David Attenborough has once again captivated the nation, with BBC viewers showering praise on his latest documentary series and calling it one of the most moving things on television this Easter.

The legendary broadcaster, now 99, returned to screens over the weekend with Secret Garden, a new five-part series that turns its gaze away from distant jungles and exotic coastlines to reveal the extraordinary wildlife dramas unfolding much closer to home — in Britain’s own gardens.

The first episode, which aired on Sunday night, transported viewers to Oxfordshire, where a thousand-year-old mill and its surrounding land became the setting for a surprisingly emotional story about survival, resilience and the quiet beauty of nature. Homeowners Henry and Sara were featured as they allowed much of the land around their mill house to grow wild in order to protect the wildlife living along a tributary of the River Thames.

That decision, while practical for the increasingly flood-prone landscape, created a haven for a remarkable array of creatures, from kingfishers and mallards to otters and voles. Narrated in Attenborough’s unmistakable voice, the episode followed a kingfisher battling to save his family from rising water, a duck struggling to keep her nine ducklings alive and a vole learning how to survive the threat of a lawn mower.

The result left audiences completely enchanted. Viewers rushed to social media to rave about the episode, with one calling it “Absolutely fabulous filming on Sir David Attenborough’s Secret Garden. Amazing Spring river scenes with Doris the Mallard and her river neighbours. Spellbinding!” Another described it simply as “Perfect Sunday viewing,” while someone else said it was “a wonderful programme for a Spring Easter Sunday evening.”

Others were equally emotional, praising both the visuals and Attenborough’s narration. One viewer wrote that the programme offered “such amazing photography as well as David Attenborough narration – food for the soul for a Sunday evening,” while another admitted they could hardly believe he is about to turn 100 next month.

The series clearly carries extra emotional weight given the moment in Attenborough’s life and career. Ahead of its release, producer Bill Markham spoke about how significant it was to have Sir David involved as he approaches his milestone birthday. He said having him narrate the series felt “both momentous and deeply fitting,” adding that Attenborough has defined the wildlife genre for generations and that his involvement had a profound effect on the production.

Markham said the team raised their standards knowing that every frame and every line of script would be subject to Attenborough’s attention, explaining that this sharpened both their focus and ambition. His comments only reinforced the sense that Secret Garden is more than just another wildlife programme — it is also a tribute to a man whose voice has shaped how millions of people see the natural world.

The timing is especially poignant, with the BBC preparing a major celebration for Sir David’s 100th birthday on May 8. The broadcaster is set to honour the landmark with three new programmes and a full week of special scheduling dedicated to his extraordinary life and work.

Among the standout tributes will be Making Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure, which revisits the making of his landmark 1979 BBC One series Life on Earth. The retrospective will feature fresh interviews with Attenborough and members of the original crew, looking back on the astonishing scale of that production, which saw him travel to 40 countries to film 600 species. It will also revisit the dangers they faced, including political unrest in the Comoros and moments when the crew came under fire.

Another major event, David Attenborough’s 100 Years on Planet Earth, will be staged live from the Royal Albert Hall with the BBC Concert Orchestra and special guests, while viewers will also be treated to episodes from some of his most beloved series, including Planet Earth II, Blue Planet II, Planet Earth III, Frozen Planet II and Seven Worlds, One Planet. A dedicated iPlayer collection featuring 40 of his most-loved programmes will also be made available.

Jack Bootle, the BBC’s head of commissioning for specialist factual, summed up the mood by saying it is impossible to overstate what Attenborough has given audiences, praising him for changing how people see the planet and humanity’s place within it. He said the celebratory week is both a recognition of an extraordinary milestone and a thank-you for a lifetime spent bringing the wonders of nature into people’s homes.

Secret Garden arrives after another busy chapter in Attenborough’s extraordinary late-career run. His recent project Wild London, released in January, explored the wildlife thriving in the city he has called home for 75 years, while Kingdom, which aired in November, followed the lives of animal families in Zambia over five years of filming. Last year, he also broke records by becoming the oldest recipient of a Daytime Emmy Award, with his Netflix project Secret Lives of Orangutans picking up multiple honours.

Even as he has spoken candidly about “approach[ing] the end of my life,” Attenborough continues to produce work that feels urgent, intimate and deeply affecting. That may be part of why Secret Garden has resonated so strongly. For many viewers, it was not just beautiful television — it felt like a gentle reminder of everything Sir David has spent decades trying to show us: that wonder does not only exist in the far corners of the Earth, but sometimes just outside our own back door.