Mike Gunton
Encyclopedia
Michael Gunton is a British television producer and a senior executive at the BBC Natural History Unit
, the world's largest production unit dedicated to wildlife film-making. In November 2009 he became the Unit's first Creative Director.
He is best known as the executive producer of Life, a nature documentary
series which revealed the adaptive survival strategies of animals around the world, and as the co-author (with Martha Holmes
) of the accompanying book. He is currently co-directing (with Holmes) a feature film version of Life, and is the executive producer of a major new BBC One
series on African wildlife, due for broadcast in 2012.
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...
, the world's largest production unit dedicated to wildlife film-making. In November 2009 he became the Unit's first Creative Director.
He is best known as the executive producer of Life, a nature documentary
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...
series which revealed the adaptive survival strategies of animals around the world, and as the co-author (with Martha Holmes
Martha Holmes (broadcaster)
Martha Holmes is a BAFTA award winning BBC Television producer and writer known for her wildlife documentaries.-Biography:Holmes studied for a PhD in marine biology at the University of York....
) of the accompanying book. He is currently co-directing (with Holmes) a feature film version of Life, and is the executive producer of a major new BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
series on African wildlife, due for broadcast in 2012.
TV credits
- MadagascarMadagascar (TV series)Madagascar is a British nature documentary series, first broadcast on BBC Two and BBC HD in February 2011. Produced by the BBC Natural History Unit and Animal Planet and narrated by David Attenborough, the three-part series focuses on the landscape and wildlife of the island of Madagascar in the...
- executive producer - The Great Rift: Africa's Wild HeartThe Great Rift: Africa's Wild HeartThe Great Rift: Africa's Wild Heart is a British nature documentary series, which began airing on BBC Two on 24 January 2010. A BBC/Animal Planet co-production, the three-part series focuses on the landscape and wildlife of the Great Rift Valley in East Africa...
(2010) - executive producer - Life (2009) - executive producer
- YellowstoneYellowstone (BBC TV series)Yellowstone is a BBC nature documentary series broadcast from 15 March 2009. Narrated by Peter Firth, the series takes a look at a year in the life of Yellowstone National Park, examining how its wildlife adapts to living in one of the harshest wildernesses on Earth. Yellowstone debuted on BBC Two...
(2009) – executive producer - GalápagosGalápagos (TV series)Galápagos is a three-part BBC nature documentary series exploring the natural history of the Galápagos Islands and their important role in the formation of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. It was first transmitted in the UK on BBC Two in September 2006...
(2006) – executive producer - Life in the UndergrowthLife in the UndergrowthLife in the Undergrowth is a BBC nature documentary series written and presented by David Attenborough, first transmitted in the UK from 23 November 2005....
(2005) – executive producer - Europe: A Natural HistoryEurope: A Natural HistoryEurope: A Natural History is a four-part BBC nature documentary series which looks at the events which have shaped the natural history and wildlife of the European continent over the past three billion years. It debuted on UK television on BBC Four in February 2005, and was repeated on BBC Two in...
(2005) – executive producer - Journey of Life (2005) – executive producer
- Nile (2004) – executive producer
- British Isles: A Natural History (2004) – executive producer
- Natural World (2001-2004) – series editor
- Steve Leonard's Extreme Animals (2002) - executive producer
- Steve Leonard's Ultimate Killers (1999-2001) - executive producer
- Animal People (1997-1999) – series producer
- Violent Planet (1999) - series producer
- Tales from the Riverbank (1997) - series producer
- Natural Neighbours (1994) - series 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) – producer
- Episode "Finding Food"
- Episode "Home Making"
- Episode "Once More into the Termite Mound: The Making of The Trials of Life"