David Attenborough celebrates a milestone birthday — 3 of his best Netflix documentaries to stream now

Tom's Guide

08-05-2025

David Attenborough is something of a national icon here in the U.K. — in the same vein as the Beatles, James Bond and our late Queen.
Today also happens to be his 99th birthday, and with a new feature-length documentary about the ocean premiering in London this week, he's not slowing down. All this combines to making it the perfect opportunity to revisit some of the jaw-dropping documentary shows the legendary presenter has been involved in.
The naturalist's compelling narration has been a hallmark of some truly ground-breaking TV work over the last half-century. Sir David doesn't shy away from the challenges facing the climate but always maintains hope that the environmental concerns that underpin his recent documentaries lead to meaningful change.
Attenborough's documentaries aren't just educational, they're visually stunning productions often employing some of the most cutting-edge camera techniques. You can go from watching an eagle swoop across a vast grassland and polar bears sliding around on the Arctic ice to following a trail of fire ants across a jungle floor.
Forget your epic sci-fi movies or taut dark thrillers, if you really want to see what the best OLED TVs are capable of, fire up one of David Attenborough's stunning shows and sit back with a nice cup of tea.
While Attenborough is mostly known for his work with the BBC, the naturalist has collaborated with other streaming services like Netflix, Max and Apple TV Plus to bring his message to more viewers. To celebrate the fact he's entering his 100th year on planet earth, I've picked out the three best Attenborough shows on Netflix specifically you should stream right now.
The obvious starting point for anyone with a Netflix subscription and a passing interest in the natural world, Our Planet is a must-watch. Attenborough acts as narrator across this eight-episode series that spans the globe from jungles and deserts to grasslands and coral reefs.
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The first season debuted in 2019 with a second arriving in 2023. The incredible close-ups of animals in their natural habitat is a marvel of filmmaking and, of course, the show reveals the important threats posed by climate change. If you only watch one Attenborough show, make it this one.
Watch on Netflix
I think of David Attenborough shows in two parts, there's the mainline entries — like the Planet Earth or Our Planet series — and then these quirky offshoots that deep dive into a specific part of the natural world.
This limited series from Netflix uses innovative technology to examine how animals use color (or, as we say, colour) to survive and thrive in the wild. Attenborough is on board once more as a narrator and he'll explain in that grandfatherly tone how the animals use different hues to look for a mate, ward off predators or signal that they're ready for a fight.
Watch on Netflix
This one is more about the climate crisis than just looking at pretty pictures of our world's flora and fauna. It's a 75-minute feature that has Attenborough teaming up with scientist Johan Rockström to examine the science behind climate change.
The film examines things like environmental thresholds we can't afford to break if we want to keep global warming under control. It's a bleak watch in places, and doesn't shy away from the big changes humanity has to make. But it also doesn't just offer problems without solutions.
Using the latest science as its foundation, the film provides some suggestions on solutions we need to put in place to protect the planet and give not just animals, but humans as well, a fighting chance at a better future.
Watch on Netflix