Keith Scholey: Movies & Box Office

Keith Scholey (born 24 June 1957) is a British producer, director and former television executive renowned for his work on natural‑history documentaries. He began his career after earning a PhD in zoology from the University of Bristol, joining the BBC Natural History Unit in 1983 as a researcher on David Attenborough’s The Living Planet. Over the next decade he rose to producer, contributing to series such as The Natural World, Wildlife on One, and the groundbreaking The Private Life of Plants, and he created the long‑running Big Cat Diary. In 1998 Scholey was appointed Head of the Natural History Unit, overseeing landmark series including State of the Planet, The Life of Mammals, The Blue Planet and Wild Africa, as well as pioneering live broadcasts like The Abyss – Live and Springwatch. His executive talent was recognised in 2002 when he became Controller of Specialist Factual for BBC Factual and Learning, supervising a diverse portfolio that ranged from Auschwitz to Planet Earth and the iconic Horizon series. By 2006 he was Controller of Factual Production for BBC Vision, guiding the creation of The One Show and serving as Deputy Chief Creative Officer for BBC Vision Productions. After leaving the BBC in 2008, Scholey co‑directed Disneynature films such as African Cats (2011), Bears (2014) and Dolphin Reef (2020) with Alastair Fothergill, and executive‑produced Discovery Channel’s North America (2013). In 2012 he co‑founded Silverback Films, a Bristol‑based production house that has delivered acclaimed series for Netflix, including Our Planet (2019) and its sequel Our Planet II (2023), as well as Life on Our Planet (2023). He also served as series producer on Our Planet and directed the Netflix documentary David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet (2020). Recognised for his scientific communication, Scholey was awarded a Doctor of Science (DSc) by the University of Bristol in 2001, serves as a trustee of Wildscreen, and holds qualifications as a SCUBA diver and pilot. Today he remains a joint director of Silverback Films Ltd and Studio Silverback Ltd, continuing to shape the future of natural‑history storytelling.