Discovery Channel's Planet Earth

[MrsSpringsteen]

I found out about this show on Oprah. I watched it Sunday and it is excellent. It's an 11 part series and it airs on Sunday nights-it started on March 25th and goes through April 22nd.

The DVD set is out in May

http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/planet-earth/about/episode.html

"More than five years in the making, PLANET EARTH redefines blue-chip natural history filmmaking and continues the Discovery Channel mission to provide the highest quality programming in the world. The 11-part series will amaze viewers with never-before-seen animal behaviors, startling views of locations captured by cameras for the first time, and unprecedented high-definition production techniques. Award-winning actress and conservationist Sigourney Weaver is the series' narrator."

 

[trevster2k]

CBC carried the BBC version last fall and earlier this year with David Attenborough as narrator. And yup, there is stuff on that series which will make you go , WOW!!!!!!!! The images are mind-blowing. A definite must for nature lovers. You will not be disappointed.

 

[Pearl]

I've seen a couple of episodes already, and its totally mesmerizing! I give the camera crew a lot of credit for spending so much time in places like Antarctica, where it was 60 below, and wind at 100 per hour!

 

[BluRmGrl]

I agree with Pearl & Trev. The few episodes I've seen so far have been amazing - can't wait to catch the rest of them.

 

[Queen Bee]

I've been watching since it premiered. I'm hooked

CBC carried the BBC version last fall and earlier this year with David Attenborough as narrator. And yup, there is stuff on that series which will make you go , WOW!!!!!!!! The images are mind-blowing. A definite must for nature lovers. You will not be disappointed.

I still can't believe they replaced David Attenborough's narration with Sigourney Weaver on the American broadcast . Did they figure that Americans would find it difficult to understand his accent? I just don't get it. I wouldn't mind if this done to any other Joe Schmo, but come on... this is David Attenborough--the king of nature documentaries--we're talking about here. Oh well, at least the DVD set will include his original narration.

 

[LJT]

Twas an excellent series

The sections showing how the cameramen got their shots is also really interesting, hope you guys in the states get to see that to.

Anyone know the nature of the partnership the BBC and Discovery Channel had in its making? As far as I was aware most of the cameramen seemed to be English...did Discovery just stump up the cash for it?

 

[coemgen]

I saw the previews at the theater. I'll buy this DVD for sure.

 

[Lila64]

I've seen 'Pole To Pole' I think, and I'm in the middle of 'Mountains'. I have several TiVoed on the machine. So well done!

 

[Tiger Edge]

I've watched them all so far.
I only wish I had a High Definition TV to get the full experience. I love watching nature shows.

They should have had Jeremy Irons narrate the whole thing!

 

[Lila64]

<<has high definition TV. Watching that great white shark going for lunch. I think they said that camera shot was slowed down. It was 1/47 speed or something like that - in realtime it was like 1 second. Amazing!

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Yes that is the one show that really makes me wish I had HD

 

[angelordevil]

I still can't believe they replaced David Attenborough's narration with Sigourney Weaver on the American broadcast . Did they figure that Americans would find it difficult to understand his accent? I just don't get it.

That's because you think like a Canadian

That really was an incredible series...the episode with the penguins was unbelievable, with the way they huddled together as a unit in the midst of such horribly cold conditions. The egg-protecting had me overwhelmed in a happy/sad way. I will never complain about my life again.

 

[U2Girl1978]

That's because you think like a Canadian

That really was an incredible series...the episode with the penguins was unbelievable, with the way they huddled together as a unit in the midst of such horribly cold conditions. The egg-protecting had me overwhelmed in a happy/sad way. I will never complain about my life again.

That was amazing! The little penguins were so cute.

I felt so bad for the polar bears though.

 

[angelordevil]

I felt so bad for the polar bears though.

Yes, I blocked that one from my memory...when that lone bear finally gave up looking for a meal...maybe one of the saddest visuals I've ever seen. I think I swore out loud

 

[ntalwar]

It's the best high def. program(s) I've seen yet.

I still can't believe they replaced David Attenborough's narration with Sigourney Weaver on the American broadcast .

I wasn't impressed with Weaver's narration. It lacked something.

 

[trevster2k]

I was totally amazed with the fungi which infected insects. And the insects somehow knew they had to leave rather than infect other insects. I never ever saw images like that. Or the otters fighting off the alligator, unfreakinbelievable. Or the images of the herds of animals from the sky. Or the tiny animals in the jungles of Chile. Or the chimpanzee tribal attack upon another group, I had heard of this but never seen it.

Definitely have to buy the dvd.

 

[Queen Bee]

Yes, I blocked that one from my memory...when that lone bear finally gave up looking for a meal...maybe one of the saddest visuals I've ever seen. I think I swore out loud

I almost cried.

Really.

 

[pgv]

I have the british version on dvd with david attenboroughs narration It truely is amazing, do they show the diaries on the discovery channel at the end? I think the diaries are the best bit - showing how hard it was for them to film and stuff.

 

[RedRocksU2]

I love this show!

I actually have the kids watch this show, instead of Sponge Bob.


I will get the dvd's for sure.

 

[Irvine511]

my only beef with this show -- other than the increasing airtime given to commercials on all basic cable, it's ridiculous -- is not so much the narration itself but the writing.

i found much of the writing unbearablem, so pseudo-mythic -- "At last! Salvation!" as elephants find water -- that i would have prefered to watch it on mute.

amazing visuals, though, no question.

and i'm jealous that the BBC gets to do these things. that's what government funding gets you.

 

[Carek1230]

I really love this show too. Some people at work also watch, so it's fun to talk about it at work and compare notes, etc. It really is amazing, and very educational.

 

[trevster2k]

I got the DVDs now. The 10 min diaries are amazing on their own. They worked pretty damn hard to get those images.

 

[Saracene]

We've got the series on DVD at home, I love them, There's some stunning footage there.

 

[CTU2fan]

Yep, this was excellent for sure. I liked the "Rivers" one, with all the tropical fish, Amazon river porpoise etc. And like trev, I enjoyed the predatory fungi, I had no idea this happened. Oh, "Caves" was great too.

Agreed about wanting David Attenborough...personally I can't listen to Sigourney Weaver without thinking I'm watching Alien.

Anyone remember the old "Life on Earth" docu? DA narrated that, great stuff especially for 20 years ago.

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

I love this series and am sucked in everytime it is on tv. Watching it on High Def is amazing.

 

[UberBeaver]

I caught a couple of these yesterday. What an excellent series. I hope to catch them all. But the amount of commercials is ridiculous. It seems like they're cutting out some of the "story."

 

[LJT]

BBC= No commercials

Planet Earth is one of the programmes that make the license fee worthwhile.