Life (latest BBC nature programme)

[felixthecat]

Really? I was supporting the Killer Whales on that contest.

So was I!

I'm in the camp of 'can't get enough of film of animals I'll never see in the flesh'. And as for Killer Whales - well I can watch documentary after documentary on them.

I'm very glad i'm not a mummy octopus tho

 

[T & P]

I thought the slo-mo footage of the monkeys using stones to crack open the nuts was thought-provoking and powerful. Almost out of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

 

[Lea]

Really? I was supporting the Killer Whales on that contest.

The seal was outnumbered but still managed to escape!

(((((seal)))))

 

[Biddlybee]

*bump*

This is being repeated on BBC4 now

 

[perplexis]

Exactly.

I don't know if it was just because I happened to be listening to it slightly more closely than usual but it seemed worse than most nature programme music.

They should get Brian Eno or someone in to do it.

I usually watch Attenborough programs with my own soundtrack. I have a big iTunes playlist of ambienty stuff that goes really well with nature (Vladislav Delay, Stars of The Lid, Fennesz, nsi., etc.), you too can do this. Although it's a shame they don't do a cappella versions of the programs, that would be best, as I do like to hear David.
Usually I do this with the episodes I know by heart, so I have to have endured the cheesy tunes at least once. But I still recommend the strategy.

Oooh, a better idea: they should get David Lynch to do the soundtracks. Or Clint Mansell if they can't get him. That would be nice and dark

 

[kittyP]

Got it cued up on the iPlayer for when dinner is ready.
Looking forward to it

 

[krtek a houby]

Got it cued up on the iPlayer for when dinner is ready.
Looking forward to it

Hmm, avoid dinner for the penguin/seal moment

 

[krtek a houby]

I thought the slo-mo footage of the monkeys using stones to crack open the nuts was thought-provoking and powerful. Almost out of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Thought the very same myself

 

[kittyP]

Hmm, avoid dinner for the penguin/seal moment

I am not squeamish.

I do however cry very easily so that might be a problem....

 

[kazza007]

Can't wait for the glossy hard-back book to come out.

Not sure I could watch it again with box-sets, in reference to Planet Earth too, it's almost 'too epic'. And draining

 

[goldenecitrone]

Hmm, avoid dinner for the penguin/seal moment

Unless you are having penguin or seal for dinner. In which case, enjoy!

 

[teuchter]

I usually watch Attenborough programs with my own soundtrack. I have a big iTunes playlist of ambienty stuff that goes really well with nature (Vladislav Delay, Stars of The Lid, Fennesz, nsi., etc.), you too can do this. Although it's a shame they don't do a cappella versions of the programs, that would be best, as I do like to hear David.
Usually I do this with the episodes I know by heart, so I have to have endured the cheesy tunes at least once. But I still recommend the strategy.

That's a good idea.

I guess you could just put on the subtitles and that would solve the problem of what to do about the narration.

 

[QueenOfGoths]

Watched this last night and really enjoyed it, fantastic photography. Poor little penguin

 

[Biddlybee]

I was a bit pissed off by the dramatic music when the seal was eating the penguin... made it look like the seal was being really vicious, whereas he was just having his tea.

 

[rollinder]

Was it just me who felt sorry for the banished hippo?

 

[QueenOfGoths]

Was it just me who felt sorry for the banished hippo?

Mr QofG's comment on that was a sage "He'll be back" - as I think he was reminded wistfully of his own 'fights' for dominance in the pubs and club of Sutton when a teenager

 

[teuchter]

Was it just me who felt sorry for the banished hippo?

No.

 

[kittyP]

I was a bit pissed off by the dramatic music when the seal was eating the penguin... made it look like the seal was being really vicious, whereas he was just having his tea.

I did kinda think that.
I thought that it was no different, in the grand scheme of things, to a bird eating a worm.

Still, loved (what I saw of) the programme. We watched most of it while eating tea and then promptly fell asleep before the end.

 

[kazza007]

I didn't feel sorry for the hippi, from the looks of it he had a big old section of lake to himself

 

[Gingerman]

Jeeze those Komodo Dragons ,that poor Buffolo,if I was one of those camera-men I'd want better protection than some bloke with a fucking stick

 

[T & P]

Jeeze those Komodo Dragons ,that poor Buffolo,if I was one of those camera-men I'd want better protection than some bloke with a fucking stick

I felt really bad about that Buffalo. Quite horrible to take three weeks to die, constantly followed by the animals that are going to eat you. Judging by the 'making of' bit at the end the crew felt equally bad about it.

Amazing creatures though. I read somewhere that even modern medicine might struggle to save the life of anyone bitten by a Komodo, due to the ultra poisonous nature of their bite (only I'd thought it wasn't poison as such, but high concentrations of nasty bacteria).

On a more cheerful note I liked the 'skydiving' and pebble frogs a lot. And the Jesus Christ lizard of course

 

[El Sueno]

I was, quite frankly, jaw-drop-amazed at some of the photography in this show. Absolute fucking class.

 

[Gingerman]

I felt really bad about that Buffalo. Quite horrible to take three weeks to die, constantly followed by the animals that are going to eat you. Judging by the 'making of' bit at the end the crew felt equally bad about it.

Amazing creatures though. I read somewhere that even modern medicine might struggle to save the life of anyone bitten by a Komodo, due to the ultra poisonous nature of their bite (only I'd thought it wasn't poison as such, but high concentrations of nasty bacteria).

On a more cheerful note I liked the 'skydiving' and pebble frogs a lot. And the Jesus Christ lizard of course

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Bronstein
Sharon Stone's ex was bitten by one in a zoo a few years ago

 

[Gingerman]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komodo_dragon
Some facinating stuff about them

 

[William of Walworth]

I was, quite frankly, jaw-drop-amazed at some of the photography in this show. Absolute fucking class.

Agreed, I'm absolutely loving this new series ....

 

[spartacus mills]

On a more cheerful note I liked the 'skydiving' and pebble frogs a lot. And the Jesus Christ lizard of course

Yeah, and I was amazed by the toad who figured out it could save the tadpoles by digging a channel from the small pool to the larger one.

 

[ricbake]

Bad news for Buffalos but do you love the Jesus Christ Lizard and the bouncing toads!

 

[The Groke]

I was, quite frankly, jaw-drop-amazed at some of the photography in this show. Absolute fucking class.

Amazing - especially in high-def on a suitable TV...one of the few shows that is.

 

[trabuquera]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komodo_dragon
Some facinating stuff about them

Mmmmm, like "due to lack of medium-sized prey on their islands, up to 10% of a Komodo dragon's diet is .... baby Komodo dragons" ... yum.

Everyone I know who watched this edition is now convinced that however endangered and amazing they are, the Komodos are "evil". It's like a Daily Mail-inspired lynch mob I tell you.

You know these scaly things are bad when a nature cameraman says with a straight face "I didn't get into this game to watch animals die". Um, are you sure, mate? I rather thought it was an indispensable part of the job, even if it wasn't your primary motivation ....

 

[felixthecat]

Those meerkats falling over asleep while on sentry duty - bless!

And the whales were awesome - but whales are always awesome anyway.