Alastair Fothergill
Encyclopedia
Alastair Fothergill is a producer of nature documentaries
for television and cinema. He is the executive producer of the multi-award winning series The Blue Planet
(2001) and Planet Earth
(2006) and the co-director of the associated feature films Deep Blue and Earth
.
Fothergill attended Harrow
. He studied zoology
at St Cuthbert's Society
in the University of Durham and made his first film, On the Okavango, while still a student. Fothergill joined the BBC Natural History Unit
in 1983, working on The Really Wild Show
, Wildlife on One
and David Attenborough
's The Trials of Life
. He was appointed head of the Unit in 1992, and during his tenure he produced Attenborough's award-winning series Life in the Freezer
.
In June 1998, he stood down as head of the Unit to concentrate on his work on The Blue Planet. He has also presented several television programmes, including The Abyss and is the author of three books.
He was awarded the "Clean Energy Award" by BMW during the Cinema for Peace
award ceremony on 11 February 2008.
In 2008, he signed a multi-picture deal with newly formed Disneynature
, and now spends six months each year on sabbatical from the BBC developing feature documentaries as an independent producer. The first two titles under the Disneynature deal will be Big Cats and Chimpanzee, which he is co-directing with Keith Scholey and Mark Linfield respectively. He is also producing a new seven-part natural history
series for the BBC called Frozen Planet, due for completion in 2011. The series will feature the struggles of charismatic animals during a time of rapid climate change
in the polar regions. David Attenborough will again narrate. Fothergill currently lives in Bristol with his wife Melinda and his two sons, Hamish and William.
Nature documentary
A natural history film or wildlife film is a documentary film about animals, plants, or other non-human living creatures, usually concentrating on film taken in their natural habitat...
for television and cinema. He is the executive producer of the multi-award winning series The Blue Planet
The Blue Planet
The Blue Planet is a BBC nature documentary series narrated by David Attenborough, first transmitted in the UK from 12 September 2001.Described as "the first ever comprehensive series on the natural history of the world's oceans", each of the eight 50-minute episodes examines a different aspect of...
(2001) and Planet Earth
Planet Earth (TV series)
Planet Earth is a 2006 television series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit. Five years in the making, it was the most expensive nature documentary series ever commissioned by the BBC, and also the first to be filmed in high definition...
(2006) and the co-director of the associated feature films Deep Blue and Earth
Earth (2007 film)
Earth is a 2007 nature documentary film which depicts the diversity of wild habitats and creatures across the planet. The film begins in the Arctic in January of one year and moves south, finishing in Antarctica in the December of the same year...
.
Fothergill attended Harrow
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
. He studied zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
at St Cuthbert's Society
St Cuthbert's Society
St Cuthbert's Society, colloquially known as Cuth's, is one of sixteen collegiate bodies within the University of Durham. It was founded in 1888 for students who were not attached to the existing colleges...
in the University of Durham and made his first film, On the Okavango, while still a student. Fothergill joined the BBC Natural History Unit
BBC Natural History Unit
The BBC Natural History Unit is a department of the BBC dedicated to making television and radio programmes with a natural history or wildlife theme, especially nature documentaries...
in 1983, working on The Really Wild Show
The Really Wild Show
The Really Wild Show was a long-running British television show about wildlife, broadcast by the BBC as part of their CBBC service to children. It also runs on Animal Planet in the USA.The show was broadcast continuously since January 21, 1986...
, Wildlife on One
Wildlife on One
Wildlife on One was the BBC's flagship natural history programme, first broadcast in 1977. Each programme ran for half an hour. The narrator was Sir David Attenborough. When repeated on BBC2, the programmes were retitled Wildlife on Two. The programme was terminated in 2005.The 2003 season...
and David Attenborough
David Attenborough
Sir David Frederick Attenborough OM, CH, CVO, CBE, FRS, FZS, FSA is a British broadcaster and naturalist. His career as the face and voice of natural history programmes has endured for more than 50 years...
's The Trials of Life
The Trials of Life
The Trials of Life: A Natural History of Behaviour is a BBC nature documentary series written and presented by David Attenborough, first transmitted in the UK from 4 October 1990....
. He was appointed head of the Unit in 1992, and during his tenure he produced Attenborough's award-winning series Life in the Freezer
Life in the Freezer
Life in the Freezer is a BBC nature documentary series written and presented by David Attenborough, first transmitted in the UK from 18 November 1993....
.
In June 1998, he stood down as head of the Unit to concentrate on his work on The Blue Planet. He has also presented several television programmes, including The Abyss and is the author of three books.
He was awarded the "Clean Energy Award" by BMW during the Cinema for Peace
Cinema for Peace
The Cinema for Peace initiative aims to raise awareness for the social relevance of films and to make active use of the influence of movies and documentaries on the perception and resolution of global social, political and humanitarian challenges of our time...
award ceremony on 11 February 2008.
In 2008, he signed a multi-picture deal with newly formed Disneynature
Disneynature
Disneynature is an independent film label of The Walt Disney Company, founded on April 21, 2008 as a division of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group...
, and now spends six months each year on sabbatical from the BBC developing feature documentaries as an independent producer. The first two titles under the Disneynature deal will be Big Cats and Chimpanzee, which he is co-directing with Keith Scholey and Mark Linfield respectively. He is also producing a new seven-part natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
series for the BBC called Frozen Planet, due for completion in 2011. The series will feature the struggles of charismatic animals during a time of rapid climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
in the polar regions. David Attenborough will again narrate. Fothergill currently lives in Bristol with his wife Melinda and his two sons, Hamish and William.
Film and television credits
- Chimpanzee (2012) – writer and director (with Mark Linfield)
- African CatsAfrican CatsAfrican Cats is a nature documentary film directed by Keith Scholey and Alastair Fothergill about several lions and cheetahs trying to survive on the African savannah. The film is the fourth release by Disneynature, and was released in theaters on Earth Day, April 22, 2011. The film is narrated by...
(2011) – writer and director (with Keith Scholey) - Frozen Planet (2011) – executive producer
- EarthEarth (2007 film)Earth is a 2007 nature documentary film which depicts the diversity of wild habitats and creatures across the planet. The film begins in the Arctic in January of one year and moves south, finishing in Antarctica in the December of the same year...
(2007) – writer and director (with Mark Linfield) - Planet EarthPlanet Earth (TV series)Planet Earth is a 2006 television series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit. Five years in the making, it was the most expensive nature documentary series ever commissioned by the BBC, and also the first to be filmed in high definition...
(2006) – executive producer - Deep Blue (2003) – writer and director (with Andy Byatt)
- The Abyss – Live (2002–03) – presenter (with Michael deGruy, Kate HumbleKate HumbleKatherine 'Kate' Humble is an English television presenter, mainly for the BBC, specialising in wildlife and science programmes...
and Peter SnowPeter SnowPeter Snow, CBE is a British television and radio presenter. He is the grandson of First World War general Sir Thomas D'Oyly Snow, and cousin of Jon Snow, the main presenter of Channel 4 News, nephew of schoolmaster and bishop George D'Oyly Snow, and the brother-in-law of historian-writer Margaret...
) - Going Ape (2002) – presenter (with Saba Douglas-HamiltonSaba Douglas-HamiltonSaba Iassa Douglas-Hamilton is a Kenyan wildlife conservationist and television presenter.-Early life:Born on a farm near Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya, she is the daughter of zoologist, Iain Douglas-Hamilton and Oria Douglas-Hamilton née Rocco. Saba means "seven" in Swahili...
) - The Blue PlanetThe Blue PlanetThe Blue Planet is a BBC nature documentary series narrated by David Attenborough, first transmitted in the UK from 12 September 2001.Described as "the first ever comprehensive series on the natural history of the world's oceans", each of the eight 50-minute episodes examines a different aspect of...
(2001) – executive producer - Natural World, episode "South Georgia: An Island All Alone" (1998) – producer
- Life in the FreezerLife in the FreezerLife in the Freezer is a BBC nature documentary series written and presented by David Attenborough, first transmitted in the UK from 18 November 1993....
(1993) – producer - The Trials of LifeThe Trials of LifeThe Trials of Life: A Natural History of Behaviour is a BBC nature documentary series written and presented by David Attenborough, first transmitted in the UK from 4 October 1990....
(1990) – assistant producer - Wildlife on OneWildlife on OneWildlife on One was the BBC's flagship natural history programme, first broadcast in 1977. Each programme ran for half an hour. The narrator was Sir David Attenborough. When repeated on BBC2, the programmes were retitled Wildlife on Two. The programme was terminated in 2005.The 2003 season...
(1988–92) – producer - Reefwatch (1988) – associate producer
- Wild Britain (1987) – producer
- The Really Wild ShowThe Really Wild ShowThe Really Wild Show was a long-running British television show about wildlife, broadcast by the BBC as part of their CBBC service to children. It also runs on Animal Planet in the USA.The show was broadcast continuously since January 21, 1986...
(1986) – producer