6 David Attenborough Nature Series You Have To Watch

Two of the U.K.'s greatest treasures were born within weeks of each other in 1926. On April 12, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born and became England's longest-serving monarch. Less than a month later, on May 8, David Frederick Attenborough was born. Attenborough is the man whose name and narrator's voice have become synonymous with nature programming, whether it be his more transatlantic posh voice from the 1950s or her more recognizably gravelly one her's been famous for since 1979. He is responsible for some of the most groundbreaking documentaries about our planet ever produced.

Knighted in 1985, with one boat and 20 species (both living and extinct) named in his honor, Attenborough has won multiple Emmys and Peabodys over his eight-decade career. He's got so many BAFTAs there's one for TV shows produced in every format from Black and White to 4K. At the age of 96, Attenborough is about to release the 137th series that he has produced, written, narrated (or combined the three) since he first started with the BBC in 1951. Frozen Planet II, the follow-up to Frozen Planet, is not technically part of the Planet Earth series; however, it is considered a sequel of sorts.

When the 13-part Life on Earth premiered in 1979, it was a groundbreaking series that established Attenborough as the leading authoritative voice on television on the evolution of our planet. He followed it up with 1984's The Living Planet and 1990s The Trials of Life to round out the original series. Unfortunately, none of them are available to stream on regular sources (though they are available via free documentary sites, as are most of his Life series). With Frozen Planet II arriving in a few weeks on the BBC, followed by Planet Earth III as part of the BBC's centenary celebrations, now is the perfect time to dive into the world of Attenborough's best nature documentaries. Here's a rundown of what to check out.