Mike Gunton

{{Short description|British television producer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

File:cmglee_Mike_Gunton_zoology_department_talk.jpg at the Cambridge University Zoology Department in September 2017]]

Mike Gunton is a British television producer and a senior executive at the BBC Natural History Unit, the world's largest production unit dedicated to wildlife film-making.{{cite web|url=http://www.iawf.org.uk/directory.aspx?page=5&dcatid=1000 |title=Directory of Production Companies |work=The International Association of Wildlife Filmmakers |accessdate=2009-01-20 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100829134620/http://www.iawf.org.uk/directory.aspx?page=5&dcatid=1000 |archivedate=2010-08-29 }} In November 2009 he became the Unit's first Creative Director.{{cite web|url=http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/people/nhu-head-jackson-makes-mark-with-key-exec-changes/5008318.article |title=NHU head Jackson makes mark with key exec changes |work=Broadcast magazine |first=Katherine |last=Rushton |date=2009-11-19}}

As Creative Director of BBC Studios Natural History Unit, he is responsible for bringing new and pioneering stories about the natural world to global audiences,{{Cite news|last=Koblin|first=John|date=2020-01-15|title=Nature Shows Are Hot Again|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/15/business/media/hot-nature-shows.html|access-date=2020-09-09|issn=0362-4331}} including the BAFTA and Emmy winning Planet Earth II, which was viewed by millions worldwide{{Cite news|last=Wollaston|first=Sam|date=2016-11-07|title=Planet Earth II review: Attenborough's rollercoaster wildlife tour returns|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/nov/06/planet-earth-ii-review-david-attenboroughs-rollercoaster-tour-of-the-worlds-wildlife-returns|access-date=2020-09-09|issn=0261-3077}}. In 2018, his ground-breaking animal behaviours series, Dynasties, won a number of awards and was acclaimed by Sir David Attenborough as inventing a new genre in natural history film making.{{Cite web|title=Dynasties review: David Attenborough's new series is immaculate|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/dynasties-bbc-one-review-david-attenborough-chimpanzees-a8626141.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220514/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/dynasties-bbc-one-review-david-attenborough-chimpanzees-a8626141.html |archive-date=14 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=2020-09-09|website=The Independent|date=12 November 2018 |language=en}} A fellow of the Royal Television Society, he also speaks internationally and is an ambassador for natural history making, BBC Studios and the natural world.{{Cite web|date=2020-01-30|title=Mike Gunton - Creative Director, BBC Studios Natural History Unit|url=https://www.mediamasters.fm/mike-gunton/|access-date=2020-09-09|website=Media Masters|language=en}}  

He was the executive producer of Life, a nature documentary series which revealed the adaptive survival strategies of animals around the world, and as the co-author (with Martha Holmes) of the accompanying book. He co-directed (with Holmes) a feature film version of Life, and was the executive producer of a major BBC One series on African wildlife, broadcast in 2013.{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2010/04_april/29/africa.shtml |title=BBC One explores African continent in major new commission for Bristol's Natural History Unit |work=BBC Press Office |date=2010-04-29}}