Doc Talk Podcast: Director Keith Scholey On His Emmy-Nominated ‘Ocean’ Voyage With The Amazing David Attenborough

Just after he turned 100, David Attenborough achieved the extraordinary. The famed naturalist and author earned not one but two Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Narrator this year, one for the Netflix documentary A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough, the other for the National Geographic film Ocean with David Attenborough.

In the latter project, Attenborough guides us through new discoveries about the oceans, like the importance of towering seamounts that can measure 3,000 meters high and their essential role nourishing marine life. Ocean also reveals wanton destruction of marine habitats — for the first time showing video of violent bottom trawling that turns sea floors into wastelands. But there are hopeful revelations too, about the capacity of the oceans to regenerate when given proper care.

On the latest edition of Deadline’s Doc Talk podcast, we talk with Emmy winner Keith Scholey, one of the directors of Ocean with David Attenborough, which has earned six Primetime Emmy nominations overall – tied for the most of any nonfiction film or series this year. He tells us about his long friendship and professional collaboration with Attenborough, who crossed the century mark in May. Regarding Sir David’s skill at narration (he’s won three Emmys for his voice-over work), Scholey theorizes that David learned something from his older brother, the late actor-director Richard Attenborough.

Scholey explores the latest findings from the documentary and how efforts at creating “no-take” zones are allowing the seas to rebound in many places. He also tells us what to keep an eye out for as a major El Niño event forms in the Pacific, which could develop into a Super El Niño by year’s end. “It’s terrifying,” he says.

That’s on the new episode of Doc Talk hosted by Oscar winner John Ridley (12 Years a Slave, Shirley) and Matt Carey, Deadline’s senior documentary editor. The pod is a production of Deadline and Ridley’s Nō Studios.

Listen to the episode above or on major podcast platforms including Spotify, iHeart and Apple.