Attenborough to front two more shows

Sir David Attenborough is to front two more natural history series for the BBC.

The 81-year-old is believed to be narrating Frozen Planet, following the success of last year's Planet Earth and 2001's Blue Planet.

He will also feature in Life, a "major anthropology series about life on Earth" to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s book The Origin Of The Species. Both shows should be screened in 2009.

The broadcaster's next series Life In Cold Blood, which examines the world of reptiles and amphibians, will air early next year.

The new shows were announced by BBC Vision director Jana Bennett as part of a raft of new factual programming over the next three years.

Sir David, whose broadcasting career has spanned more than 50 years, was awarded the Order of Merit by the Queen in 2005.