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Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday in May will be celebrated with a week-long tribute on BBC1, featuring a brand new series and two one-off specials.

The renowned wildlife broadcaster and environmentalist has collaborated with numerous different networks, and streaming platforms, throughout his remarkable career spanning more than seven decades. But it is widely acknowledged that the BBC is his natural habitat.

BBC bosses are pulling out all the stops to commemorate Sir David's "extraordinary milestone" on May 8 with a week of programming which will include a live performance from the Royal Albert Hall on the day itself, expected to be attended by Sir David and his fellow Earthshot Prize supporter Prince William.

Titled David Attenborough's 100 Years on Planet Earth, the programme will showcase the BBC Concert Orchestra and seeks to transport viewers on a voyage through a century of exploration and discovery in the natural world, viewed through the lens of David's remarkable life.

The second new one-off special is Making Life on Earth: Attenborough's Greatest Adventure, which commenced production 50 years ago, in 1976. The programme will reveal behind-the-scenes footage of the pioneering BBC series which saw Sir David travel to 40 countries to film 600 species and attracted an audience of 500 million when it first aired in 1979, reports The Mirror.

Notable moments include his iconic encounter with mountain gorillas in Rwanda, which is regularly voted one of the greatest TV moments of all time. Sir David and fellow members of the original production team will disclose the triumphs and tribulations of creating the series during a groundbreaking period in television, when air transport and colour technology were still emerging.

Throughout their journey, the team faced numerous obstacles, including a coup in the Comoros, coming under fire in Rwanda and intimidation from Saddam Hussein's forces in Iraq.

Following the tremendous reception of the Christmas special Wild London, Sir David will also feature in the new BBC1 series Secret Garden, where he uncovers the concealed ecosystems within Britain's back gardens. Spanning five episodes, filmed throughout the UK, the programme will showcase the remarkable variety of wildlife inhabiting Britain's gardens whilst also exploring how viewers can contribute to protecting endangered species.

The animals featured include pine martens in the Western Highlands, dormice in South Wales, swallows in the Lake District, otters in Oxfordshire and blue tits in Bristol.

BBC specialist factual head Jack Bootle stated that Sir David warranted considerable celebration for his centenary. "It's impossible to overstate what Sir David Attenborough has given us," he remarked.

"His programmes have not only defined science and natural history broadcasting, but they have also changed how we see our planet and our place within it.

"This special week is a celebration of an extraordinary milestone and of a body of work that continues to inspire awe, curiosity and care for the natural world. It's also a moment for all of us at the BBC to say thank you to David - for his generosity, for his brilliance and for a lifetime spent bringing the wonders of nature into our homes."

BBC chiefs are also planning to broadcast a selection of Sir David's most cherished archive programmes on BBC1 - including Planet Earth II; Seven Worlds, One Planet; Blue Planet II; Planet Earth III; Frozen Planet II and over 40 series will be made accessible on BBC iPlayer.

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