Clarkson is less than impressed with the broadcaster in his latest series
Audiences and critics have largely sung the praises of the BBC’s latest Planet Earth series, but Jeremy Clarkson has a bone to pick with David Attenborough.
The first episodes of the nature documentary left viewers in tears over its urgent stories of nature in decline and the effects of climate change.
However, it seems Jeremy Clarkson is less than impressed with these narratives.
Writing in his latest column for The Sun, he has said he was ‘glued’ to the latest series, and had particular praise for the ‘stunning’ cinematography and visuals.
But he is rather less partial to Attenborough’s narration, decrying the focus on species that are at risk of extinction as a result of humans’ impact on the planet.
He said: “There used to be a time when Sir Attenborough would tell us all about the animal he’d found, where it lived. How it mated. How it built a house. How it caught food. It was fascinating.
“But now all we ever get is: ‘Here’s a see-through fish with an orange stomach, and it’s future is threatened by climate change.’
“And then it’s: ‘Here’s something with pointy teeth and soon it will be wiped out by global warming.’
“We know already. So please, in future, tell us about the animals, not the b****y weather.”
The documentary, narrated by 93-year-old Sir David, contains footage of the natural world gathered over five years across 43 countries.
When the first trailer was released for the series, some struggled to get through that, and many report the show itself is an equally difficult watch.
The first episode of the series is dedicated to the world’s coasts, including locations from Kent, South Africa, Mexico and Australia.
In a five-star review of the opening episode, the Guardian said the third installment of the groundbreaking nature documentary series “finds itself in a darker mood”.
Whilst the series has a “spectacular” scale and the usual level of “astonishing footage,” it will also “horrify” viewers, the publication says.
Meanwhile, The Times said in its four-star review that the episode was “magnificent, but a fast track to becoming really quite sad.”
On social media, viewers seemed to have a similar reaction, with some saying Planet Earth III had left them in tears.
One person wrote: “Oh my goodness… Planet Earth III is an absolute work of perfection. Hopeful, scary, sad, dramatic… and VITAL viewing.”
“David Attenborough and the whole team behind the show – take a bow.”
