Nature

[possibilities]

I really like this PBS show, and am hoping there are others who watch it.

 

I just watched the episode they did about Sardines, which was very interesting. But, as often happens with these shows, I really want to know how they got the film they did-- for instance, there seemed to be cameras with sharks as they hunted sardines. I don't know what human would swim in the middle of that mess. It looks like it would be extremely dangerous and also they were moving really fast-- how would a human keep up? The other thing that sticks in my craw is that they were describing the relationship between "seals" and sardines, but I swear they were showing sea lions.

[DanaK]

Perhaps they used underwater drones or stationary cameras

[possibilities]

It must be something like that. It's really stunning, and a lot of the episodes have similarly impressive photography. I wish they'd do a show on how they do it, because it's distractingly amazing to me. 

I do know they put stationary cameras in underground burrows for animals that den underground. 

And there are also obvious overheard shots they probably get with helicopters. 

 

[possibilities]

I wI've been catching up on old eps, and today watched one about a guy who put a tank in his living room where he housed an octo[us. I felt frustrated by his non-chalance about various assertions, without explaining anything about them. Also, he kept saying how intelligent the octopus are (they use tools in the ocean, and can do things primates and dolphins do in the lab) but he didn't feel bad about putting one in a small tank with almost nothing to do, and then he's all amazed it takes an interest in the meager things he provided as distraction. I mean... would you put a primate in a cage that small, give it nothing to do, and then be surprised when it reacts to the small diversions you provide? 

Something I didn't know: octopus have estrogen. I don't know how rare that is, but the show mentioned it so I guess it's notable.

[DanaK]

1 hour ago, possibilities said:

It must be something like that. It's really stunning, and a lot of the episodes have similarly impressive photography. I wish they'd do a show on how they do it, because it's distractingly amazing to me. 

I do know they put stationary cameras in underground burrows for animals that den underground. 

And there are also obvious overheard shots they probably get with helicopters. 

 

They have done something like that with their Animal with Cameras miniseries where they have fake animals made up and set up with cameras and put them in the middle of animals groups to watch what is going on

[DanaK]

Nov: "Woodpeckers: The Hole Story", Nov 2; "American Ocelot", Nov 9

[DanaK]

For January 2023:

"Wildheart" (Scotland's Scots Pine Tree), Jan 18

"Soul of the Ocean" (the ocean's complex world), Jan 25

[DanaK]

For February 2023:
"Dogs in the Wild", 3 parts, Feb 8, 15, 22

[DanaK]

For May 2024:

"Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons", May 8

"Saving the Animals of Ukraine", May 15

"Wild Ireland: Kingdom of Stone", May 22

[DanaK]

For Jan 2025:

“Big Cats, Small World” (following 3 big cat species co-existing in Botswana; 2 parts), premieres Jan 22

[DanaK]

For Feb 2025:

“Expedition Killer Whale” (about a group of killer whales in Antarctica), Feb 12

“Museum Alive with David Attenborough” (explores London’s Natural History Museum), Feb 19

[Cress]

the museum alive ep was interesting. Like "night at the museum" but being careful not to use that name. The fossils/animals come to life and roam around while Attenborough interacts with them. The dolphin and the ichtysaur swimming in the air as if it were water was weird, but I guess if we're going with magic bringing things to life, there's no need for logic.

But the touch about the night guard leaving and then returning in the morning, not knowing what had happened. Very cute.

[DanaK]

For April 2025:

“Katavi: Africa’s Fallen Paradise” (how extreme weather affects several animal groups in Tanzania’s Katavi National Park; 3 episodes), premieres April 2

“Penguins: Meet the Family” (looks at all 18 species of penguins), April 23