Force of Nature
In my opinion the British broadcaster - Sir David Attenborough - has done for natural history what Charles Darwin did for natural selection.
Sir David has brought a complex subject to life - made it fascinating and enjoyable - but most of all accessible to ordinary folks - like you and me.
I remember well Attenborough's first major TV series - Life on Earth - which must have been made in the 1970s.
In any event this iconic programme had a remarkable effect on many people - me included.
The only other documentary films I remember so vividly are the two TV series made by the great American film maker - Ken Burns - who documented the American Civil War and the History of the Civil Rights Movement in America.
Both were truly stunning pieces of work - and that's how good Sir David Attenbourough is - he's on a par with the very best of his contemporaries - all around the world.
But instead of basking in his own glory - or past encounters with mountain gorillas - this 85 year old is just back from the Arctic Circle.
Where he has been making a new BBC series - Frozen Planet.
I can't wait to see it - I'll bet it's every bit as good and spectacular as everything else Attenborough has done over the years.
The man is a real gent - a force of nature - and I hope he continues his work for years to come.
Retirement is for cissies - though I bet he'll be glad to hear his state pension is going up by 5.2% next year.
Sir David has brought a complex subject to life - made it fascinating and enjoyable - but most of all accessible to ordinary folks - like you and me.
I remember well Attenborough's first major TV series - Life on Earth - which must have been made in the 1970s.
In any event this iconic programme had a remarkable effect on many people - me included.
The only other documentary films I remember so vividly are the two TV series made by the great American film maker - Ken Burns - who documented the American Civil War and the History of the Civil Rights Movement in America.
Both were truly stunning pieces of work - and that's how good Sir David Attenbourough is - he's on a par with the very best of his contemporaries - all around the world.
But instead of basking in his own glory - or past encounters with mountain gorillas - this 85 year old is just back from the Arctic Circle.
Where he has been making a new BBC series - Frozen Planet.
I can't wait to see it - I'll bet it's every bit as good and spectacular as everything else Attenborough has done over the years.
The man is a real gent - a force of nature - and I hope he continues his work for years to come.
Retirement is for cissies - though I bet he'll be glad to hear his state pension is going up by 5.2% next year.
