Watch David Attenborough’s first appearance in Life on Earth as series celebrates 45th anniversary

Sir David Attenborough first appeared in the landmark natural history series Life on Earth on 16 January 1979 - 45 years ago today.

The broadcaster and biologist wrote and presented the series, which took 3 years to make and saw Sir David travel all over the world.

In the first episode, he explored the South American rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef, providing a discreet commentary.

Some of the most memorable scenes from Life on Earth were when Sir David met gorillas, demonstrating the similarities between the animals and humans.