StoryGnat #20: A living legend

Ladies and gents, Sir David Attenborough

Hellooooo StoryGnatter!

Firstly, can we please celebrate the fact that this is the TWENTIETH StoryGnat? That’s come around fast.

Anyway, enough of that. I know last week’s story was a little (not a lot) dark, so this week, we’re going lighter and brighter with a much-loved legend of British TV.

Without further ado, may I present the legend that is…

Sir David Attenborough

This isn’t just any post about the great man, though. We all know him for his excellent wildlife and natural history programmes. But I want to share four facts you might not be so familiar with.

None of them relate to that side of his career that he’s best known for. Instead, they come to us thanks to his early days at the BBC as a producer of a wide range of programmes, and then his role as Controller of BBC2 (from 1965), and then as director of programmes across both BBC TV channels (from 1969-1973).

ONE – He once played tennis with Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden at Chequers, dressed in tennis clothes several sizes too big for him.

He tells the story best, right here. Skip to 1.04:15

TWO – He’s said to have been responsible for suggesting that tennis balls should be yellow, rather than the more traditional white (or occasional black). This was as part of his role in introducing colour TV to the nation. The white balls were becoming hard to see.

THREE – He was involved in the early meetings about a new TV drama. It was called Doctor Who.

FOUR – He commissioned Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

Thank you, Sir David, for everything.

I’m not sure how I’ll top this next week. Oh dear.

Join me then, to see where my gnatty brain lands next.

Until then,

Meg