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David Attenborough: The Early Years—Fashioning Zoological Expertise On-Screen

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BBC Wildlife Documentaries in the Age of Attenborough

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Science and Popular Culture ((PSSPC))

Abstract

This chapter first examines how David Attenborough participated early on in shaping the practical aspects of creating wildlife television. His early programme work, notably The Coelacanth (1953) and Animal Patterns (1953), contributed to creating a professional culture of television making, distinct from that of radio broadcasting and cinema. These two programmes placed the emphasis on television’s ability to show things and tell a story visually. The chapter then turns to the first two Zoo Quest series, Zoo Quest to Sierra Leone (1954) and Zoo Quest to British Guiana (1955), to discuss their contribution to establishing Attenborough’s reputation as a successful programme maker within the BBC, and as a figure of zoological expertise whom audiences found trustworthy.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Head of Talks, Television, ‘Hunting for rare animals: Cooperation with the zoological society’, memo to Controller Programmes, Television, 17 July 1953, BBCWAC T6/444/1.

  2. 2.

    Controller Programmes, Television, ‘Programmes in cooperation with zoological society’, memo to Head of Talks, Television, 10 August 1953, BBCWAC T6/444/1.

  3. 3.

    Cecil McGivern, 10 March 1949, Mary Adams, Annual Confidential Report, BBCWAC L2/5/1.

  4. 4.

    Mary Adams (Head of Television Talks) to Cecil McGivern (Controller, Television Programmes), 24 June 1952, ‘Revised talks schedule: October/November/December 1952’, BBCWAC T32/330/3.

  5. 5.

    Mary Adams (Head of Television Talks) to Cecil McGivern (Controller, Television Programmes), 18 September 1952, ‘Talks schedules: January/February/March 1953’, BBCWAC T32/330/3.

  6. 6.

    Television Circular No. 281A, 1st April 1951. Television Training Scheme. Trainees from outside the Corporation, BBCWAC T16/240/1—Staff Training Department. Television training course, 22 September to 17 October 1952, BBCWAC T16/240/1.

  7. 7.

    Secretary to Huxley, 12 January 1953, BBCWAC TVART1—Sir Julian Huxley—Talks File 1.

  8. 8.

    Controller, Television Programmes to Head of Television talks, ‘Talks Schedule: October/November/December’, 16 June 1952, BBCWAC T32/330/3.

  9. 9.

    Julian Huxley to David Attenborough, 9 March 1953, p. 1. BBCWAC TVART1—Sir Julian Huxley—Talks File 1.

  10. 10.

    Julian Huxley to Mary Adams, 9 March 1953, p. 1. BBCWAC TVART1—Sir Julian Huxley—Talks File 1.

  11. 11.

    David Attenborough to Head of Talks, Television (Mary Adams), 10 March 1953, BBCWAC T32/330/4.

  12. 12.

    Julian Huxley to Mary Adams, 9 March 1953, p. 1. BBCWAC TVART1—Sir Julian Huxley—Talks File 1.

  13. 13.

    David Attenborough to Head of Talks, Television (Mary Adams), 10 March 1953, BBCWAC T32/330/4.

  14. 14.

    David Attenborough, ‘Animal form and pattern’, memo to Head to Talks Television, 21 April 1953, p. 1. BBCWAC TVART1—Sir Julian Huxley—Talks File 1.

  15. 15.

    David Attenborough to Head of Talks, Television, 21 April 1953, BBCWAC TVART1—Sir Julian Huxley—Talks File 1.

  16. 16.

    David Attenborough to Julian Huxley, 8 May 1953, BBCWAC TVART1—Sir Julian Huxley—Talks File 1.

  17. 17.

    David Attenborough to Julian Huxley, 1 June 1953, BBCWAC TVART1—Sir Julian Huxley—Talks File 1.

  18. 18.

    Radio Times, 26 June 1953, p. 32. Illustrated with photographs of two species of stick insects.

  19. 19.

    David Attenborough, Traveller’s tales, March 1953, BBCWAC T6/430/1.

  20. 20.

    David Attenborough, Traveller’s tales, March 1953, BBCWAC T6/430/1.

  21. 21.

    Mary Adams to David Attenborough, in Assistant Controller of Programmes Television to Head of talks, television, 26 June 1953, BBCWAC T6/430/1.

  22. 22.

    The Scanner, ‘Television talk of the week, adventure in the Upper Orinoco’. Radio Times, 4 December 1953, p. 15.

  23. 23.

    Mary Adams to Cecil McGivern, Hunting for rare animals: co-operation with the Zoological Society, 17 July 1953, BBCWAC T6/444/1.

  24. 24.

    Assistant to Head of talks, television to Cecil Madden, 16 August 1954, BBCWAC T6/444/1.

  25. 25.

    Cecil Madden to Cecil McGivern, ‘Armand Denis and “Zoo Quest”’, 31 December 1954, BBCWAC T6/112.

  26. 26.

    D. G. Grant Programmes, ‘meeting with T. O. Tel. and Mr. T. Sloan on August 18, 1954’, BBCWAC T6/444/1.

  27. 27.

    David Attenborough to Mary Adams, ‘In search of the Emerald Starling’, 31 July 1953, BBCWAC T6/444/1.

  28. 28.

    David Attenborough, ‘In search of the Emerald Starling’, 31 July 1953, BBCWAC T6/444/1.

  29. 29.

    Hunting-Clan Air Transport Ltd. to BBC, ‘Expedition to Sierra Leone’, 9 August 1954, BBCWAC T6/444/1.

  30. 30.

    Richardson to Attenborough, 29 April 1954, BBCWAC T6/444/1.

  31. 31.

    David Attenborough to Leonard Miall, n.d. BBCWAC T6/444/1.

  32. 32.

    See Attenborough to George Lines, 24 November 1954, BBCWAC T6/444/1.

  33. 33.

    See letter from D. E. Knight to Dr. Harrison Matthews, ‘Zoo Quest’, 5 January 1955, BBCWAC T6/444/1.

  34. 34.

    Head of Talks, Television, ‘Zoo Quest’, memo to David Attenborough, 19 January 1955, BBCWAC T6/444/1.

  35. 35.

    Head of Talks, Television, ‘Zoo Quest’, memo to David Attenborough, 19 January 1955, BBCWAC T6/444/1.

  36. 36.

    Talks Organiser, Television, ‘Sierra Leone expedition’, memo to Programme Organiser, Television, 18 May 1954, BBCWAC T6/444/1.

  37. 37.

    Talks Organiser, Television, ‘Expedition to Sierra Leone’, memo to Programme Organiser, Television, 22 April 1954, BBCWAC T6/444/1.

  38. 38.

    Talks Organiser, Television, ‘Sierra Leone expedition’, memo to Programme Organiser, Television, 18 May 1954, BBCWAC T6/444/1.

  39. 39.

    David Attenborough, ‘Use of 16 mm. film in Zoo Quest’, memo to Head of Talks, 27 January 1955, BBCWAC T6/444/1.

  40. 40.

    David Attenborough, ‘Use of 16 mm. film in Zoo Quest’, memo to Head of Talks, 27 January 1955, BBCWAC T6/444/1.

  41. 41.

    Leonard Harrison Matthews, ‘Animal hunting in Africa’, The Times, 4 January 1955, p. 7.

  42. 42.

    Audience Research Report, ‘Zoo Quest for the Paradise Bird, 1—The Barrier Reef, produced by David Attenborough’, 2 December 1957, BBCWAC R13/462/1.

  43. 43.

    David Attenborough, ‘Pre-publicity for Guiana Quest’, memo to Head of Talks, Television, 1 March 1955, BBCWAC T32/1798/1.

  44. 44.

    Attenborough, 1955, ‘Zoologists in Guiana’, The Times, 11 May 1955, p. 11; Attenborough, 1955, ‘Exploring the Rupuni’, The Times, 28 May 1955, p. 7.

  45. 45.

    Zoo Quest to Guiana (BBC 1955), episode 1. Original transmission date: 13 September 1955.

  46. 46.

    Attenborough [script for Zoo Quest to Sierra Leone], ‘Recording I’, n.d. BBCWAC T32/1798/1.

  47. 47.

    Solly Zuckerman and Leo Harrison Matthews, ‘The Zoological Society and Television’, press release, 6 October 1955, ZSL archives. Folder ‘Establishment of Granada TV and Film Unit—1955–56.

  48. 48.

    The Zoological Society of London, ZSL archives, Council Monthly papers January 1954–December 1955. Eventually, Jack Lester died, in August 1956. As a compensation, the ZSL paid £2500 to his widow and contributed a £700 grant toward the education of her two younger twin daughters.

  49. 49.

    Sidney Bernstein, ‘The Zoological Society and Television’, letter to Solly Zuckerman, 29 August 1955. ZSL archives, ‘Establishment of Granada TV and Film Unit—1955–56’.

  50. 50.

    Solly Zuckerman, letter to Sidney Bernstein, 1 September 1955. ZSL archives, ‘Establishment of Granada TV and Film Unit—1955–56’.

  51. 51.

    Solly Zuckerman, September 1955, ‘Memorandum on television’, p. 1. ZSL Archives, TV and Film Unit.

  52. 52.

    Zoological Society of London, ‘Note of interview with Mrs. Mary Adams and Mr. David Attenborough of the BBC on 13th September 1955’, ZSL archives, Establishment of Granada TV and Film Unit—1955–56.

  53. 53.

    S. Zuckerman and L. Harrison Matthews, ‘The Zoological Society and Television’, 6 October 1955. ZSL archives, Establishment of Granada TV and Film Unit—1955–56.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Science and Technology Studies, University College London, London, UK

    Jean-Baptiste Gouyon

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Gouyon, JB. (2019). David Attenborough: The Early Years—Fashioning Zoological Expertise On-Screen. In: BBC Wildlife Documentaries in the Age of Attenborough. Palgrave Studies in Science and Popular Culture. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19982-1_3

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