First Life

From the fog-bound Newfoundland to the deserts of North Africa and the rainforests of Queensland, David Attenborough finds evidence in fossils and living animals from an extraordinary period in Earth’s history, half a billion years ago – when animals first appeared in the oceans.

Bringing together fossil finds that have transformed our understanding of early life forms with photo-realistic CGI technology, David Attenborough’s First Life brings these animals and their environments back to life in brilliant detail. The team worked with expert scientists to gather scientific data which was used to re-create the weird and wonderful creatures that existed during this early period of animal evolution in complete accuracy.

An accompanying behind the scenes film Attenborough’s Journey was filmed over the course of a year and is a remarkable portrait of the man behind the legend. It showcases the challenges he faced on a complicated shoot and how his expertise and experience enabled him to overcome them.