Alastair Fothergill

Alastair Fothergill, born on April 10, 1960, in London, United Kingdom, is a prominent producer renowned for his work in nature documentaries for both television and film. He has gained widespread acclaim as the executive producer of the celebrated series The Blue Planet (2001) and Planet Earth (2006), and he co-directed the feature films Deep Blue and Earth, further solidifying his impact on wildlife filmmaking.

Fothergill's educational journey began at Harrow, followed by the study of zoology at St Cuthbert's Society at the University of Durham, where he created his first documentary, On the Okavango, while still a student. In 1983, he joined the BBC Natural History Unit, contributing to various projects such as The Really Wild Show, Wildlife on One, and the groundbreaking series The Trials of Life, narrated by David Attenborough. He became the head of the Unit in 1992, leading the production of Attenborough’s acclaimed series Life in the Freezer.

After stepping down in June 1998 to focus on The Blue Planet, Fothergill has also presented several documentaries, including The Abyss, and authored three books. His achievements include winning the Clean Energy Award from BMW at the Cinema for Peace awards in February 2008.

In the same year, he entered a multi-picture partnership with Disneynature and dedicated half of his year to creating feature-length documentaries as an independent producer. His upcoming projects include Big Cats and Chimpanzee, co-directed with Keith Scholey and Mark Linfield, respectively. Fothergill is also producing the BBC's Frozen Planet, a series set to premiere in 2011, showcasing the endurance of iconic wildlife amid climate change. He resides in Bristol with his wife, Melinda, and their two sons, Hamish and William.