The Guardian is reporting that one of the episodes of David Attenborough's Wild Isles series will not be broadcast over a feared reaction from the right. The episode, which focuses on the destruction of wildlife in the British Isles, the reasons behind it, and the concept of "rewilding," will only be viewable on the BBC's iPlayer service.
The documentary series was part-funded by nature charities the WWF and RSPB, but the final episode will not be broadcast along with the others and will instead be available only on the BBC's iPlayer service. All six episodes were narrated by Attenborough, and made by the production company Silverback Films, responsible for previous series including Our Planet, in collaboration with the BBC Natural History Unit.
Senior sources at the BBC told the Guardian that the decision not to show the sixth episode was made to fend off potential critique from the political right. This week the Telegraph newspaper attacked the BBC for creating the series and for taking funding from "two charities previously criticised for their political lobbying" – the WWF and RSPB.
One source at the broadcaster, who asked not to be named, said "lobbying groups that are desperately hanging on to their dinosaurian ways" such as the farming and game industry would "kick off" if the show had too political a message.
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