CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews Making Life On Earth – Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure: The day Sir David’s allergies made his eyes blow up like a puffer fish

Making Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure (BBC1)

Rating: Five out of five stars

David Attenborough still dreams about that day in the rainforest of Rwanda, when he befriended a family of mountain gorillas.

One of the most famous moments ever recorded for television, it was also a defining event in a uniquely illustrious career.

Sir David, who turns 100 next week, was controller of BBC1 and BBC2, oversaw the launch of color television and turned down the role of Director General.

But it was that brief scene of her laughing and chatting to the camera while a baby gorilla sat on her chest and her doting mother poked her face with her fingers that summed up how we would always think of her.

The story of how the camera crew missed most of the 15-minute encounter and how the Rwandan army nearly confiscated the remaining footage has been told many times.

But this is put into the context of his entire life in Creating Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure.

Sitting at his desk and reading from his diaries, Sir David looks and sounds remarkably well for a man whose centenary is just two weeks away.

But as generous excerpts from the 1979 series remind us, he always looked young for his age – he was 52 at the time but looked more like a man in his 30s, even that day in the Grand Canyon when he suffered from an unfortunate allergy to mule hide, which caused his eyes to swell like puffer fish.

Sir David pictured filming in the Life on Earth series in 1979

David Attenborough still dreams of the day he befriended a family of mountain gorillas in the rainforest of Rwanda.

As I was lucky enough to discover during my numerous interviews with him, his mischievous sense of humor is never far from the surface.

As he waited in a seat for the shoot to begin, he grinned and waved at familiar faces and, with his chin propped on his fist, toyed with the photographer: ‘Would you like a thoughtful shot?’ I’m very good at this.’

Then he pretended to scold himself: ‘Now sit up straight. Settle!’

Many of the original Life On Earth crew, from secretaries to wildlife videographers, were lining up to share their memories, and they were all talking about his diplomatic charm.

Part of this lies in his humility. Explaining why he turned down the DG job, he said: ‘I have no political talent. “I may know the birds of paradise, but I don’t know the Prime Ministers,” he said.

He added that sitting behind a desk is “not nearly as much fun” as traveling the world to study rare and exotic animals – a sentiment shared by millions when Life On Earth was first published, filling us with wanderlust and a longing to go on safari.

Although he’s as busy as ever with his wildlife shows, his voice-overs are scripted, meaning his talent as a casual raconteur is less obvious.

Here’s what came to the fore. It was never lost on evocative expression.

‘Extraordinary,’ he said, remembering those gorillas once again. ‘A breathtaking experience. . . ‘One of the most privileged moments of my life.’