cool, isn't it? It's a 3D bifter. Well, no, I'm assuming because it's an over-physical award, yes, it would be 3D, but it's for a television program in 3D. What a guy. What a guy. In 2002, he was named among...

Nope, I already said that one. He was named among. LAUGHTER That is a fun fact. Someone online called him a monk. I think they missed Spout. During World War II, through a British childable program known as Kinder Transport, his parents also fostered two Jewish refugee girls. And one of his adoptive sisters gave him a piece of amber filled with prehistoric creatures. And some 50 years later it

would be the focus of his program, the amber time machine. That is cool but also the inspiration. Yeah, Jurassic Park. His brother's park. Ring it off. It's brother ripped him off. Whoa. His brother ripped him off, then gave the idea to Michael Crodden who wrote a book and then got directed by Steven Spielberg. Yeah, and that's definitely how it worked though. That's how it worked. Um, his children, did you want to know what they have done?

That's, was it Susan and what was going on? Susan and Robert? Susan was, is a former primary school head missus, so she was a teacher. Do you want to know what they have done? That's it, was it Susan and Robert? Susan and Robert? Susan is a former primary school head missus, she was a teacher. You have to say former prime minister. What? How did you not hear?

But Robert is a senior lecturer in bioanthropology for the School of Archaeology and Anthropology at the Australian National University in Canberra. What? Tea teachers here. And is he at in Barra obviously, is he surname? Well, yeah, and my uncle works at ANU and I was like, can you please look up Robert Attenborough?

What does your uncle do there? I do not know, he's official title, but he works in like the School of Sciences as well. Does he like some academic? He cleans the Johns with his teeth. How do you? He is. What?

Oh, he's very hot up. He's very hot up. Declan is what a thing of- With his teeth? Like, I saw an animal. All of a sudden cleaning things with your teeth. Is my uncle Jeff an animal? You've-

I didn't suggest that. Jeff? Let me move on. I can't believe that you're- I will fight this outside. Well, this is disappointing. I thought you were open-minded. You were a real cheekster, Matt.

A real cheekster. Thank you, Dave. That is worse. Enough of this gimmickry. Haha. And just to finish on, it's just another nice quote from him that I really like. He had a pacemaker fitted in June 2013.

He is 90 now. It's so that he was 87 when he got a pacemaker. Such good neck. Actually, it's the same age as my grandpa. And your grandpa then. My grandma. Grandma, right. That's right. But she is in she's fit but she couldn't, you know, still host TV shows. Yeah, my grandpa, both my grandparents are in very good health, but yeah, they stay home a lot now.

Yeah. Because they're 19. Yeah. You know, that's totally fine. Anyway. They're at the right. So he had a pacemaker fitted in June 2013 and in September, in an interview he said, if I was earning my money by hewing coal, I would be very glad indeed to stop. But I'm not. I'm swanning around the world looking at the most fabulously interesting things. Such good fortune. He just loves his job. He loves it and he's really grateful for it. I think that's really lovely. So that gentleman is my, I finish every topic with and that gentleman is my report on Dave and Brr. Thank you. I want to take questions.

No questions, I'll go and please don't ask questions. No Dave will. It's amazing. Dave, how long does it take you to look that good in the morning? Wow about one hour. That was a turn. I was not expecting. I'm glad it went that way because I didn't know how long you're gonna I didn't know what you gonna ask me about. We're done. That was a fantastic report about a fantastic man. Yeah, that was just a cool guy. Cool dude. I think we talked about celebrity passing and things like that when you know knock on wood he eventually does go I think that will probably be the biggest outpouring. Yeah that'll be

huge. I can't think of anyone else though. It's really awful. That would think like that isn't it. He did say but I think it's a sign of It's really awful. That would think like that, isn't it? You did say it. But I think it's just a sign of respect. It's done so much. I reckon he's almost closer to the end than he is to the beginning. Dave. God you're weird. Andy, I'm sorry. But just that was a great report.

Thank you very much for that. No Dave, thank you for your friendship and your friendship. And thank you to Andy, our friend. Andy Matthews. And listen up much for that. No Dave, thank you for your friendship and your family. And thank you to Andy, our friend, and E-Methi, and listener for suggesting that topic. I think that was Andy's made a couple suggestions and I think that was the first one that we've reported on if I'm not wrong. So that is the fact. That is the fact. Thank you. Matt, the master of the hat. Thank you Andrew for that. Much appreciated. Yes. Thank you. Oh, at all a good diet. I'm genuinely going to go to bed as soon as I can.

Yeah, I think that you definitely need to do that, Matt. But thanks for listening everyone. If you want us to do your topic, your topic of your choosing, your suggestion, please tweet us in at do go on pod email us. Do go on pod at gmail.com of washmortoon Facebook all that kind of stuff you can get in contact and yes suggest you things and tell your friends honestly think the way that we're getting out there and we get a little bit more you know listeners grow every week I think it's just because you guys are telling people that like podcasts to give hours ago this week's hashtag of course is hashtag shows your teeth with a photo of you showing us your teeth. That is a brilliant one. We want to know if your teeth are too big for the baby. See in the 1950s.

Show us your teeth and we'll tell you if they're too big of us. We'll give you some teeth feedback. Some tweet back. Some tweet back about your teeth. Some tweet back. Twitter. hashtag. tweeeth. That sounds strangely dirty. That doesn't tweet. That's very close to queep. That sounds strangely dirty. It doesn't tweed. That's very close to queef. That's why. Show us your tweed. Haha, great.

But yes, show us your tweed. And we'll let you know what we think of your teeth. We will judge you possibly harshly. Well, also, should we also tweed pictures of our teeth then? I don't have great teeth, so probably not. That's so mean. I'm telling them to sit. Now Now you guys are going to go lovely teeth, don't you? Thanks man, I had braces. Mono right up top, but they take a pretty nasty turn down below.

Do they? I can't say I'm from here, they look fine. You're showing me you be it, alright. So thanks for listening everyone. We'll be back next week with another report, and until then, Jess is going to be loving her head, if I imagine. That's what I do. So you do?

Matt's gonna be in bed probably for a week. Oh man, I'm so tired. I've been slept since last week's episode basically. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You totally haven't. I've partied all week long.

I've had a couple of cocktails. Well you have a simian sling and we'll be back next week. Thank you and goodbye. Bye. Bye. I eat a simian sling sounds like a euphemism for um, speedos. You know, jump in with simian sling and 250 laps. Alright, bye! Are you working way too hard for way too little? There's never been a better time to consider a career in IT.

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