Celebrity birthdays for the week of March 15
March 9: Actor Joyce Van Patten is 91. Actor Trish Van Devere is 84. Singer John Cale (The Velvet Underground) is 83. Singer Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere and the Raiders is 83. TV anchor Charles Gibson is 82. Guitarist Robin Trower (Procol Harum) is 80. Guitarist Jimmie Fadden of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is 77. Singer Jeffrey Osborne is 77. Actor Linda Fiorentino ('Men In Black') is 67. Actor Tom Amandes ('Eli Stone,' ″Parenthood') is 66. Guitarist Rusty Hendrix of Confederate Railroad is 65. Actor Juliette Binoche ('Chocolat,' ″The English Patient') is 61. Bassist Robert Sledge of Ben Folds Five is 57. Drummer Shannon Leto of 30 Seconds To Mars is 55. Actor Emmanuel Lewis ('Webster') is 54. Actor Jean Louisa Kelly ('Yes, Dear,' ″Mr. Holland's Opus') is 53. Actor Kerr Smith ('Life Unexpected,' ″Dawson's Creek') is 53. Actor Oscar Isaac ('Star Wars: The Force Awakens') is 46. Comedian Jordan Klepper ('The Daily Show') is 46. Rapper Chingy is 45. Actor Matthew Gray Gubler ('Criminal Minds') is 45. Guitarist Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory is 44. Keyboardist Ben Tanner of Alabama Shakes is 42. Actor Brittany Snow ('American Dreams,' ″Hairspray') is 39. Rapper Bow Wow is 38. Rapper YG is 35. Actor Luis Armand Garcia ('George Lopez') is 33. Actor Cierra Ramirez ('The Fosters') is 30.
March 10: Bluegrass musician Norman Blake is 87. Actor Chuck Norris is 85. Singer Dean Torrence of Jan and Dean is 85. Actor Katharine Houghton ('Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?') is 83. Actor Richard Gant is 81. Guitarist Tom Scholz of Boston is 78. TV personality/businesswoman Barbara Corcoran ('Shark Tank') is 76. Actor Aloma Wright ('Scrubs') is 75. Singer-guitarist Gary Louris of The Jayhawks is 70. Actor Shannon Tweed is 68. Actor Sharon Stone is 67. Bassist Gail Greenwood of L7 (and of Belly) is 65. Magician Lance Burton is 65. Actor Jasmine Guy is 63. Bassist Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam is 62. Music producer Rick Rubin is 62. Singer Edie Brickell is 59. Actor Stephen Mailer ('Reversal of Fortune') is 59. Actor Philip Anthony-Rodriguez ('Grimm') is 57. Actor Paget ('Criminal Minds') is 56. Actor Jon Hamm ('Mad Men') is 54. Rapper-producer Timbaland is 53. Actor Cristian de la Fuente is 51. Guitarist Jerry Horton of Papa Roach is 50. Actor Jeff Branson ('The Young and the Restless') is 48. Singer Robin Thicke is 48. Actor Bree Turner ('Grimm') is 48. Singer Michael Barnes of Red is 46. Actor Edi Gathegi ('Twilight' films) is 46. Actor Thomas Middleditch ('Silicon Valley') is 43. Singer Carrie Underwood is 42. Actor Olivia Wilde is 41. Singer Emeli Sande is 38. Country singer Rachel Reinert is 36. Keyboardist Jared Hampton of LANCO is 34. Actor Emily Osment ('Hannah Montana') is 33.
March 11: TV journalist Sam Donaldson is 91. Accordionist Flaco Jimenez of Texas Tornadoes is 86. Actor Tricia O'Neil ('Genghis Khan') is 80. Actor Mark Metcalf ('Buffy the Vampire Slayer,' 'Animal House') is 79. Singer Mark Stein of Vanilla Fudge is 78. Singer Bobby McFerrin is 75. Movie director Jerry Zucker ('Airplane!' ″Ghost') is 75. Singer Cheryl Lynn is 74. Actor Susan Richardson ('Eight Is Enough') is 73. Recording executive Jimmy Iovine ('American Idol') is 72. Country singer Jimmy Fortune of The Statler Brothers is 70. Singer Nina Hagen is 70. Actor Elias Koteas ('Chicago P.D.') is 64. Actor Peter Berg ('Chicago Hope') is 63. Actor Jeffrey Nordling ('Desperate Housewives') is 63. Actor Alex Kingston ('ER') is 62. Actor Wallace Langham ('CSI') is 60. Actor John Barrowman ('Arrow') is 58. Singer Lisa Loeb is 57. Keyboardist Al Gamble of St. Paul and the Broken Bones is 56. Singer Pete Droge is 56. Actor Terrence Howard ('Empire') is 56. Keyboardist Rami Jaffee of Foo Fighters (and of The Wallflowers) is 56. Actor Johnny Knoxville is 54. Musicians Joel and Benji Madden of Good Charlotte are 46. Actor David Anders ('iZombie,' ″The Vampire Diaries') is 43. Singer LeToya Luckett (Destiny's Child) is 43. Actor Thora Birch ('Ghost World,' ″American Beauty') is 43. TV personality Melissa Rycroft is 42. Actor Rob Brown ('Blindspot,''Treme') is 41. Actor Jodie Comer ('Killing Eve') is 32.
March 12: Actor Barbara Feldon ('Get Smart') is 92. Actor-singer Liza Minnelli is 79. Singer-songwriter James Taylor is 77. Singer Bill Payne of Little Feat is 76. Actor Jon Provost (TV: 'Lassie') is 75. Bassist Steve Harris of Iron Maiden is 69. Actor Lesley Manville ('Phantom Thread') is 69. Singer Marlon Jackson of The Jackson Five is 68. Actor Jerry Levine ('Teen Wolf,' 'Will and Grace') is 68. Actor Jason Beghe ('Chicago P.D.') is 66. Actor Courtney B. Vance is 65. Actor Titus Welliver ('Deadwood') is 63. Actor Julia Campbell ('Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion') is 62. Actor Jake Weber (TV's 'Medium,' film's 'Dawn of the Dead') is 62. Actor Aaron Eckhart ('The Dark Knight') is 57. Guitarist Graham Coxon of Blur is 56. Drummer Tommy Bales of Flynnville Train is 52. Actor Rhys Coiro ('Hostages,' 'Entourage') is 46. Country singer Holly Williams is 44. Actor Samm Levine ('Freaks and Geeks') is 43. Actor Jaimie Alexander (TV's 'Blindspot') is 41. Actor Tyler Patrick Jones ('Ghost Whisperer') is 31. Actor Kendall Applegate ('Desperate Housewives') is 26.
March 13: Songwriter Mike Stoller is 92. Singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka is 86. Singer Candi Staton is 85. Actor William H. Macy is 75. Comedian Robin Duke is 71. Actor Dana Delany ('Body of Proof' ″China Beach') is 69. Bassist Adam Clayton of U2 is 65. Jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard is 63. Actor Christopher Collet ('The Manhattan Project') is 57. Drummer Matt McDonough of Mudvayne is 56. Actor Annabeth Gish ('The West Wing,' ″The X-Files') is 54. Actor Tracy Wells ('Mr. Belvedere') is 54. Rapper Common is 53. Rapper Khujo of Goodie Mob is 53. Singer Glenn Lewis is 50. Actor Danny Masterson ('That '70s Show') is 49. Musicians Natalie and Nicole Albino of Nina Sky are 41. Actor Noel Fisher ('Shameless') is 41. Actor Emile Hirsch ('Into the Wild') is 40.
March 14: Actor Michael Caine is 92. Country singer Michael Martin Murphey is 80. Former Chicago sax player Walt Parazaider is 80. Actor Steve Kanaly ('Dallas') is 79. Comedian Billy Crystal is 77. TV and radio personality Rick Dees is 74. Country singer Jann Browne is 71. Actor Adrian Zmed is 71. Actor Tamara Tunie ('Law and Order: SVU') is 66. Actor Elise Neal ('All of Us') is 59. Actor Gary Anthony Williams ('Boston Legal,' ″Malcolm in the Middle') is 59. Actor Megan Follows ('Reign') is 57. Drummer Michael Bland of Soul Asylum is 56. Singer Kristian Bush of Sugarland is 55. Actor Betsy Brandt ('Breaking Bad') is 52. Actor Grace Park ('Hawaii Five-0,' ″Battlestar Galactica') is 51. Actor Daniel Gillies ('The Originals,' ″Vampire Diaries') is 49. Actor Corey Stoll ('House of Cards' ″The Bourne Legacy') is 49. Actor Chris Klein is 48. Actor Ryan Cartwright ('Kevin Can Wait') is 44. Actor Kate Maberly ('Finding Neverland') is 43. Singer-keyboardist Taylor Hanson of Hanson is 42. Actor Jamie Bell ('Billy Elliot') is 39. Bassist Este Haim of Haim is 39. Actor Ansel Elgort ('Insurgent,' 'The Fault in Our Stars') is 31.
March 15: Actor Judd Hirsch is 90. Jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd is 87. Singer Mike Love of the Beach Boys is 84. Singer-keyboardist Sly Stone of Sly and the Family Stone is 82. Guitarist Howard Scott (War) is 79. Rock guitarist Ry Cooder is 78. Actor Frances Conroy ('American Horror Story,' ″Six Feet Under') is 72. Actor Craig Wasson ('Body Double') is 71. Singer Dee Snider of Twisted Sister is 70. Actor Joaquim de Almeida (film's 'Clear and Present Danger,' TV's '24') is 68. Actor Park Overall ('Empty Nest') is 68. Model Fabio is 64. Singer Sananda Maitreya (Terence Trent D'Arby) is 63. Singer Bret Michaels of Poison is 62. Singer Rockwell is 61. Actor Chris Bruno ('The Fosters') is 59. Actor Kim Raver ('Grey's Anatomy') is 58. Singer Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray is 57. Bassist Mark Hoppus of Blink 182 and of Plus-44 is 53. Singer-guitarist Matt Thomas of Parmalee is 51. Actor Eva Longoria ('Desperate Housewives') is 50. Musician will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas is 50. DJ Joseph Hahn of Linkin Park is 48. Rapper Young Buck is 44. Bassist Ethan Mentzer of The Click Five is 43. Actor Kellan Lutz ('The Legend of Hercules,' 'Twilight' films) is 40. Actor Caitlin Wachs (WAKS) ('Profiler') is 36.
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BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
Parenthood - Everything you need to know about the new wildlife series
Sir David Attenborough returns to narrate Parenthood - A groundbreaking wildlife series on nature's ultimate challenge. From the world-class natural history storytelling company Silverback Films comes Parenthood, a breathtaking new series exploring the universal struggle to raise the next generation. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough and lyrics co-written and performed by Sam Ryder, this six-part series captures the extraordinary lengths animals go to ensure the survival of their young. Filmed over three years across six continents and 23 countries, Parenthood showcases astonishing, never-before-seen animal behaviours in stunning 6K ultra high definition. From the remote jungles of Bhutan to the grasslands of Botswana, each episode reveals the unique - and often surprisingly familiar - challenges faced by animal parents around the world. The stakes couldn't be higher - success for all parents ensures the future of life on our planet. Packed with never seen before behaviours filmed in 6k ultra high definition with music scored by Tom Howe (Ted Lasso, Mulan), Parenthood is the definitive wildlife series on life's greatest challenge. Watch Parenthood from Sunday 3 August on BBC One. All episodes will be available on BBC iPlayer AJ2 The series in numbers Total number of countries filmed in: 23 Total number of filming days: 1,427 Total number of shoots: 58 Rarest animals filmed: Iberian Lynx, Spain Interview with Series Producer and Director Jeff Wilson What sets this series apart from other natural history programmes? Parenthood tells the previously untold stories behind the struggles and triumphs that animal parents have to endure in order to sustain life on Earth. There have been countless programmes on the animal babies, and whilst full of adorable animals, they have missed the fact that the majority of the narrative in raising young lies with the parents - the choices they make around the environment they bring their young into, the home they create, the relentless need to provide food, the constant protection from threats, the life experiences that their offspring need to be exposed to before they can become truly independent - all of these are mini-dramas in their own right. Why is it important to showcase these behaviours? Many of these very intimate behaviours are very difficult to film. When you see the behaviours come to life on screen, I think it gives you a new appreciation of the investment and commitment of many parents, and my hope is, it gives our audience common ground with some of these extraordinary animals. Do you think there's lessons we can learn from the animal world? Absolutely - the level of commitment required to raise young, that no individual's needs are the same, that the benefit of a good home, food and teaching are all part of raising successful offspring. In a world that is changing all around us in ways that none of us can predict, we can learn how to deal with uncertainty - because in the natural world, nothing is certain, and animal parents are still incredibly successful. How do you maintain a balance between concern for the natural world and wide-eyed wonder? As documentary film makers, we are emotionally involved in our subjects - who wouldn't be given the extraordinary amounts of time we spend documenting their world? The dramas we observe happen whether we are there or not, and they are not ours to affect or influence. The animals are far more interesting, beautiful and wonder filled than anything our imaginations could come up with. I hope that we bring that wonder to our audiences too! Do you have any favourite moments in the series or unique wildlife encounters in the series? For sheer parental commitment, and for the fact that the full story has never been filmed for a documentary before, my personal favourite must be the story of the African social spider - a mother spider who not only raises 50 offspring alongside her sisters but eventually sacrifices her own body to feed her growing young in an act called matriphagy. Less gruesome, yet equally fascinating, is the eight-year commitment to child rearing that a mother orangutan undergoes, along the way showing her young the huge range of foods on offer, as well as how to make his own bed. New technologies allowed us to follow the nightly battle mother hippos endure to keep their young alive as they search for fresh grass in the Tanzanian bush, only to be stalked by prides of lions. What do you personally hope viewers will take away from this series? Aside from the marvel at seeing new behaviours and engaging dramas, as a parent myself, I hope our audience recognise the universal story of parenthood, and that wild animals and humans, have more in common than you might think. By recognising our similarities, we can find an empathy and perhaps even a solution to creating a better world for all of our young. Episode One – The Greatest Adventure Parenthood is a journey like no other - full of risk and reward. Every habitat has a unique set of challenges and every parent has a unique strategy to overcome them. The stakes, however, couldn't be higher. Success, for all parents, ensures the future of life on our planet. Finding a suitable home is the first challenge. In the Kalahari, lion mothers survive by raising one another's cubs in times of need - only these mothers have the added risk of having to teach their cubs to also become giant hunters. Elsewhere, in Texas, a pair of burrowing owls provide an underground nest for their chicks, giving their chicks protection whilst they work around the clock to supply food. Food is vital to all parents' success - but a mother hippo in Tanzania has to leave the safety of her pool every night to find grass for her and her calf, running a gauntlet of hungry lions hidden in the dark with her newborn calf. Some parents take providing to extremes. In a sequence never seen in a documentary before, an African social spider regurgitates a 'milk' made from dissolved body parts to feed her young. Once her spiderlings need something more substantial, however, she offers herself - and her spiderlings eat her alive. It is the ultimate parental sacrifice. Animal parents are having to adapt to a world that is changing rapidly, and the recovery of the Iberian Lynx in southern Spain is a remarkable success story - showing how humans can help animal parents thrive in the face of enormous challenges. Filming locations and species: Lions: Kalahari Desert, Botswana Burrowing owls: Phoenix, Arizona, USA Hippos: Ruaha National Park, Tanzania The African social spider: Tsumeb, Namibia Iberian Lynx: Andalusia, Southern Spain Boxer Crabs: Indonesia and specialist filming tank Filming feats: The African social spider: The first time the full story of Matriphagy in African Social Spiders (where offspring consume their mother - these female spiders are known to vibrate their nests to trigger this process) has been captured in high resolution for a documentary. Burrowing owls: The intimate vocalisations between chicks and their parents inside the den was uniquely recorded by our cameras and supplied to scientists for further research. Hippos: We designed new ways of using Infra-Red technology inside gyro stabilised housing to allow to drive alongside the mother hippos as they journeyed with their calves through the dark. This technological breakthrough gave us unique behavioural footage. Episode Two - Oceans Parenting in the oceans is extremely rare. Most marine animals avoid it altogether, leaving their young to survive on their own. However, those animals that do take on the challenge have some of the most remarkable parenting strategies on Earth. In coral reefs, where space is limited, creatures must be creative to find homes for their young. In Indonesia, a dedicated banggai cardinalfish father overcomes this problem by raising his young inside his mouth, while remarkable dolphin mothers in the Red Sea use the reef to teach their calves games, and then, as they grow, to use the reef to self-medicate. In colder oceans, seaweed serves as the perfect nurseries. The masterful camouflage of the weedy sea dragon in Australia helps a father keep his eggs safe, while the extraordinary skeleton shrimp has to piggyback her young amongst the currents whilst searching for food. A resourceful otter mother in Scotland must find enough fish amongst the seaweed to keep her three kits safe but to do so she leaves them alone for hours at a time, with near- disastrous consequences. Some marine parents use intelligence to adapt. Killer whale mothers in Australia teach their pod to hunt blue whales, a cultural lesson passed down through the generations and key to their future success. Nearby an octopus mother transforms a discarded plastic pipe into a home for her eggs, which she guards relentlessly until they are independent. In South Africa, Cape gannet parents fly hundreds of miles to find food for their growing chick. Yet despite this remarkable parental dedication, their fledglings face great challenges. Their first flight involves dodging hungry fur seals, which now prey on gannet chicks due to depleted fish stocks. Across our planet, humans must play a vital role if ocean parents are to continue to thrive. Filming locations and species: Banggai cardinalfish: Bone Baru, Banggai Indonesia and specialist filming tank Dolphins: The Red Sea, Egypt Common Seadragon or Weedy Seadragon: Melbourne, Australia Skeleton shrimp: Melbourne, Australia and specialist filming tank Killer whales: Bremer, West Australia Octopus: Melbourne, Australia Cape Gannets: Cape Town, South Africa Fur Seals: Cape Town, South Africa Filming feats: Killer whales: The 'practice hunting' behaviour appears to show members of an orca family submerging the head of one individual to prevent it from breathing - the technique used by killer whales to hunt large whales. This practice hunting behaviour has never been filmed before. Episode Three – Grasslands In the open grasslands of our planet, parents must constantly balance risk and reward when raising the next generation. While abundant grass promises plentiful food and places for a family to call home, the exposed landscape brings competition and predators. In England, an ingenious potter wasp takes full advantage of the grassland's bounty; expertly building a clay cradle and stuffing it full of caterpillars for offspring she will never meet. In Kenya's Masai Mara, a cheetah mother uses the open stage to show her cubs the hunting skills they will need as adults. Essential when she needs help tackling a wildebeest calf. But for others, the balance is harder to achieve. In the open plains of the Lower Zambezi, a thirty-strong wild dog pack has all the odds in their favour. But the parents must instil discipline in their inexperienced pups or risk them ruining the hunt. In India, langur mothers must learn to first be good babysitters before taking on the parental role - and for some it doesn't come easy! A changing planet is continually shifting the balance between risk and reward, forcing parents across grasslands to make new and difficult choices. In the Kalahari, sociable weaver birds make the largest nests in the world, shielding their colony from the sun's heat. But an unbearable heatwave causes social order to break down as disgruntled neighbours begin to evict chicks. In Patagonia, a guanaco mother must join thousands of others in trying to reach winter feeding grounds, only to be faced by mile upon mile of fencing. The challenges for animal parents are becoming more intense, but simple solutions from humans can ultimately determine the future and stability of life on our grasslands. Filming locations and species: Potter wasp: Devon, UK Cheetah: Masai Mara, Kenya African wild dogs: Lower Zambezi, Zambia Langur monkey: Jodphur, India Sociable weaver: Benfontein, South Africa San Joaquin Kit foxes: Panoche Valley, California Demoiselle Cranes: Tingtibi, Bhutan Guanaco: Patagonia Santa Cruz, Argentina Filming feats: San Joaquin Kit foxes: The first time San Joaquin Kit foxes have been filmed being predated by Coyotes before - this was done using specialised military Infra-Red technology that allowed the crew to see the drama unfold in the pitch black. Demoiselle Cranes: The first filming of Demoiselle Cranes defending their chicks from livestock encroachment - a consequence of human-wildlife conflict and resource sharing. Sociable weavers: The first time Sociable weavers have been filmed exhibiting infanticide. Episode Four – Freshwater All life needs water to live. Yet water itself is not constantly available, and animal parents must relentlessly adapt to this challenge. Dedication, perseverance and sheer bravery are key to success in the Freshwater world. In the Brazilian Amazon, thousands of turtle parents must predict the timings of the seasonal rains before laying their eggs. If they get it wrong, their hatchlings will drown underground, but if they get it right, it is the beginning of one of Earth's greatest spectacles as thousands of baby turtles follow their mothers calls into the water. In Namibia, waterholes provide a reliable resource for a desert-dwelling Namaqua sandgrouse father. But he must pick his moment wisely when collecting water for his chicks. One second out, and he will end up in the claws of a raptor. Some animal parents try to use the power of water to their advantage. In a Caribbean river, a tri tri goby harnesses the currents to oxygenate his eggs. But before they can even be laid, a once-in-a-lifetime storm sweeps him and everything he's built downstream. He must climb one thousand feet of waterfalls to get another chance at parenthood. In the swamplands of Florida, a clever swamp canary parent uses the power of snacks to entice its young hatchlings from the jaws of danger, with only moments to spare. For some, the search for water can feel never ending. In drought-ridden Kenya, an elephant matriarch and her family must share the remaining water with humans until finally the rains come. When they do, the power of water threatens to turn deadly. As the climate shifts, freshwater is becoming harder to predict. Humans and wildlife are adapting to changing freshwater patterns, but we can choose to give the next generation a future with more reliable freshwater. Filming locations and species: Turtles: Guapore, Brazil Namaqua sandgrouse: Damaraland, Namibia Tri Tri Goby fish: Trafalgar, Dominica Swamp canary: Lake Marion, South Carolina Pheasant-Tailed Jacana: Khon Kaen, Thailand Elephants: Samburu, Kenya Filming feats: Tri Tri Goby fish: First time a Tri Tri Goby fish has been filmed transferring rocks to build a nest tunnel for his young. Swamp canary: This species has never been filmed for broadcast and the first-time chicks fledging into water and being coaxed up the tree trunk by it's parent has been filmed for a documentary. Pheasant-Tailed Jacana: This species has not been filmed before, and its egg rolling and the consequences of caterpillar infestation on its breeding sites has not been documented before. Episode Five – Jungles Raising young in the complex world of jungles takes ingenuity. Parents must become masters of their environment, learning to exploit all opportunities if they are to secure the future of the next generation. In remote Bhutan a pair of rufous necked hornbills have a lifelong partnership built on trust and dedication - the mother is imprisoned for a hundred days inside a tree, relying on her male to support his family. Meanwhile, in Sri Lanka, a plucky pug-nosed frog shares his home with a huge venomous tarantula. This unlikely duo makes a great team - the tarantula acts as a live in bodyguard, and the diminutive frog stays home to keep their shared home clean. In Jamaica, an ingenious crab mother works tirelessly to raise her brood of minuscule crablets. With scientific precision, she uses what is available in the forest to create the perfect conditions for her nursery pool. Elsewhere some jungle parents need space to roam - and some are forced to adapt when their habitat changes around them. 'Crinkle', a cassowary father in Australia, navigates his chicks through new dangers in the oldest rainforest in the world. In the Amazon, forest fires force a tapir mother to seek a new territory where she can find vital life-giving minerals, and in China white-headed langurs cling on at the edge of existence. Their limestone pinnacles are surrounded by farmland, and they need to fight for what's left to ensure a safe place for their young. Remarkably, in all of our jungles, new science shows ancient 'mother trees' providing not only for their own offspring, but also for countless other rainforest families, from the tops of the canopy right down into the leaf litter. Their influence may be the key to all of our survival. Filming locations and species: Rufous necked hornbill: Zhemgang region, Bhutan Pug-nosed frog: Kitulgala, Sri Lanka Fringed ornamental Tiger Spider: Kitulgala Sri Lanka Bromeliad Crab: Montego Bay, Jamaica Cassowary: Daintree, Queensland, Australia Tapir: Cristalino, Brazil White-headed langur: Guangxi Province, China Orangutan: Gunung Palung National Park, Indonesia Filming feats: Rufous necked hornbill: The first time a Rufous necked hornbill chick rearing in a nest has been filmed for a documentary. Tapir: This is the first time the nighttime behaviours around clay licks have been filmed using thermal imaging. New Technology For the Hippos in episode one, the team incorporated a military grade Infra-Red camera into gyro-stabilised housing to allow to drive alongside the mother hippos as they took their calves on a nightly journey though the dark, dense bush to find fresh grass. Trailing them were lion prides who preyed on the fact the mothers and their young were away from water. This was a big breakthrough as the team would never have captured this without the ability to see in the dark and move the camera at the same time. Specialised underwater gimbals and tow cameras were used to bring cameras alongside hunting orcas underwater - this technology allowed the crew to travel at the same speed as the Orca hunting pack and provided new insights into their behaviour. Specialised IR cameras were used in Arizona to capture new behaviours with the endangered San Joaquin Kit Fox as well as in the remote Brazilian Amazon to capture feeding behaviours of Tapir's at secret clay licks in the forest. A specialised camera buggy was used to enter into a secret barn in Spain where multiple generations of endangered Iberian Lynx were known to breed and raise their young. This non-intrusive way of filming gave the team unique insights into their family behaviours that would otherwise have been impossible. Series Credits Parenthood (5x60) for BBC One and iPlayer was commissioned by Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual and it is being produced by multiple BAFTA and Emmy Award winning Silverback Films. The Series Producer and Director is Jeff Wilson, the Executive Producer is Keith Scholey and the Line Producer is Tara Knowles. The BBC Commissioning Editor is Sreya Biswas, Head of Natural History. Music Information The score is composed by Tom Howe (Ted Lasso, Mulan) with 'Go Steady' song co-written with Sam Ryder and Max Wolfgang and performed by Sam Ryder. Follow for more
Metro
9 hours ago
- Metro
Prepare to cry over newborn gorilla in David Attenborough's new BBC series
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video As the old saying goes that nothing is certain in life but death and taxes, I think it's fair to add that Sir David Attenborough narrating a heartfelt moment between a gorilla and her newborn baby is sure to bring a tear to your eye. Our favourite natural historian is back again on our screens as a new five-part BBC series called Parenthood is set to come out next month. The 99-year-old has continued to delight fans in the UK and across the world with his fascination for the weird and wonderful. This latest docu-series will explore the trials and tribulations of parenting within the animal kingdom. It will also highlight how it can be a 'high-stakes game in which some animal parents must come up with extraordinary strategies to give their young a head start'. Filmed over three years and across six continents, and narrated by Sir David, fans have been offered a sneak peek at the series. The clip, which shows a female western lowland gorilla and her newborn baby, is adorable from start to finish. Just moments old, the baby sleeps on his mother's chest surrounded by plants and trees in the jungle. Narrating, David says: 'Her journey will be challenging, full of excitement, uncertainty and complete commitment. 'There will be mistakes. There always are. But success for her and indeed for all parents has perhaps the greatest of consequences. It ensures the future of life on our planet'. Parenthood is set to air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, beginning on August 3 at 7.20pm. It promises to show viewers never-before-seen animal behaviours while delivering a 'universal message about preserving the natural world.' Speaking to The Mirror, BBC head of specialist factual commissioning, Jack Bootle, described Parenthood as 'wonderful, warm, engaging, and surprising'. He said that it is 'made by some of the very best wildlife filmmakers in the world,' adding: 'I'm thrilled Sir David is joining us again to narrate it.' Director Jeff Wilson added that the whole team is 'incredibly proud' that Sir David was involved in the series. 'Silverback Films did a deep dive into the subject over 2.5 years, uncovering extraordinary new behaviours and jaw-dropping dramas using the world's best wildlife cinematographers and directors,' he explained/ 'We are incredibly proud that Sir David was on board with us to bring to the screen a landmark series that has something for everyone – moments of heart-warming tenderness, high stakes narrative, and a timely guide from a huge cast of unbelievably engaging cast of characters on how to navigate the complex world of Parenthood.' More Trending This comes after David's latest documentary, Ocean, coincided with the broadcaster and biologist's 99th birthday. The Blue Planet creator explored 'the untold story of the ocean', and how we can make a huge difference in its preservation. Speaking about the series to Metro, Planet Earth III executive producer Mike Gunton hailed the 'unbridled curiosity' that the documentary exhibits, adding that 'he's still absorbing science, absorbing knowledge'. View More » Parenthood begins on August 3 at 7.20pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: MasterChef 'begins casting process' after Gregg Wallace and John Torode are axed MORE: England Euro 2025 hero second favourite to win Sports Personality of the Year MORE: Alex Jones had 'no idea' about misconduct complaints made against Jermaine Jenas
The Guardian
9 hours ago
- The Guardian
Mother-eating spiders ‘will chill parents to the bone' in new David Attenborough series
It is a scene that will make every parent shudder and fuel the generation wars debate. David Attenborough's new series, Parenthood, features sinister behaviour that has not been captured by TV cameras before of a 1,000-strong pack of young African social spiders hunting prey in a game of 'grandmother's footsteps' during which they freeze in unison like musical statues then eat all their mothers and elderly relatives alive. Attenborough was both 'delighted and horrified' by the groundbreaking footage when he narrated it, according to the series producer and director, Jeff Wilson. Wilson, who has worked with the broadcaster for years, said he had 'never heard Sir David deliver a sequence as good as that … it sort of brings a lump to your throat … he's the master at delivery'. The combination of Attenborough's words, atmospheric music by the Mulan and Ted Lasso composer Tom Howe (which 'adds to the whole horror') and painstaking filming to capture the spiders in their nest, is 'probably one of the best' sequences Wilson said he had worked on in 30 years of film-making, but will also chill parents 'to the bone'. He joked: 'There will not be a parent of the land who won't turn up to school pickup without snacks ever again!' The spiderling matricide scene is likely to spark debate among parents about the sacrifices they make for their offspring; scientists think the ageing mother spiders deliberately make similar vibrations to those of insects caught in a web so their children prey on their decaying bodies to ensure the youngsters' survival. The footage may also become a breakout moment in the way Planet Earth II's 'iguana v snakes' did and provoke discussion about the generation wars: the spiderlings eating all their elderly relatives so only the younger generation remains in the nest is a situation that some millennials keen to get on the property ladder may take note of. Wilson said: 'It makes one feel quite sort of chilled to the bone that you know that your own young could do that. It's an extraordinary behaviour [but] when you step away from it and from the horror of it, it sort of makes sense.' Filmed over three years on six continents in conjunction with scientists, the five-part Parenthood is the first BBC natural history series about parenting and also looks at how animals are adapting to ensure their children can survive in the face of climate breakdown. That affected the producer Silverback Films' shooting plans. 'Some of the things that we set out to film were extremely difficult to pin down, simply because the climate is changing around all of our locations and the behaviours that you would normally expect at certain times of year are changing,' Wilson said. The 'fieldcraft' skill required by Silverback's camera crews was immense due to the 'intimate, delicate relationship between parent and offspring', which meant ensuring the animals were not disturbed. New methods of filming were used – such as military-grade, infrared cameras mounted on gimbals on off-road vehicles – to enable filming of hippos being chased by lions at night. Wilson thinks such fieldcraft means artificial intelligence will never replicate the 'serendipity' of natural history TV: 'There are things that happen in the natural world, whatever behaviour you're going to film, that outweigh any scripting process or anything that one could design, you know, through AI or through a computer. 'There is more magic out there than anybody understands or even believes in. As a good film-maker, you have to build time in for that magic to be part of your narrative.' Parenthood starts on Sunday 3 August at 7.20pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
