Attenborough's London Documentary Creators Wanted to 'Rebrand' Rats as Intelligent Creatures
In a surprising revelation from the production of David Attenborough's recent documentary "Wild London," filmmakers have disclosed that they seriously considered including the capital's much-maligned rats to give them a positive image makeover. Director Joe Loncraine expressed his desire to transform public perception of these urban dwellers during a Q+A session about the film, presented in partnership with Investec.
The Unseen Stars of London's Wildlife
While the 58-minute documentary successfully showcased London's diverse fauna including foxes, birds of prey, hedgehogs, fallow deer, Tube-riding pigeons, bats, and mice, Loncraine revealed that rats nearly made the final cut. "I actually would have quite liked to have put rats in," he confessed. "I think we might have been able to do for rats what we hopefully did for foxes and pigeons. A little bit of rebranding. They're really smart animals."
This ambition comes against the backdrop of staggering population estimates suggesting London could be home to approximately 20 million rats, creatures that typically evoke dread among residents who fear encountering them in kitchen cupboards or beneath floorboards.
Documentary Editing Challenges and Missed Opportunities
The creative team faced difficult decisions about which stories to include in the limited runtime. "There were only so many stories we could include," explained the filmmakers, leading to the exclusion of not just rats but also the fascinating seahorses living in the Thames River.
Loncraine expressed particular regret about the seahorses, which have been discovered near The Globe theatre on the Southbank. "The water's not really clear enough, but even if we had tanks to show their behavior, they dance, males get pregnant and give birth," he said. "That would have been quite amazing. I would have loved to have done that."
Attenborough's Curatorial Role and Production Insights
The final selection of animals featured in "Wild London" was personally overseen by Sir David Attenborough himself, with decisions based primarily on which creatures offered the most compelling narrative arcs. One particularly gripping scene captures a baby fox hiding in shrubbery as off-leash dogs attempt to sniff it out in parkland.
Gaby Bastyra, executive producer at Passion Planet who produced the documentary, noted that Attenborough "doesn't feel the need" to revisit topics he's covered during his remarkable 70-year career. Instead, he actively seeks fresh subjects, which ultimately drew him to create a documentary focused exclusively on London's wildlife.
Loncraine shared additional insights about working with the legendary broadcaster: "He's incredibly easy to work with. I've worked with presenters in their 30s who are far more difficult. I think if you imagine what most 80 year olds are like, he's a bit like that, but he's 100."
The director further elaborated on the production advantages: "You don't get many days with him but the beauty of what we had. When I've worked with him before in the US, half the time you've got with him is used up on travel. Whereas with this, every single day he was on camera, which was great."
The documentary ultimately presents London as a thriving ecosystem where nature persists and adapts within one of the world's busiest urban environments, even if some of its most controversial and fascinating inhabitants didn't make the final edit.
