Sir David Attenborough to present Asia on BBC One and iPlayer

We are incredibly excited to announce that Sir David Attenborough will be hosting our exciting new series, Asia, for BBC One. This continent is rich in beauty and fascination, featuring some of the most diverse environments found anywhere in the world.

BBC Factual has revealed that Sir David Attenborough will host a new seven-part series titled Asia for BBC One and iPlayer. This program will explore the diverse wildlife of the largest continent on Earth. It will journey across Asia to showcase its stunning landscapes and unique animals, highlighting dramatic behaviors that have never been captured on film before.

Spanning almost four years of filming, this series marks the first occasion where Asia is prominently featured in a significant BBC wildlife documentary. Covering a range of stunning locations—from the immense Gobi Desert and the rainforests of Borneo to the icy expanses of Siberia and the vibrant coral reefs of the Indian Ocean—this series will highlight the incredible diversity found in Asia's most untamed regions.

Seven one-hour episodes will showcase captivating wildlife tales from various regions of the continent. In Nepal, we’ll observe rhinos engaging in a peculiar courtship game of ‘kiss chase.’ In the Himalayan foothills, surrounded by bamboo forests, we’ll encounter the red panda, known as Asia’s most elusive and possibly the cutest mammal. High up on the Tibetan Plateau, at 5,000 meters, we’ll follow a solitary wolf as it tirelessly hunts a group of antelope for hours. In Sri Lanka, we’ll see elephants that have figured out how to become highway bandits, stopping buses to beg for food from passengers. And in the rich waters of the Western Pacific, we’ll swim alongside sea snakes and fish that have developed teamwork skills to hunt in large groups.

The shooting sites feature Lake Baikal, known as the world's oldest and deepest lake; the expansive taiga forest found in northern Russia; Iran's Lut Desert; the Empty Quarter of the Arabian Peninsula; and a number of lively cities in Asia, including Tokyo, Bangkok, Taipei, Bhopal, Hanoi, and Singapore.

Asia is the largest continent in the world and is unparalleled when it comes to its remarkable features. It boasts the highest mountain range, the deepest ocean, the tallest forests, and the largest cave.

The wildlife found here is remarkable as well. This continent boasts six different bear species, three types of rhinoceros, and five varieties of large cats—surpassing Africa in diversity. It also presents surprises like the intriguing sea bunny, the amusing mudskipper, the hard-to-find purple frog, and the glowing deep-sea firefly squid.

Stunning scenery and close-up interactions will be captured with cutting-edge methods, giving viewers an opportunity to appreciate the breathtaking beauty and awe of Asia in a whole new way.

This modern perspective on Asia will look into the environmental issues the continent is dealing with and discuss possible ways to address them. With more than half of the world's population residing in Asia, there's an increasing effort to safeguard its natural landscapes and wildlife. The series will highlight inspiring stories of conservation advocates who are making a difference.

Sreya Biswas, who leads the Natural History team at the BBC, expressed her excitement about having Sir David Attenborough host their new major series, "Asia," for BBC One. She described Asia as a continent filled with stunning landscapes and fascinating features, showcasing some of the planet's most varied ecosystems. She emphasized the thrill of bringing these amazing places and unique animal behaviors to audiences, revealing aspects never captured on screen before.

Asia, a series consisting of seven 60-minute episodes for BBC One and iPlayer, is produced by the BBC Studios Natural History Unit in collaboration with BBC America, France Télévisions, and ZDF. The project was commissioned by Jack Bootle, who is the Head of Commissioning for Specialist Factual content. Roger Webb serves as the Executive Producer, while Matthew Wright holds the position of Series Producer. Sreya Biswas, who is the Head of Commissioning for Natural History, is the Commissioning Editor for this series.