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The BBC Is Airing A David Attenborough One-Off Special This Weekend

Lucy Devine

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The BBC Is Airing A David Attenborough One-Off Special This Weekend

Featured Image Credit: BBC

Get ready to settle down with Sir David Attenborough this Sunday evening (not literally, sadly) as the BBC is airing a one-off special documentary on the natural historian's early career.

David Attenborough's Zoo Quest in Colour showcases footage from the veteran broadcaster's first ever wildlife series (the OG Planet Earth, if you will) which aired for nine years between 1954 and 1963.

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Aged just 28 in the footage (insert heart eyes emoji) dishy David traveled to locations including West Africa, Bali and Borneo during the beginning of his 60-year career, with all 12 episodes originally screened in black and white.

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But to celebrate David's 90th birthday in 2016, BBC made a one-off, 90-minute special in colour, which is being shown again on Sunday 12th January.

A 30-year-old David is pictured topless during a boat trip to Komodo (Credit: BBC)
A 30-year-old David is pictured topless during a boat trip to Komodo (Credit: BBC)

The special documentary features behind-the-scenes stories as well as new footage, giving us all the chance to relive David's younger days in the wild.

Highlights include young David chasing after anteaters, enjoying a drink while topless during a boat journey to Komodo and feeding a baby Malaysian Sun Bear in Borneo.

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He was also pictured feeding a Malaysian Sun Bear (Credit: BBC)
He was also pictured feeding a Malaysian Sun Bear (Credit: BBC)

The series did cause *some* controversy when it aired three years ago, however.

Over 60 years ago, the point of the trip was to find rare animals, including snakes and birds, in a selection of exotic countries across the globe, before bringing them back to London Zoo.

"I remember doing those silly things, it was barmy," he told The Telegraph in 2016.

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"I had some inhibitions about it being shown because you wouldn't do that today. And I thought, it's no good, you might as well face it, that's what you did and so you better not try and pretend it didn't happen."

The show was the start of David's incredible career (Credit: BBC)
The show was the start of David's incredible career (Credit: BBC)

If, like us, you're a mega fan of the national treasure, you'll be pleased to hear a new film about David will air this year, David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet.

Created by award-winning film-makers Silverback Films as well as environmental organisation WWF, the world premiere of the film will take place on Thursday 16th April at the Royal Albert Hall.

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It will then be broadcast live to cinemas across the UK, Ireland, Netherlands, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland.

David Attenborough's Zoo Quest in Colour airs on BBC Four on Sunday 12th January at 7.30pm

Topics: Entertainment News, Celebrity News, TV News

Lucy Devine
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