Sir David Attenborough’s latest BBC One series meticulously chronicles the extraordinary sacrifices made by parents throughout the animal kingdom to ensure the survival of their offspring.
In a particularly striking example, the African social spiders of Namibia exhibit a truly profound act of parental dedication.
As revealed in *Parenthood*, the mother spider ultimately gives her life for her spiderlings. In a display of matriphagy, the young spiders, along with other aging relatives, consume her alive, ensuring the continuation of their lineage.
Director Jeff Wilson described this sequence as “the perfect natural history sequence” and praised Sir David Attenborough’s narration as “the best I’ve ever heard him do.”
“David knows exactly what is needed to tell the story,” Wilson stated.
“It’s a story about the ultimate commitment of a parent. How far do you take your parenting commitment?”
Wilson humorously clarified, “I’m not asking any human parents to go that far, but we all know that if you turn up at the school gates without a snack that you’re verging on being eaten by your child anyway!”
“So there’s a damn good lesson in that.”
Capturing such a delicate scene with minimal disturbance requires a collaborative effort from leading scientists and cinematographers, he added.
“The spiderlings are about the size of a grain of sugar, and the adults are about the size of your thumbnail. So it’s a very small world that you’re in.”
Wilson anticipates viewers will experience a mix of “shivering with disgust” and being “amazed with the wonder of it all”.
*Parenthood*, distinct from the 1989 comedy film, taps into the universal themes of parenting, providing rich material for storytelling, Wilson noted.
The filmmaker recognized the potential of exploring parenting in the wild while working on *The Mating Game*, another collaboration between the BBC and Silverback Films, available here.
He was “inspired” by the adaptability of parents in the wild and their awareness of changes in the natural world.
Wilson embarked on a journey across six continents, seeking “lessons to be learned” about parental change, dedication, and ingenuity in diverse environments.
“The world is changing for everybody really quickly,” he stressed, referencing the serious threats caused by climate change.
“We wanted to tap into that idea that there is an uncertain future for both animals and humans.”
“How do we adapt to a world that is changing around us? It’s so relevant to all of us.”
He continued, “As a parent myself I constantly worry, what is the world that my children are going to grow up in?”
Beyond the maternal spiders, the series also features other compelling examples of animal parenting:
Complementing the captivating visuals is a dramatic musical score by British composer Tom Howe (known for his work on *Mulan* and *Ted Lasso*).
The series also features a theme song by Sam Ryder, recorded at Abbey Road, which Wilson hopes will gain significant traction.
At the heart of the production is Sir David Attenborough, whose “special” and “unique” contributions continue to define television, his director noted.
Notably, Sir David delivers his narration in no more than two takes.
“There can be very few people on Earth who have the ability to communicate to an audience from two [years old] to 102, and feel like they’re communicating it at their level,” said Wilson, who also serves as series producer.
“And that’s not [just] Sir David as we see him on screen, that’s Sir David in real life.”
He continued, “When you’re working with a partner who understands the natural world as well, if not better than you do, that’s always exciting.”
Wilson expresses pride in contributing to a “generational gift” that parents and children can experience together.
“I think it’s got all the feels – it’s got great behaviour, it’s got great emotion, it’s got great humour, it’s got relatable parental dilemmas.”
“And it has a nod and a wink towards ‘helicopter parenting’ and ‘snowplow parenting’ – all those different terms that we bandy about as to what type of parent you are.”
He is also pleased with the sensitive exploration of “perhaps the most sensitive relationship that is present in the natural world” – the bond between parent and child.
Capturing this relationship effectively, he explained, requires “absolutely top class field work”, patiently observing and obtaining shots in “an observational, non-invasive way.”
“You have that extra challenge in parenting,” he said. “It’s less hard if you’re covering a hunt, as more often than not, the animals couldn’t care less whether you’re there because they’re in the zone.”
“But in parenting behaviours, you’re dealing with something that’s very sensitive, and if you get it wrong, you’re stepping over a line that you shouldn’t.”
“So we’re very proud of what we’ve put on screen in that way.”
In one scene, Sir David’s voice resonates, declaring: “Success for all parents has perhaps the greatest of consequences… It ensures the future of life on our planet.”
In essence: respect your elders.
*Parenthood*, consisting of five episodes, premieres at 19:20 BST on Sunday, August 3rd, on BBC One and iPlayer.
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