David Attenborough will front a new BBC wildlife series about predators this year

Guys, I hate to break it to you, but Sir David Attenborough is not going to live forever.

Now, of course, someone may invent something that gifts eternal life before the grim reaper comes a-calling, and Sir David would be absolutely first in line to be given it, but he is 91 years old now, which probably doesn’t give the boffins too long to come up with something.

So, we need to make the most of him while we can, which is why we’re celebrating the announcement of a brand new five-part BBC One series which will air later this year.

Hot off the heels of the simply unbelievably amazing Blue Planet II, the new show, with the working title Dynasty, will take a look at something that was visited both in Blue Planet II and 2016’s Planet Earth II - the precarious future of our precious planet.

Dynasty will aim to provide “a gripping portrait of our planet at a tipping point for animals” and will follow the lives of various predators, from lions and tigers to chimpanzees and emperor penguins, as they struggle to protect their families from the threat of extinction.

Read more: 21 little-known facts about the legendary Sir David Attenborough

It has been made by the same team behind Planet Earth II and Life Story, so you know it’s going to be brilliant.

Each of the animals in the show is considered the ruler of their families or tribes, and are determined to retain their power and protect their dynasties; however, with the planet changing at an extraordinary rate, the odds are suddenly stacked against them, putting their habitats under increasing pressure.

Head of Commissioning for Natural History and Specialist Factual, Tom McDonald explained:

“Dynasty is a distinctive series [which offers a] completely unique approach to bringing the audience into the lives of these iconic animals.”

Meanwhile, executive producer Mike Gunton told the Press Association: “After making Planet Earth II, it is very exciting to have the chance to show another perspective on the lives of our planet’s most impressive, yet vulnerable creatures.”

Meanwhile, Charlotte Moore, director of content at the BBC said that she hopes Attenborough will be able to “inspire audiences once again when he brings the natural world to life on BBC One with Dynasty. Four years in the making, capturing extraordinary family dynamics and behaviour, I hope this intimate animal drama will connect with audiences just as Blue Planet II and Planet Earth II did.”

Meanwhile, if you scientists could really get a move on and sort that life-giving elixir out, we’d all be very grateful.

(Images: Rex)