h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

At 90 Sir David is a global phenomenon, recognised and well respected globally.

However he is already slowing, and appears on screen less often, more often doing voice-overs.

So who will be his successor, or successors?

And why?

And who would you least like to replace him, and why?

It is likely to be a U.K. or Commonwealth presenter, but not exclusively

Over to you for ideas please.



MMF

Hopefully nobody for as long as possible, but.....

Making an assumption that the top nature documentaries continue to be BBC productions:-

1. Chris Packham. He's sufficiently nerdy to be obsessive and quietly excited about nature.

2. John Craven. Has the gravitas to carry the baton.

3. Michaela Strachen. Knows stuff and looks nicer than Chris Packham, John Craven and.....

4. The outsider Adam Henson. Not a natural shoe-in, but is personable and has a voice that surely couldn't grate on anybody.

5. Me. What a gig!

PP.

Chris Packham. will do very nicely, it would be very interesting to know Sir David Attenborough's choice

I heard an interview with Sir David a while ago and he mentioned Brian Cox as a successor - mostly, I think, for his ability to charm audiences and communicate complex ideas.

I got the impression that succession was something that he had thought about and had made "arrangements".

I also hope that he will be with us for many years - he is such an inspiration.

Knowing the BBC it'll be Zoe Ball or John Barrowman. Possibly both.

Boaty McBoatface?

Hosty McHostface.

Can't they just digitally map him now and use CGI?

Yes, they can.
No, they shouldn't.


I still have the heebie-jeebies from seeing zombie Peter Cushing in Rogue One.

I've no idea. but I've a horrible thought whoever it is, will be determined by some BoB-aweful public voting 'reality TV' stylee contenstants made to do stupid stuff, type show. - I assume those things are still going on TV?; The quality of TV improved no end twenty years ago, when I stopped having a TV full stop

One of my favorite shows, _Mythbusters_, ended last year or the year before. Recently Discover Channel trotted out one of those horrid unreality elimination contest shows, ala _Survivor_ where each week they would split into teams and try to retest one of the classic "Myths" from the show and one contestant from the losing team would be let go. I don't know who "won" because after two, maybe three episodes, I stopped watching. I only watched that many because my father was watching it while I was there. Oh, did I hate everything about that. The young but smarmy emcee just made it worse.

It reminded me of much better shows, not only the original Mythbusters but also "Junkyard Wars" (_Scrapheap Challenge_ renamed for the war hungry US audiences). The teams were given a short time window for build time and then went head to head with the other team.

Now there is nothing on The Discovery Channel that I care to watch. It's now only marginally better than the ludicrous "reality" farce that was once The Learning Channel but is now called simply TLC. BBC America now just reruns episodes of _Star Trek:TNG_ for some inexplicable reason.


I would love to quit watching TV altogether, but channels like FX (and FXX), and IFC (Independent Film Channel) are showing some really good shows like Louis C.K.s _Louie_ and _Baskets_, _It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia_ (a show featuring the absolute worse characters ever on TV) and then there's the animated shows like _Rick & Morty_, _Archer_, and _Bob's Burgers_.

I'm looking forward to the next, and maybe finale, episode of _Feud: Bette & Joan_, the story of the dripping hatred Bette Davis and Joan Crawford had for each other around the filming of _Whatever Happened to Baby Jane_.

Julie Andrews? Linda Hunt?

I watch a fair amount of wildlife programming, and I have to say there's no obvious successor for Attenborough. But he's rapidly losing his presentation faculties, so they do need to replace him front of camera.

Packham's not a serious candidate. He's fine for romps like Springwatch, but he simply isn't serious enough to do the weighty stuff.

Cox is better, but he's not my cup of tea. I can take the odd astronomy show, but his voice grates rapidly. When he says words like 'billions' I feel nauseous.


The best like-for-like replacement would be George McGavin, who has an amazing ability not to swear on camera:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC1sID_r06A


Or why not a Stephen Fry/Mark Carwardine double act?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T1vfsHYiKY

Interesting posts. Particularly like the idea of George McGavin, being a hero of mine. Anyone who can make interesting is good for me. I met him at Edinburgh zoo when he was told resenting the BBC's Rot Box.

Brian Cox I understand. He is popular and the accent wins for most people Burt I am not sure if he can carry off all types and styles of natural history. He is too 'Brian Cox'!

In fact. On Stargazing: Australia, Dara O'Briain upstagedhim with the critters so Cox referred to him as Dara Attenborough.

I am surprised at a lack of female offerings. For me, the first name in the ring is Liz Bonnin. She has a Zoological degree plus experience at ZSL and plenty of presentation skills.

Next is Miranda Krestovnikoff. Ok. Not at first sight a natural history presentor but she has a dive certificate, presentation skills and is popular. As is Alice Roberts. Plus her knowledge of anatomy appeals.

I don't rate Kate Humble, Philippa Forrester has virtually retired, and there is a third i've forgotten. Another may be Ellie Harrison.

Back to males, I like the idea of Gordon Buchanan. Film photographer and presenter.

Maybe Steve Backshall but too excitable. I like a level headed presenter. And forget Matt Baker. He is too big headed and on television too much already.

So there are my thoughts.

But not all of them. Any more ideas?

MMF

I would say he's irreplaceable. Give the format a rest for a bit after he goes and bring in something different for a few years at least. Someone will turn up who can handle all the new technology, not necessarily someone we've already heard of and should be given the chance to grow, After all, Sir David didn't start off fully-formed.

I'd overlooked George McGavin.

He ticks the boxes and he has the right colour shirts.

PP.

David Attenborough often appears on my screen telling me that the Beeb website is not working again. It usually is, as a single click will prove, but that is beside the point. He will no doubt live forever in this function.

No one has mentioned Bill Oddie yet.

Or another twitcher who deserves National Treasure status: Bill Bailey.

Packham for me..but the controversy on social media might have done for him..

However I recently watched Wild Ireland:The Edge of the World with Colin Stafford Johnson..and it was a revelation. He seems a natural.

What is Charlie Dimmock doing these days? She could present a show where she goes into the heart of the rainforest and discovers the last remaining habitat of an endangered species and then cover it in decking with a water feature – and a shrubbery!

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