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Sir David Attenborough Says The Brexit Referendum Should Never Have Happened


David Attenborough

Sir David Attenborough has spoken out about the result of the Brexit referendum, saying that the situation is a “mess” and that the decision should have been left to MPs in Westminster.

The 90 year old TV naturalist made the controversial comments in a wide-ranging interview with the Radio Times published on Monday (October 31st), saying that the vote from 17.4 million British citizens that caused the 52%-48% margin of victory back in June should never have been entrusted to the public.

David AttenboroughSir David Attenborough made the controversial remarks in an interview with the Radio Times

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Pokemon GO Narrated By David Attenborough Is Everything We Needed


David Attenborough

The soothing tones of David Attenborough could make just about anything sound better, but add him to the game that’s taking over all our lives, Pokemon GO, and you get a match made in heaven. Attenborough is of course famed for his wildlife documentaries, but a new viral video has shown that his narration works just as well when observing the pocket sized creatures.

Created by Lovin’ Dublin, the video mashed together audio from Attenborough’s wildlife documentaries with video footage of Pokemon Go being played. “Hunting animals need hunting ground and that inevitably brings them into contact with humanity,” Attenborough begins.

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Tributes Paid As Sir David Attenborough Turns 90


David Attenborough

Tributes have been paid to naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough who has turned 90. Described as the "god of wildlife programmes and presenters", the British institution has been praised by hundreds of peers and fans.

Sir David AttenboroughSir David Attenborough has celebrated his 90th birthday

BBC Springwatch presenter Michaela Strachan said we have "all been inspired by him".

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'Boaty McBoatface' Research Ship To Be Named After David Attenborough Instead


David Attenborough

The new British polar research ship, which the public famously voted to be named ‘Boaty McBoatface’, has instead been named in honour of Sir David Attenborough.

The decision was revealed by the Conservative science minister Jo Johnson on Friday morning (May 6th) – which many on social media protested was a flagrant and disregard of democratic principles – which he described as a “tribute to a great broadcaster & natural scientist”.

David AttenboroughThe 'Boaty McBoatface' research vessel is being named after Sir David Attenborough instead

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Early David Attenborough Nature Documentaries To Be Shown In Colour For First Time


David Attenborough

Some of the first wildlife movies to be filmed by Sir David Attenborough are to be screened in colour for the very first time, as part of a week of television programming to celebrate the legendary broadcaster’s 90th birthday later this year.

The 1954 series ‘Zoo Quest’, for instance, was previously thought to have been shot in black and white, until a 16mm colour reel of film was recently discovered in the BBC’s archives. The newly-unearthed film will be broadcast as part of a 90-minute special of the series, along with four “passion project” films chose by Attenborough himself from his huge back catalogue of work.

David AttenboroughSir David Attenborough's 90th birthday is to be marked by the BBC with a series of special programmes

Continue reading: Early David Attenborough Nature Documentaries To Be Shown In Colour For First Time

There's A Petition To Get Snoop Dogg As The New Host Of 'Planet Earth'


Snoop Dogg David Attenborough

A petition is gathering steam online asking for rapper Snoop Dogg to become the new host of ‘Planet Earth’. Over 13,000 people have signed the change.org petition since it was launched two weeks and the rapper himself has even given it his blessing.

Snoop DoggDo you want to see Snoop Dogg as the new ‘Planet Earth’ host?

The petition was created by Kelly Orton from the United States, who is calling for Snoop to replace current host David Attenborough. “Snoop Dogg has narrated some Planet Earth in the past but yo we need him to narrate full episodes. Sign the petition if you agree,” it reads.

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Richmond, London Tops David Attenborough's List Of Favourite Places


David Attenborough

David Attenborough has travelled the entire globe, filming nature documentaries in a career that has spanned six decades, but Richmond in West London is officially his favourite place on this earth. The legendary broadcaster was talking to Time Out when he made the surprising choice.

“Partly because I live there, partly because my friends and family are there,” he explained, making the choice seem that much less exciting and all the more humbling.

“The climate suits me, and London has the greatest serious music that you can hear any day of the week in the world - you think it's going to be Vienna or Paris or somewhere, but if you go to Vienna or Paris and say, "Let's hear some good music" there isn't any,” he added. (Daily Mail)

Continue reading: Richmond, London Tops David Attenborough's List Of Favourite Places

Is Sir David Attenborough The Gospel? This Time: BBC Wages


David Attenborough

Having offered up his sizable sixpence on human evolution and the Chinese ‘one child’ policy, seminal voice of a generation David Attenborough has moved on to the high wages at the BBC. He, of course, is paid in woodlice and posh tea.

"It doesn't require me to say that it is a huge embarrassment that salaries of that size are being paid in a public service organisation," he said, according to The Guardian. He is talking of the latest scandal to hit the tax-funded corporation, wear by £60m was paid to outgoing executives over an eight-year period.

“The BBC is in my view one of the most important strands in the cultural life of this country … and it is going through a bad patch. I just hope that it will emerge from the bad patch with the standards that made it great still there," he continued.

Continue reading: Is Sir David Attenborough The Gospel? This Time: BBC Wages

David Attenborough's Population Warning Against Large Families


David Attenborough

Sir David Attenborough has made an alarming claim that the human population has finally beaten the grasp of Mother Nature and we have stopped evolving.

But the new challenge for the human race is overcrowding as the 87 year old has suggested that having large families will be a bad idea for future generations.

The BBC documentarian recently spoke to the Radio Times and warns, "we are a plague on the Earth. It's coming home to roost over the next 50 years or so", Attenborough also stated "It's not just climate change; it's sheer space, places to grow food for this enormous horde".

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Everybody Run: David Attenborough Says We're Not Evolving!


David Attenborough

As possibly the most respected voice in the UK – seriously, people think this guy’s god – David Attenborough commands a modicum of respect when he speaks. So when Mr. Nature himself declares that we, humans, aren’t evolving any more, well then we just have to run and hide don’t we.

David AttenboroughSTOP HAVING KIDS - David Attenborough

“If natural selection, as proposed by Darwin, is the main mechanism of evolution... then we’ve stopped natural selection,” said Attenborough, ominously. “We stopped natural selection as soon as we started being able to rear 95-99 per cent of our babies.”

Continue reading: Everybody Run: David Attenborough Says We're Not Evolving!

Sir David Attenborough Has A Bleak Vision Of The Future & Says Large Families Will Ensure His Vision Comes True


David Attenborough

Sir David Attenborough may brighten up people's homes with his insightful and often magnificent documentaries, but the man with the golden voice isn't always as upbeat as he sounds. The naturalist recently gave his views on where our planet is heading, and according to Attenborough it isn't heading in a particularly good direction as the population skyrockets to uncontrollable levels and resources are continually drained.

Sir David Attenborough
Sir David has a bleak vision of our future if things continue the way they are

Things may look bad now, with strain put on food and water supplies around the world and natural fuel sources becoming increasingly scarce, but Attenborough claims we are only tipping the iceberg of our inevitable collapse as a species. Speaking to the Radio Times, the naturalist doesn't foresee extinction for the human race, but he predicts the end of natural selection and evolution in our species as we continue to determine our own fate through controlled birth and the ability to raise a child no matter what defects they may have.

Continue reading: Sir David Attenborough Has A Bleak Vision Of The Future & Says Large Families Will Ensure His Vision Comes True

Sir David Attenborough Cancels Australia Tour To Undergo Heart Surgery


David Attenborough

You can’t expect Sir David Attenborough to keep going at the rate of knots he has done all his life, the dude’s getting old. So perhaps it’s not surprise that the nature documenter has been forced to cancel a tour to Australia next week, in order to undergo surgery in London.

It’s quite serious too, with the 87 year-old broadcaster undergoing a procedure on his heart on Tuesday. "We all wish Sir David a full and strong recovery," said Danny Cohen, the BBC’s director of television. Attenborough had been scheduled to start a tour of Australia in Brisbane on June 11th, with additional dates planned for Canberra, Perth, Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne. The events had been billed as An Evening With David Attenborough and would have featured the wildlife expert talk about his, his travels and – of course- his encounters with some of the most exotic creatures on the planet.

However that’s no longer taking place, and Lateral Events – who were promoting the tour – wrote "Sir David expressed his extreme disappointment. He said he was very much looking forward to coming back to Australia and he hopes to reschedule his tour in the near future." Obviously we hope that Sir Dave is with us for a few years yet, but should he go at any point soon, we think it’d be unthinkable for there not to be a national holiday. He’s a true legend.

Continue reading: Sir David Attenborough Cancels Australia Tour To Undergo Heart Surgery

'Tweet Of The Day' - David Attenborough Will Bring Tweeting Back Offline With New Radio 4 Programme


David Attenborough

Sir David Attenborough will attempt to give a new meaning to the word “tweet” – or rather, the old one – with his new Radio 4 programme “Tweet of the Day”. Each day, the 90-minute programme will begin by airing the chirping of a different bird. Then the presenter, in typical Attenborough style, will give us some backstory in the bird and even put it in context – in terms of history and references within history and culture. “Tweet of the Day” will feature a huge variety of birds, from ones the listeners are probably familiar with, to more exotic, interesting and just plain weird creatures like the storm pettel and the black-browed albatross. Curious to know exactly what that is? We are too.

Attenborough, who will present the first month's worth of programmes with other presenters to include Springwatch's Chris Packham, said: "I'm delighted to be involved in this series.

"I've seen some of the most incredible animals on my travels around the world, but Tweet of the Day is a nice reminder of the teeming world of birds on my doorstep. As a non-ornithologist, I might even learn a little too."

Continue reading: 'Tweet Of The Day' - David Attenborough Will Bring Tweeting Back Offline With New Radio 4 Programme

Sir David Attenborough To Present New 1m30s Birdsong Show


David Attenborough

Sir David Attenborough knows how to tweet his nature-loving fans. His latest venture is a short show on Radio Four called Tweet of The Day. Each episode will last a minute and a half, and focus on a particular birdsong, with information on the breed.

Sir David said: "I'm delighted to be involved in this series. I've seen some of the most incredible animals on my travels around the world, but Tweet Of The Day is a nice reminder of the teeming world of birds on my doorstep. As a non-ornithologist, I might even learn a little too." The show, which is by the BBC's Natural History Unit, will use 265 different recordings of birds' song. And you can bet your savings that Attenborough knows them all. Radio 4 controller Gwyneth Williams said: "I'm thrilled to have birds flying into the early morning schedule on Radio 4. David Attenborough, of course, will rule the roost as we introduce hundreds of British birds to our early listening and online audiences. And Radio 4's digital archive will be their permanent nesting site."

Continue reading: Sir David Attenborough To Present New 1m30s Birdsong Show

David Attenborough Accused Of Ignoring Animals' Potentially 'Homosexual' Behaviours


David Attenborough

David Attenborough's nature documentaries are some of the best loved programming from the UK, indeed Attenborough is probably one of the best loved people in the UK. However, Dr Brett Mills from the University of East Anglia has recently published a paper criticising the broadcaster for presenting a potentially falsified version of events in his descriptions of the animals' behaviours.

As the Telegraph reports, Dr Mills, whose paper is published in the European Journal of Cultural Studies, highlights specific scenes in Sir Attenborough's documentaries which he believes have been misconstrued. For instance, male chimpanzees having a cuddle was described by Attenborough as 'bonding', but Dr Mills notes that this could in fact be "driven by sexual motives." Furthermore, Attenborough describes many animals' behaviours as being in the context of a 'family', which is arguably a human concept which does not relate to many species. 

"The central role in documentary stories of pairing, mating and raising offspring commonly rests on assumptions of heterosexuality within the animal kingdom." Dr Mills said, "This is despite a wealth of scientific evidence which demonstrates that many non-human species have complex and changeable forms of sexual activity, with heterosexuality only one of many possible options."

Continue reading: David Attenborough Accused Of Ignoring Animals' Potentially 'Homosexual' Behaviours

Could Brian Cox Be The Next David Attenborough?


David Attenborough Brian Cox

It would be impossible not to mention the name of David Attenborough in a conversation about broadcasting legends. The man is a British institution; an idol to many and a staple diet for the bulk of the population's televisual habits. He is, however, only human, and someone will have to take the reigns when he's no longer able to frolic with monkeys of brave the Antarctic's cold winds

And to that end, it would appear as though Professor Brian Cox is the man chosen by Sir David to teach the world their lessons via the tellybox. "If I had a torch I would hand it to Brian," he told an audience at the annual Radio Times Covers Party at Claridge's in London. "He's contributed to science, and thereby contributed to society, to Britain and indeed the world. That's what great science communicators can do," he said.

Cox - understandably delighted with being praised so highly by one of Britain's greats, duly returned the hefty compliment. "It's very important for us in our industry to recognise that when you do great things, as Sir David has done continually for 60 years, they genuinely make a difference to the world in which we live. Sir David, thank you for inspiring me," he said. And following the event, former pop star Cox was still talking about it, saying he was honoured by Attenborough's praise.

Continue reading: Could Brian Cox Be The Next David Attenborough?

David Attenborough Wants To Pass Natural History Torch To Prof. Brian Cox


David Attenborough Brian Cox

Brian Cox made physics sexy, so they say. Now, David Attenborough, age 86, as he celebrates an indomitable 60 years of broadcasting, has said that he would eventually like to pass over natural history responsibilities to Cox. 

"If I had a torch I would hand it to Brian Cox," Attenborough generously stated. While the prospect of our television screens not being graced by the presence and sound of Attenborough's voice over the sight of a dancing bird is a terrifying one, Cox is probably the best option. 

What Attenborough has done so well in achieving is igniting interest in the world around us. He provides largely useless information (given that few of us live in the depths of the Madagascan rainforest, or the coldest, darkest regions of the Arctic) but makes it utterly invaluable viewing and listening. His shows are a talking point for the watercooler, for the pub, for the dining table. Likewise, in many respects, Cox has done a similar thing for the big wide universe and all its mysteries, making what seems to be the unknowable -  stars millions of light years away, or histories so far back it's beyond our normal comprehension - seem far more knowable in analogies and phrases that bring the sky down to earth. 

Continue reading: David Attenborough Wants To Pass Natural History Torch To Prof. Brian Cox

“Celebrities? God Help Us”: David Attenborough Bemoans The Current Celebrity Culture


David Attenborough

David Attenborough has gone on a biting rant again the current state of celebrity culture in Britain today, admitting that as far as he is concerned, the world has changed and not for the better.

Speaking to press after his Best Documentary win at the National Television Awards last week, Attenborough bemoaned the current state of television and the seemingly endless reel of talentless nobodies that are thrust into the the limelight after achieving next to nothing. “Celebrities? God help us,” Sir David said, “I don’t feel like a celebrity. The word has changed."

The national treasure went on further, saying: “A celebrity these days means someone famous for having done nothing at all. Famous for being famous. I think it is rather sad. We don’t have complex relationships any more and it’s easier to look at lives on screen than be interested in your own.”

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The Penguin King 3D Review


OK
Sharp digital photography makes this Antarctic documentary worth a look for nature-movie fans, even though it's both childish and unoriginal. The problem is that we have seen so many movies about penguins - from March of the Penguins to Happy Feet - that nothing here feels very new. Although at least the setting is unusual. And this one's shot in eye-popping 3D.

On the island of South Georgia, between Antarctica and South America, a massive colony of king penguins shares the landscape with a variety of seals and birds, but no humans (except for documentary film crews, of course). The star of the movie is a 4-year-old male who has just completed his epic three-year swim-about and is now back to find a mate and settle down. Sure enough, he pairs up with a female and then together the couple cares for its offspring as an egg and then a chick. They also take turns heading out to sea for food. And all the while, both of them are fighting off ruthless predators who want to make a meal of them.

Attenborough's narration is clearly aimed at very young children, as it creates an emotive story out of the natural images, which have been edited together to crank up the suspense. He turns the natural order of things into a full-on action movie, with evil killer whales and murderous birds villainously stalking the adorable young chicks. Never mind that this is how the world works: we are pushed to feel that it's unfair and tragic. And our emotions are further manipulated by a surging, cheesy score.

There are moments of romance and levity along the way, such as a visit to a nearby macaroni penguin colony, and the strained efforts to add human feelings is annoyingly contrived. Also, instead of finding a lesser-known species that might teach us something, the filmmakers merely rehash the human physicality of these sea-going birds (namely that they stand up straight). That said, the camera crew should be commended for its astonishingly beautiful work: the crisp images reveal South Georgia as a breathtaking location with rocky beaches, grassy hills and soaring mountain peaks while getting up close and personal with the penguins and other animals both on the land and underwater.

Rich Cline
David Attenborough

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