The BBC has decided to ‘terminate’ a documentary series featuring Sir David Attenborough that followed endangered and fragile animals.
The first season of the wildlife series Dynasties, which premiered in 2018, focuses on animals known to create lasting populations: chimps, emperor penguins, lions, tigers, and African wild dogs.
A second season, narrated by the famed broadcaster, now 97, debuted last year, with four episodes following Angelina the African elephant matriarch, she-cheetah Kali, Rupestre the puma, and Suma the spotted hyena matriarch.
However, it has apparently been cancelled in order to make space for another programme.
There are presently no plans to resume filming, which has previously taken place in countries ranging from Zimbabwe to Antarctica.
‘It will no doubt be a huge blow to fans of the series, who tuned in from the US to New Zealand for the second season,’ a source has said.
‘It was widely expected that a third would follow.
‘But the programme has now been set aside while the team focus their efforts elsewhere,’ they added when speaking to The Sun.
‘Of course, with all nature programming, there’s no reason why the BBC can’t return to the format idea for Dynasties in the future so it may well return one day.’
Instead, the national broadcaster is now reported to be looking at ‘expanding’ the series under a new name, with the ‘baton’ handed to the show Kingdom, which films six animal sagas in Zambia over a four-year period.
The source added: ‘Kingdom will expand upon the original idea for Dynasties.
‘It will focus on the conflicts and dynamics that exist across various different animal groups, in one location, rather than on just one particular family or tribe.’
The series, however, will not be released until 2025.
While filming for Dynasties took place in Zimbabwe, Senegal, Antarctica, Kenya, and India, Sir David did not visit any of the sites after deciding to reduce his abroad commitments.
Speaking to the Radio Times, he explained: ‘It’s probably a fact of age, but I was finding my heart was sinking deeper and deeper into my boots every time I walked up into an aircraft and looked down that long line and thought, “I’m going to be here for another 24 hours”,’ he said.
Dynasties is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
