David Attenborough: sui generis

The Guardian has a long interview with David Attenborough in today's edition. It's an interesting look at the 80-year-old, whose

work is of almost arcane specialisation, patience and integrity, satisfying none of the conventional demands of a multi-channel, digital medium. Nobody else has tried to make programmes like his for years, nor would they dare. And yet, his programmes consistently outperform almost everything else the BBC produces, watched by an estimated 1 billion viewers worldwide.

The interviewer goes on to say that

Inviting Attenborough to explore this anomaly can be prickly, though. For one thing, he comes from a generation that regards talking about oneself - let alone analysing one's success - as infra dig. In truth, talking for long about anything other than wildlife seems faintly onerous. He will hold forth quite cheerfully on the shortcomings of modern life, but nostalgia appears to be strictly prohibited. If he fears he's being drawn into anything that could sound like Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells, the air suddenly chills and he cuts off.

On why he only spoke out about climate change five years ago:

"Well, you should be very, very careful how you use your profile," he counters earnestly. "I mean, I'm not a climate scientist. I don't understand about atmospheric chemistry. But the awful thing is that people will say, Oh yes, we know him, he's off the telly. And he's just said something about carbon dioxide in the atmosphere - so he must know. Well, if you're going to say that, you really had better be sure you're right. And using notoriety from the screen in order to bolster some argument of which you have no first-hand knowledge is very dangerous.

"That's why I have never done a commercial. Never. Ever. Because if I have any quality on the screen, it's that people believe that what I say is true. Or at least, they certainly believe that I believe it's true. Now if you do a commercial, it's palpable that you're saying this is the best margarine because somebody has paid you! That's all. And once it's known that give him enough money and he'll say anything, you're dead as a doorknob. You've lost everything. So it's self-interest, really. It's moral, of course. But it's also self-interest. Because it would be a disaster."

On animals:

the defining focus of his life remains animals.

"But I'm not an animal lover," he says emphatically. His face scrunches up in disdain. "Animal lover means sentiment; a cloying, anthropomorphising sentiment. I don't love earth worms or spiders. They're rivetingly interesting and they give me huge intellectual pleasure. And aesthetic pleasure, I suppose. But that's a different thing altogether."

That's not the same as loving them? "No. It's the word 'love' I don't like. The phrase 'animal lover' - well, it just grates on me! That's why I'm irritated when people use it on me. They say, Oh, you're an animal lover!" He glowers. "I say, I am NOT an animal lover."

Lucky, lucky British people: Attenborough's new series starts there tomorrow!