[pressld2]

The problem I have with people like Bill Oddie and Alan Titchmarsh is that they are "celebrities" first and "presenters" second (if at all). I'm not sure that it's entirely their fault as I suspect the producers of their programmes have a lot to answer for. They seem to think that everything has to be fun, fluffy and lightweight to appeal to a mass audience and that anything with a bit of depth and serious content won't get watched. And this in spite of the fact that Sir David has consistently scored massive viewing figures without larking around, cracking jokes, dumbing down, anthropomorphising his subjects or, above all, patronising his audience.

I've seen a trailer for the programme now and it definitely looks like the camerawork is everything we've come to expect from the BBC Natural History Unit. Fingers firmly crossed that Alan doesn't spoil it!

Dave P.