do wildlife presenters go too far?

[Dan Salter]

" You can please ALL of the people SOME of the time, and you can please SOME of the people ALL of the time....but you cant please ALL of the people ...ALL of the time"

but personally i cant fault Packham or King or Attenborough.

I can fault Titmarsh, Oddie and JK.

I also agree/wish the footage used on JK was that of the BBC crew and not Johnny...

I LOVE Johnny for what and who he is...but i STRONGLY disagree (as i have vented on other JK threads) with his actions, inaccuracies and crazy techniques and ideas....although in his defence none of you moaned when Sir David shoved a camera tank down a hole...but when JK does it? ( albeit a bit more amature)

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

I LOVE Johnny for what and who he is...but i STRONGLY disagree (as i have vented on other JK threads) with his actions, inaccuracies and crazy techniques and ideas....although in his defence none of you moaned when Sir David shoved a camera tank down a hole...but when JK does it? ( albeit a bit more amature)

To be fair you can be sure DA would have checked with the experts before considering doing that. And they would know how the tortoise would react - it was used to having holemates. Im not sure about Badgers

[Goatboy]

To be fair you can be sure DA would have checked with the experts before considering doing that. And they would know how the tortoise would react - it was used to having holemates. Im not sure about badgers

Didn't JK say that he was getting permission to film the Badgers on account of their protected status?

[Dan Salter]

Originally Posted by Goatboy

Didn't JK say that he was getting permission to film the Badgers on account of their protected status?

Yes he did. and he had a license

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

" You can please ALL of the people SOME of the time, and you can please SOME of the people ALL of the time....but you cant please ALL of the people ...ALL of the time"

but personally i cant fault Packham or King or Attenborough.

I can fault Titmarsh, Oddie and JK.

I also agree/wish the footage used on JK was that of the BBC crew and not Johnny...

I LOVE Johnny for what and who he is...but i STRONGLY disagree (as i have vented on other JK threads) with his actions, inaccuracies and crazy techniques and ideas....although in his defence none of you moaned when Sir David shoved a camera tank down a hole...but when JK does it? ( albeit a bit more amature)

It wasn't a tank Sir David put down the hole, it was an endoscope type thing with camera built in. Wasn't he surprised when a snake came out.

[Dan Salter]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

It wasn't a tank Sir David put down the hole, it was an endoscope type thing with camera built in. Wasn't he surprised when a snake came out.

Maybe not on the latest series but i have seen a remote tank just like JK's used down burrows and holes a few times in the past

[witham]

I agree, I would much rather watch people like Johnny Kingdom, Bill Oddy etc who are perhaps a bit too enthusiastic at times but obviously totally believe in what they are doing, than someone who has a microphone stuck in his or her hand reading off the autocue and looking completley out of place, if that's what they have to do to get peoples interest rather than boreing them to death then bring it on J.K. I say, another perhaps over enthusiastic wildlife presenter was the late great Steve Irwin, who did more for certain species than most of the others put together, it was his whole life not just a job where he was a TV celebrity for a few weeks while he recorded his series and the freak accident when he died doing something many others have done before him was dreadfull.

[nightshade]

Enthusiasm is fine but JK's antics can send the wrong signals to similarly
enthusiastic young people who will not have a camera crew stood by to keep them in check.
There are super people on this site who would make excellent presenters,
no need for egotistical clowns

[Poirot]

I think Bill oddie and co do a fantastic job, yeah he has slight overenthusiasm, but I think that one of the key factors why Autumnwatch, springwatch have been so succesful. I think that Alan Tichmarch's nature programmes (nature of britain, British isles a natural history) a really really good, bordering on fantastic.

Sir david Attenbrough is a legend No arguments

poirot

[Dan Salter]

Originally Posted by witham

I agree, I would much rather watch people like Johnny Kingdom, Bill Oddy etc who are perhaps a bit too enthusiastic at times but obviously totally believe in what they are doing, than someone who has a microphone stuck in his or her hand reading off the autocue and looking completley out of place, if that's what they have to do to get peoples interest rather than boreing them to death then bring it on J.K. I say, another perhaps over enthusiastic wildlife presenter was the late great Steve Irwin, who did more for certain species than most of the others put together, it was his whole life not just a job where he was a TV celebrity for a few weeks while he recorded his series and the freak accident when he died doing something many others have done before him was dreadfull.

in that case you "disagree" with the majority of the thread.

[Kayleigh]

I loved watching Steve Irwin..He was one absolutely crazy guy..He new his stuff.. Although he looked like he took risks he new when to stop. His death was tragic..

[demicav]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

I loved watching Steve Irwin..He was one absolutely crazy guy..He new his stuff.. Although he looked like he took risks he new when to stop. His death was tragic..

I agree, he was a brilliant guy. I was gutted when he died.

[Wild-Woman]

The thing is that all of these presenters, whether you love them or can't stand them, have put natural history firmly in the limelight, which is surely a good thing.
We all have different approaches to life and come across in very diverse ways, which pleases some more than others. So all in all, there's a presenter for everybody out there to suit the way we want to understand wildlife.
So to me, if it gets me interested and enthusiastic about a particular species, and of course so long as no harm is done while filming them, then they're all good presenters.

[Poirot]

I think the real stars of the wildlife programmes (although most of the presenters are good) are the camera men who get these shots, i think sometimes people register the images with the presenter rather than with the cameramen who spent hours in the sweltering heat or in an artic gale waiting to get a shot of an animal.

[Dan Salter]

Originally Posted by Poirot

I think the real stars of the wildlife programmes (although most of the presenters are good) are the camera men who get these shots, i think sometimes people register the images with the presenter rather than with the cameramen who spent hours in the sweltering heat or in an artic gale waiting to get a shot of an animal.

Oh no...for sure we register the pictures with the presenter when JK is concerned...because they are mostly shaky, blurry, out of focus and unwatchable...thank god the odd piece of BBC camera work gets spliced in!

But yes...this is why most of us rate Simon King above most others as he presents AND is a top class wildlife camera man...and so is the Buchanan bloke.

[Dan Salter]

Originally Posted by Wild-Woman

The thing is that all of these presenters, whether you love them or can't stand them, have put natural history firmly in the limelight, which is surely a good thing.
We all have different approaches to life and come across in very diverse ways, which pleases some more than others. So all in all, there's a presenter for everybody out there to suit the way we want to understand wildlife.
So to me, if it gets me interested and enthusiastic about a particular species, and of course so long as no harm is done while filming them, then they're all good presenters.

Totally agree with most of this Julie...except for the last bit which is what is whats mostly in quesion with people like JK...
and also the fact he gives out incorrect data/facts to millions who believe his every word....something the likes of Packham and Simon King wouldnt do.

but all along i have not criticised JK's (or the Oddies) enthusiasm and ability to get people and kids interested.

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

Oh no...for sure we register the pictures with the presenter when JK is concerned...because they are mostly shaky, blurry, out of focus and unwatchable...thank god the odd piece of BBC camera work gets spliced in!

But yes...this is why most of us rate Simon King above most others as he presents AND is a top class wildlife camera man...and so is the Buchanan bloke.

Maybe the elephants can teach him a thing or two

[ron1863]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

Oh no...for sure we register the pictures with the presenter when JK is concerned...because they are mostly shaky, blurry, out of focus and unwatchable...thank god the odd piece of BBC camera work gets spliced in!

But yes...this is why most of us rate Simon King above most others as he presents AND is a top class wildlife camera man...and so is the Buchanan bloke.

Hi Dan is that bloke Buchanan the same one who filmed Glasgow foxes on Autumn Watch and spent a year filming on a Scottish Island, I think it could have been Mull. If so, then I agree, he is an excellent cameraman and presenter but my all time favourite presenter was the late Jack Hargreaves who was so knowledgeable and also had an easy going manner about him.
As everyone knows, I'm not too keen on Oddie as he constantly butts in when anyone else is talking and drives me nuts with the moustache licking and poor attempts at humour.

[Adam Cheeseman]

Originally Posted by ron1863

but my all time favourite presenter was the late Jack Hargreaves who was so knowledgeable and also had an easy going manner about him.

Remember him well for his relaxed style and pipe-smoking. Unfortunately the thing I recall about him the most is when he was talking about a pair of Yellow Wagtails catching insects by a river. Yep, they were Grey Wagtails.

Adam

[Dan Salter]

Originally Posted by ron1863

Hi Dan is that bloke Buchanan the same one who filmed Glasgow foxes on Autumn Watch and spent a year filming on a Scottish Island, I think it could have been Mull. If so, then I agree, he is an excellent cameraman and presenter but my all time favourite presenter was the late Jack Hargreaves who was so knowledgeable and also had an easy going manner about him.
As everyone knows, I'm not too keen on Oddie as he constantly butts in when anyone else is talking and drives me nuts with the moustache licking and poor attempts at humour.

Thats the one ! i totally know his first name...until i started this post and its gone again.

[ron1863]

Hi Dan, I must admit I forgot his name too - Gordon - found on google

[Dan Salter]

Hoorah! and a thoroughly nice chap he seems too! Wish it was him and humble presenting springwatch!

[Perry Grin]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

Hoorah! and a thoroughly nice chap he seems too! Wish it was him and humble presenting springwatch!

Are you sure you don't wish it were YOU and Humble?????

[ChrisJB]

Originally Posted by Adam Cheeseman

Remember him well for his relaxed style and pipe-smoking. Unfortunately the thing I recall about him the most is when he was talking about a pair of Yellow Wagtails catching insects by a river. Yep, they were Grey Wagtails.

Adam

I know what you