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BBC1, PBS pair on Attenborough series

Sir David Attenborough: set to present The Green Planet

UK broadcaster BBC1 and PBS in the US have commissioned a new series on plants to be presented by Sir David Attenborough.

From BBC Studios Natural History Unit and coproduced by German pubcaster ZDF and The Open University, The Green Planet (5×60′) will follow Attenborough as he travels to the US, Costa Rica, Croatia and northern Europe to explore how plants live in a variety of environments.

Along the way, Attenborough will meet the largest living things that have ever existed, trees that care for each other, seeds that can outlive civilisations, and plants that breed so fast they could cover the planet in a matter of months.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to explore a neglected yet truly remarkable part of the natural world,” Attenborough said.

Exec producer Mike Gunton added: “This series will take viewers into a world beyond their imagination – see things no eye has ever seen. The world of plants is a mind-blowing parallel universe – one that we can now bring to life using a whole range of exciting new camera technology. This is Planet Earth for plants.”

The series was commissioned by Charlotte Moore, director of BBC Content. For PBS the series is overseen by Bill Gardner, VP of programming and development.

Natural history veteran Attenborough is in high demand as the arms race of premium content starts to heat up. His latest blue chip series for the BBC, Seven Worlds, One Planet, has been airing in primetime on Sundays on BBC1.

Earlier this year he fronted his first series for Netflix, Our Planet, something which BBC Storyville editor Mandy Chang described as “heartbreaking” for the UK public broadcaster which has long been his home.

He will return to Netflix with a three-part series Life In Colour, being coproduced with the BBC and Nine Network in Australia, which was announced earlier this year. Bristol-based Humble Bee Films and Sydney-based SeaLight Pictures are producing.

He previously produced 3D series Galapagos and Life of Plants for European satcaster Sky through London-based indie Atlantic Productions.

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