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Let David Attenborough Soothe Your Soul with These 4 Iconic Nature Docs
The legendary naturalist turns 100 years old.
By Caitlin Busch
May 8, 2026
Sir David Attenborough's 100th Birthday: Celebrate with These 4 Nature Documentaries - Netflix Tudum
“Sir David is the truest icon of our industry. He is, in my opinion, responsible for popularizing our entire genre and making wildlife filmmaking mainstream,” director Toby Nowlan told Tudum when Our Planet II first premiered on Netflix. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, the series is just one of many graced by his world-renowned voice. When you hear those dulcet tones over nature footage so astoundingly breathtaking that it almost seems fake, you know you’re in for a good (educational) time.
But it’s not just his voice: Attenborough is a titan in the world of natural history filmmaking. He’s been knighted in the UK — twice — and his storied career as a broadcaster, naturalist, and writer spans more than seven decades. May 8 marks Attenborough’s 100th birthday. So, to celebrate a century of his love for the natural world, check out these documentary films and series featuring his unmistakable narration on Netflix.
A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough
The legendary naturalist leads this intimate documentary in which he recalls his first encounter with a three-year-old gorilla named Pablo. Attenborough says of that first interaction almost 50 years ago, “Many people would think it was the most important sequence … in my filmed life.” But when Pablo was 18, he broke away to create a new group. This doc — from the co-director of Oscar-winner My Octopus Teacher and the Emmy-winning creators of Our Planet — explores Pablo and Attenborough’s shared legacy, and features gorilla behavior never filmed before.
Our Planet
This remarkable two-season series showcases animals in their home regions and explains the human impact on the living world. Narrated once again by Attenborough, it’s part of a collaboration between Netflix, Silverback Films, and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The second season focuses on animal migration, as well as how climate change has impacted it. When asked about Attenborough’s involvement in the series, filmmaker Huw Cordey told Tudum: “You’re not just bringing in a famous face to read a script. Those emotive sequences, the drama — he’s acting it out. He’s got the power and the emotion in his voice to really carry those stories through in ways that probably no other natural history narrator can do, just as an actor.”
Secret Lives of Orangutans
Orangutans are not just one of our many colorful primate cousins. In fact, they might be more relatable to us than any other great ape. Narrated by Attenborough and directed by Cordey, Secret Lives of Orangutans follows a multigenerational group of orangutans in the jungles of Sumatra. At the center of the story is eight-year-old Eden, who embarks on the most challenging journey of her life when her family grows faster than anticipated.
David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet
Alastair Fothergill (Earth), Jonnie Hughes (Nature Untamed), and Keith Scholey (Life on Our Planet) directed this documentary in which Attenborough shares his hopes for the planet’s future. Few can match Attenborough’s expertise and passion for the natural world. But after visiting every continent on the planet and exploring its every wild corner, Attenborough sits down in this film to document what he’s observed about the living world throughout his lifetime — its diversity and wonder, yes, but also the impact humanity has had on it.
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