David Attenborough returns to Sky with a breathtaking new 3D series

David Attenborough returns to Sky with a breathtaking new 3D series 

David Attenborough is returning to Sky screens in the new year with a ground-breaking new 3D series. Galapagos 3D with David Attenborough will  launch on New Years Day at 7pm and will be simulcast in 2D on Sky 1. 

Filmed in one of the most extreme and hard-to-reach locations in the world,  the series is Sky 3D’s third collaboration with the multi-award winning natural history broadcaster Colossus Productions. 

Using pioneering 3D-techniques and technology to explore the unique environments and species of the Galapagos, it will take viewers on a voyage to understand the stunning archipelago which changed the way we see the world and has long-remained a place of true interest with the nation’s favourite naturalist 

Each of the 3, 1-hour episodes will cover different chapters in the history of the Galapagos Islands.  Origin (1st January) looks at how the islands rose explosively from the ocean four million years ago, with episode two, Adaptation (5th January), investigating the evolutionary innovations which helped life develop into unique and spectacular form.  Evolution(12th January), the concluding episode, explores the fact that no two islands in the Galapagos are the same and we see the final footage of the islands’ world-famous giant tortoise Lonesome George, the last survivor of his species, who sadly died earlier this year. David Attenborough was the last person ever to have filmed with him.

‘It’s only now that the latest developments in camera technology have given us the possibility of filming the full range of wildlife in 3D, and the first place I wanted to put that to the test was the Galapagos,’ says David Attenborough. ‘Galapagos is full of dramas, and it is also full of very, very charismatic animals which, because they’re uniquely unafraid of humans, you can get up close to and film: it’s a natural for 3D.’

‘This was one of the most challenging 3D documentaries ever undertaken,’ added Anthony Geffen, Producer and CEO of Atlantic Productions. ‘It involved working in extremely difficult locations on land, in the air and under the sea using custom built kit.  But the resulting 3D allows you to step into the Galapagos as if you are actually there with David Attenborough, experiencing the extraordinary wildlife and discovering the history of these magical islands.”

Since launching Sky 3D in October 2010 Sky has broken new ground across a range of genres, including natural history, live music, the arts, spots and movies.  Highlights have included Kingdom of Plants with David Attenborough, a number of summer music festivals, opera and ballet, Kylie Minogue live from the O2, Got to Dance, the 3D TV world premieres of Avatar, Alice in Wonderland and the Toy Story Trilogy as well as more than 150 live sports broadcast spanning a range of domestic and international sports. 

Galapagos 3D with David Attenborough premieres at 7pm on Sky 3D and will be simulcast in 2D on Sky 1 HD.