The Nature of Britain - Page 3

matt_xyz · #51 (**permalink**) 10-10-2007, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nutmeg

I tried watching it. Good footage - but I'm afraid Alan Titchmarsh's commentary was excruciatingly awful. The whole programme appeared to be little more than an extended trailer. Not going to bother with any further episodes.

it was a bit like a trailer because it was the introductory episode so they were setting the scene and outlining the topics they were going to return to in the series.

I thought it was excellent. Any documentary that celebrates British wildlife is good in my book. It's not going to be high brow science - this is prime time BBC1 and they're aiming for a big audience. One thing you are guaranteed is very high quality photography. They seem to out do themselves in each subsequent natural history series.

I don't really understand the objections to Alan Titchmarsh either. Both he and Attenborough are only narrators. It's the production team who decide on the topics, the 'stories' and the locations. I personally find Titchmarsh to be a perfectly good narrator and quite like his warm, friendly tone.

Matt

GME · #52 (**permalink**) 10-10-2007, 10:33 PM

Yeah, I enjoyed tonight's episode. I thought some of the shots were amazing! Looking forward to Packham on BBC 4 in the user guide next...

pressld2 · #53 (**permalink**) 10-10-2007, 10:36 PM

Just finished watching it and I enjoyed it too. Will definitely stick with the rest.

I was apprehensive about Alan Titchmarsh for reasons stated in posts above, but he was nowhere near as bad as he could have been. And I agree with Matt_xyz, it's the production team who decide on the level they're pitching for - Alan just does and says what he's told.

(Although I'm sure that several Attenborough series scored massive viewing figures at 9pm on BBC1 without resorting to the Pink Panther theme!)

Dave P.

Dan Salter · #54 (**permalink**) 10-10-2007, 10:50 PM

Yes i enjoyed it and i would anyway as its promoting BRITISH wildlife and not tropical species and orangutangs and lions..

The cinematography was spot on as usual...granted i could pick better presenters than the titmarsh but the star is the wildlife surely?

AND...the biggest plus for all of us is the promoting of wildlife sincervation volunteering on prime time bbc tv...which is priceless.

(Plus my group should appear somewhere)

It did feel a little like a trailer becuase it WAS basically a trailer for the entire series which seems to be the norm now in these situations...i just hope when the dvd comes out it will include ALL the regional special end programmes ?.

Blackbrook Eye · #55 (**permalink**) 10-10-2007, 11:01 PM

I thought it was very refreshing to see a program about wildlife that I could relate to, without the need to hack a way through great rain forests or treck for miles accross plains and deserts on some far flung continent, while lions and tigers etc. are great to watch, I still think that the diversity in this country is as good as it gets, if you take the trouble to get up close. I look forward to the rest of the series as I think that this kind of program is where the BBC really excels.

solus · #56 (**permalink**) 10-10-2007, 11:25 PM

Brilliant!

Filming of the excellent standard and high quality we've come to expect from the BBC Natural History Unit. Loved it near the beginning when that Arctic Skua chick just fell over backwards!

Looking forward to the next 7 episodes - and I think AT is lovely.

Dan Salter · #57 (**permalink**) 11-10-2007, 12:18 AM

WOW WOW WOW !!! Nature of britian - A users guide....now THAT is what im talking about..

The titmarsh show was fine....but THIS second show at 11pm is what i wanted...absolutely spot on...got me emotional, inspired, fired up again...packham works so much better for me than titmarsh with his actual wildlife/ecology knowledge....

much more gritty real footage...less emphasis on the cinema style cinematography and music score...and in 1 hour long show i learnt several new things...

It totally hammered home the message and highlighted the work of conservation organisations....

I am gutted it was on so late as i really feel THIS is the programme of the new bbc series people needed to see...thankfully its on at 10pm from now on directly after the nature of britain main show...i just hope everyone has cable/sky/digital and can get bbc4 i also hope these programmes will be included on the dvd set?

oh im smiling...it was a superb hour long program of great importance in my book...well done bbc...just wish it was on bbc1 directly after the main show ???

Dan

September · #58 (**permalink**) 11-10-2007, 05:03 AM

Will they be repeating the users guide on the same day they repeat the main feature program? Won't be able to watch on Wednesdays due to late working pattern.

Sounds good though, looking forward to the repeats.

Wild-Woman · #59 (**permalink**) 11-10-2007, 05:43 AM

Typically I missed it as I was at an RSPB local group meeting. But I'm reassured by the fact that it's going to be repeated.
As has already been said, whoever presents it,there's no escaping the fact that this is OUR wildlife and it deserves as high a profile as do the creatures in the deep oceans and in exotic locations around the planet.

I shall be absorbed with our natural history as I would with penguins in Antartica.

Now, when is it going to be repeated?

eeyore · #60 (**permalink**) 11-10-2007, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matt_xyz

I don't really understand the objections to Alan Titchmarsh either. Both he and Attenborough are only narrators. It's the production team who decide on the topics, the 'stories' and the locations. I personally find Titchmarsh to be a perfectly good narrator and quite like his warm, friendly tone.

Matt

I agree with whats already been said that anything that gets wildlife in front of people on prime time can only be a good thing.

however i would say that david attenborough is not just a narrator - he is an expert in the field and that comes across in his comentary - as it does with simon king , chris packham , and sundry others.

titmarsh on the other hand is essentially reading a script , and however well he does it this just isnt the same as having an expert on the scene (okay some attenborough shows are scripted now but in the early days of things like life on earth he wrote his own script and/or did it ad lib)

if you reversed the situation and had simon king and charlotte ulenbrook presenting gardeners world from a preprepared script i'm sure we would see the same comments from enraged gardeners accross the land.

my problem isnt with AT per se - im sure hes a nice enough bloke , but with the general move in production values to getting actors to read scripts ( I heard one natural world commentated by james nesbit the other day

) rather than hiring people who actually know what they are talking about then letting them talk.

matt_xyz · #61 (**permalink**) 11-10-2007, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eeyore

I agree with whats already been said that anything that gets wildlife in front of people on prime time can only be a good thing.

however i would say that david attenborough is not just a narrator - he is an expert in the field and that comes across in his comentary - as it does with simon king , chris packham , and sundry others.

titmarsh on the other hand is essentially reading a script , and however well he does it this just isnt the same as having an expert on the scene (okay some attenborough shows are scripted now but in the early days of things like life on earth he wrote his own script and/or did it ad lib)
if you reversed the situation and had simon king and charlotte ulenbrook presenting gardeners world from a preprepared script i'm sure we would see the same comments from enraged gardeners accross the land.

my problem isnt with AT per se - im sure hes a nice enough bloke , but with the general move in production values to getting actors to read scripts ( I heard one natural world commentated by james nesbit the other day

) rather than hiring people who actually know what they are talking about then letting them talk.

I see the point you're making, but you could argue that as long as the script is written by an 'expert' is makes little difference who actually reads it out. It's the content and the delivery that matters. That said, I wouldn't want to see Ant and Dec presenting the next flagship wildlife series

I also wonder whether Attenborough really is the expert people assume he is. He's not a formally trained zoologist or botanist is he? Presumably he's picked up a decent working knowledge over the years but I don't think Titchmarsh is entirely clueless on these matters. He does at least seem to have a good knowledge of plantlife.

Matt

juliejam · #62 (**permalink**) 11-10-2007, 10:21 AM

Found this one very enjoyable ..with Alan Titchmarsh
who comes across as a warm and friendly guy and is
easy on the ears so to speak..

I dont know the name of the flight before going to
voost but watching that very large flock of starlings was
amazing..a lovely way to end my day..

Julie

Gill Catton · #63 (**permalink**) 11-10-2007, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matt_xyz

I see the point you're making, but you could argue that as long as the script is written by an 'expert' is makes little difference who actually reads it out. It's the content and the delivery that matters. That said, I wouldn't want to see Ant and Dec presenting the next flagship wildlife series

I also wonder whether Attenborough really is the expert people assume he is. He's not a formally trained zoologist or botanist is he? Presumably he's picked up a decent working knowledge over the years but I don't think Titchmarsh is entirely clueless on these matters. He does at least seem to have a good knowledge of plantlife.

Matt

No I agree, having read the article on him in the countryfile magazine its clear that his love of the countryside started before his love of gardening.... And his approach to me it seemed was one of 'I'm learning something new here myself' which is perfect really for the main audience I think. I think folks are being very hard on him without actually knowing all that much about the guy other than he presents gardening shows.

If Tony Robinson can sucessfully make the transition from Baldrick to archaeological assistant and presenter of historical content shows I don't see why Alan can't present a show like this....

paulchandler6 · #64 (**permalink**) 11-10-2007, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

If Tony Robinson can sucessfully make the transition from Baldrick to archaeological assistant and presenter of historical content shows I don't see why Alan can't present a show like this....

I agree

He came over as very sincere in his concern for the countryside and pretty knowledgeable. The program last night was very good and the sequence of the Starlings going to roost was amazing.
Have seen Starlings before going to roost before but not in such numbers and not as spectacular.

Paul

goosey · #65 (**permalink**) 11-10-2007, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

If Tony Robinson can sucessfully make the transition from Baldrick to archaeological assistant and presenter of historical content shows I don't see why Alan can't present a show like this....

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulchandler6

I agree

He came over as very sincere in his concern for the countryside and pretty knowledgeable. The program last night was very good and the sequence of the Starlings going to roost was amazing.
Have seen Starlings before going to roost before but not in such numbers and not as spectacular.

Paul

I feel the same! I thought that Alan came across as very warm and sincere. He has the knack of when he is talking to the camera, of making it feel so personal like he is talking to me. I think it was an ingenious piece of casting.

It was a super programme with great film clips, seeing those bottle nose dolphins so close to shore and the starling film was awsome and I didn't know that there were blond Hedgehogs until last night. Aren't we lucky to have such a diverse wildlife! I look forward to the coming weeks.

It left me with a "feel good" feeling, and proud to be British.

Lance Morgan · #66 (**permalink**) 11-10-2007, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matt_xyz

I see the point you're making, but you could argue that as long as the script is written by an 'expert' is makes little difference who actually reads it out. It's the content and the delivery that matters. That said, I wouldn't want to see Ant and Dec presenting the next flagship wildlife series

I also wonder whether Attenborough really is the expert people assume he is. He's not a formally trained zoologist or botanist is he? Presumably he's picked up a decent working knowledge over the years but I don't think Titchmarsh is entirely clueless on these matters. He does at least seem to have a good knowledge of plantlife.

Matt

Well said Matt - agree with you entirely. I thoroughly enjoyed both programmes. Its the enthusiasm shown by AT and CP that came across nicely as well as the superb production itself. A script is just a script whoever reads it.

Wild-Woman · #67 (**permalink**) 11-10-2007, 04:25 PM

I saw a very nice wildlife documentary narrated by Tom Conti the other day. He's an actor, as we all know, but his voice-over was absolutely brilliant. I don't think he has a wildlife background but you could feel that the guy obviously loved narrating it by the emotion in his voice. Now you could argue that it's his acting coming out, but so what, he had me and many others watching it rivetted for 45mins.
And that's what it's all about really...getting folk hooked into nature.

jamie_from-kent · #68 (**permalink**) 11-10-2007, 07:02 PM

I loved yesterdays show. It was better than i thought it was going to be and I am looking forward to next Wednesdays. I only saw the 2nd half of the sister programme with Packham. Does anybody know if that programme is repeated??

sheffielder · #69 (**permalink**) 11-10-2007, 07:44 PM

Yes, it will be repeated on BBC4 Sunday at 8.00pm

sleepinabox · #70 (**permalink**) 11-10-2007, 07:55 PM

Liked the photograqphy and the subjects and the ideas but I cannot get on with Mr Titchmarsh. Why does nature need a musical soundtrack though? Wouldn't the natural sounds be enough?
Rose

Perry Grin · #71 (**permalink**) 11-10-2007, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nutmeg

I tried watching it. Good footage - but I'm afraid Alan Titchmarsh's commentary was excruciatingly awful. The whole programme appeared to be little more than an extended trailer. Not going to bother with any further episodes.

Mmmmmm these series always seem to start with a bit of a trailer don't they. Still I stick with it a quite enjoyed it. Will definately have it on next week.

Kinda feel that they missed a trick though. Alan kept banging on about how we had 75% of the worlds this and 80% of the worlds breeding that, all down to our rich seas etc...... Made it sound like the UK coast was mega-healthy, no word on the shoals of sand eels etc failing in some areas. Think it might give average Joe public a rather rose tinted view of the current situation which added to the general apathy shown by many, can't be good

John D · #72 (**permalink**) 11-10-2007, 08:39 PM

Interesting to note that David Attenborough and Alan Titmarch have not so different backgrounds. See BBC Science & Nature web site for details.
Both have been involved in gardening and nature programmes over the years and have held senior posts in nature conservancy organisations etc.
Granted David Attenborough has been involved in the nature side of things for a much longer period but then he is after all a bit older.
John D

jamie_from-kent · #73 (**permalink**) 11-10-2007, 08:52 PM

Obviously Attenborough is a legend but I do like Alan and like I said befor ei thought yesterdays show was great but it is true that it made our seas sound like a paradise for animals and plants.