You can picture it perfectly: You're a kid in middle school science class, learning about the depths of the ocean or the melting ice caps. Your teacher turns the lights down and presses play on a film, and the most soothing voice of an Englishman talking about fish and polar bears lulls you into a stupor; suddenly, nothing is more fascinating than what this film is talking about.
Or, this: You're flipping through Netflix, looking for something to turn on while you wait to fall asleep. You scroll past preview after preview, until a languid yet assertive voice makes you pause. Before you know it, you're drifting off to dreamland with the antics of an arctic penguin sharp in your mind.
In either scenario, you have Sir David Attenborough to thank.
The 94-year-old broadcaster and historian has enjoyed a long, fruitful career, having worked for the BBC and written and presented the nine-part "Life" natural history series. But he's most famous these days as the voice behind nature documentaries the world over. "Narrated by David Attenborough" is basically on the same wavelength as, "Produced by Shonda Rhimes."
And never forget that Attenborough once interviewed Queen Elizabeth II, an honor reserved for very, very few professionals. If Her Majesty trusts him to tell a story, well, who are we to argue with that?
Attenborough has dedicated his work to educating the world on the wonders of planet Earth and the lasting effects of climate change, and now he's taking that work mainstream -- to Instagram, specifically. Attenborough joined the photo- and video-sharing platform just a few hours ago, already amassing a million followers. And, of course, he used his first post to rally the troops, so to speak, in the fight against a deteriorating planet.
According to this video's caption, Attenborough won't be running the account himself (it's not his "usual habitat"), instead relying on Jonnie Hughes and Colin Butfield, who worked with the historian on "A Life on Our Planet." This latest doc starring Attenborough, which will be landing on Netflix on Oct. 4, is what he calls his "witness statement" as he urges young people to assemble against the dangers of climate change.
While Hughes and Butfield will be primarily responsible for what is shared on Attenborough's Instagram account, rest assured that we'll still get top caliber content. Expect to see more of these pre-recorded messages by Attenborough, as well as "exclusive clips and behind the scenes content."
David Attenborough bloopers?! We can't be ready.