09 December 2007

BBC's Planet Earth


I just have to write about the BBC series "Planet Earth", which was released last year on DVD. This is a fantastic series, which was two years in the making. Narrated by respected naturalist David Attenborough, and produced by the BBC together with Discovery Channel and a Japanese broadcaster, this series is one of the best nature documentaries I have ever seen. Filmed almost entirely in High Definition (HD), this series takes various themes in each program, including fresh water, oceans, caves, grasslands, etc.

The quality of the visuals, with breathtaking aerial shots, plus amazing action sequences, simply outclasses any other documentary I've ever seen. The DVD extras includes several "behind the scenes" interviews, which shows the impressive dedication and sheer hard work the crew of filmmakers had to go through. With the addition of sound effects, beautiful orchestration, and Attenborough's hypnotically calming delivery, the whole series is chock full of interest facts and discoveries. Who knew there was a massive mountain of bat guano deep inside a cave, with some of the largest colonies of cockroaches ever found? Or the stark beauty of snow leopards stalking Markhor in the Himalayas?

The series is probably best seen on a high-definition system (Blue Ray or HDTV), but even on standard definition DVD, it's an impressive piece of work, which highlights the tremendous variety of life on our beautiful planet. This is must-see TV, and should be compulsory viewing for all children everywhere.

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