Sir David Attenborough on The Future of Natural History

David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities Producer Stephen Dunleavy interviews Sir David regarding his exciting new natural history series, exclusive to Eden.

David Attenborough and a molerat

Audience Member

"Who do you think is going to follow in your footsteps?"

David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities

Sir David Attenborough

"The particular way in which I make programmes is part of a changing pattern in television. It started back in the fifties when we didn't have enough money to make films.

We actually took animals from the London Zoo and demonstrated them on live television, which was interesting because sometimes they tried to escape, or would bite, or urinate, which was all very good live television in those days!

Live television was interesting because sometimes they tried to escape, or would bite, or urinate!

Now, that style of course has long passed, having a man or a woman like me who can demonstrate these things is a little hangover from the past and I suspect that in the future you won’t need nature jockeys like me.

In fact not only that, you won’t need specialist camera operators who we have at the moment because making natural history programmes has become easier and easier. There are lots of dedicated people out there who want to film the mating of a dragon fly on a pond which may be 100 yards from their home, and put that on the web. The view of the natural world will start to be seen now through the web.

And, paradoxically, as human beings become more dominant in the world and more detached from the actuality of the natural world, you’ll keep up with it by these kind of visionaries dedicated amateurs are putting on the web."