A programme like this is above all necessary to bring home awareness of global warming's consequences. In that very limited sense the animals are just props. The film makers want to make a beautiful film. The BBC wants beautiful viewing figures. The scientists want a valid study. These things are not necessarily compatible. The crew were there to operate the recording equipment (good luck in those winter storms) but the cameras and microphones have no feelings about penguins one way or the other.
The penguins' way of life has evolved by finding out how to address the problems that nature throws at them. I don't know if that particular colony is thriving or dwindling but there were certainly plenty of penguins to be seen. It seems miraculous to us that they even survive the harsh climate, not to mention their cruelties to each other. But it's what they do. That ravine has no doubt claimed the lives of countless penguins over all the years and will do so into the future. Human intervention has so far had a negligible impact but climate change is a very different matter.
Helping the penguins was understandable. However, it was wrong and could only be considered at all justifiable because as an individual action it was insignificant (except, naturally, to the animals directly concerned). This all sounds so callous, I admit, and be assured my reactions when watching the film were quite different. Dave does like to anthropomorphize, it's true, but when all's said and done we're all animals.
I caught this show and shortly afterwards, on a tip-off from my son, the WW1 film just before it disappeared from iPlayer. Quite exceptional productions - we are indeed fortunate to enjoy such outstanding quality.
Total super stars that are so natural in front of the camera. I'm a celebrity, get me out of here . The penguins with their Charlie Chaplin walk and fur coat and no knickers attitude to mating was bordering on the voyeuristic but made for a great drama. Death, sex, kidnapping, fighting over partners, and going walkabout into the blizzard: did we care about the little fella ? You bet we did. Just like EastEnders except the acting was better and no one forgot Their lines.
PS. As the penguins weren't part of the food chain down south ( the film crew were probably vegans) I was pleased to see the emperor's saved.
It's very easy to say from a sofa that they should have let 30 penguins die a completely pointless death. When you're out there, watching them, the reality is different. The film crew would have to live with themselves watching animals helplessly die. It may not have been the right thing to do but I imagine those people found it easier to live with themselves.
The programme is fantastic but I wish the volume of the music wasn't so high. We keep having to turn down the volume when the music is playing, then turn it up again to hear David Attenborough.
We couldn’t watch last nights. Would have had all the dogs in the kennels going mental.
Why do they have their own Telly?
As good as. The kennels are attached to the house. We have a wee window from the lounge into it so they can see light & hear us. It keeps them calm & they feel safe. When we have the tv on they can definitely hear it. Last time we had an nature programme on with hyenas they all went mental & we had to switch it over lol
Loving the thought that people may be reading it and having not yet seen the episode and reading about "David" getting mauled by chimps and RIP and perhaps frantically checking their phones for news about Mr Attenborough.
New thread for me. Caught out by this some 3 years later
Comments
A programme like this is above all necessary to bring home awareness of global warming's consequences. In that very limited sense the animals are just props. The film makers want to make a beautiful film. The BBC wants beautiful viewing figures. The scientists want a valid study. These things are not necessarily compatible. The crew were there to operate the recording equipment (good luck in those winter storms) but the cameras and microphones have no feelings about penguins one way or the other.
The penguins' way of life has evolved by finding out how to address the problems that nature throws at them. I don't know if that particular colony is thriving or dwindling but there were certainly plenty of penguins to be seen. It seems miraculous to us that they even survive the harsh climate, not to mention their cruelties to each other. But it's what they do. That ravine has no doubt claimed the lives of countless penguins over all the years and will do so into the future. Human intervention has so far had a negligible impact but climate change is a very different matter.
Helping the penguins was understandable. However, it was wrong and could only be considered at all justifiable because as an individual action it was insignificant (except, naturally, to the animals directly concerned). This all sounds so callous, I admit, and be assured my reactions when watching the film were quite different. Dave does like to anthropomorphize, it's true, but when all's said and done we're all animals.
I caught this show and shortly afterwards, on a tip-off from my son, the WW1 film just before it disappeared from iPlayer. Quite exceptional productions - we are indeed fortunate to enjoy such outstanding quality.
I'm a celebrity, get me out of here. The penguins with their Charlie Chaplin walk and fur coat and no knickers attitude to mating was bordering on the voyeuristic but made for a great drama. Death, sex, kidnapping, fighting over partners, and going walkabout into the blizzard: did we care about the little fella ?You bet we did.
Just like EastEnders except the acting was better and no one forgot Their lines.
PS. As the penguins weren't part of the food chain down south ( the film crew were probably vegans) I was pleased to see the emperor's saved.
What a woman Charm is!
This is incredible
Would have had all the dogs in the kennels going mental.
The kennels are attached to the house. We have a wee window from the lounge into it so they can see light & hear us. It keeps them calm & they feel safe.
When we have the tv on they can definitely hear it.
Last time we had an nature programme on with hyenas they all went mental & we had to switch it over lol
cant beat a nature doc