The BEST episodes of First Life with David Attenborough

Every episode of First Life with David Attenborough ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of First Life with David Attenborough!

Sir David Attenborough goes back in time to the roots of the tree of life, in search of the very first animals, telling their story with stunning photography, state of the art visual effects and the captivating charm of the world’s favorite naturalist.

Last Updated: 4/18/2024Network: BBC TwoStatus: Ended
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Arrival
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8.84
308 votes

#1 - Arrival

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 11/5/2010

David starts his journey in a forest near the home he grew up in Leicester, where a fossil discovery transformed our understanding of the evolution of complex life. He then travels to Newfoundland and the Australian outback, where he unearths the earliest forms of animal life to exist on the planet.

Directors: Martin Williams
Watch Now:Amazon
Conquest
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8.38
326 votes

#2 - Conquest

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 11/12/2010

Attenborough explores the Burgess Shale in Canada’s Rocky Mountains, where there is fossil evidence of an event 542 million years ago which saw animals increase in number, diversity and size as never before. These ancient rocks reveal the world’s first large predator, the first defences and the emergence of an animal group that would conquer the oceans: the hard-shelled arthropods.

Directors: Martin Williams
Watch Now:Amazon