Sir David Attenborough 1926-2023 (cancelled)

[jimbob]

Just finished the first episode of Wild Isles. It's the first Attenborough doc I've watched in a good while because I've felt they've got a bit too 'look at the pretty animal' and let the educational aspects slip. But it's the first one he's done focused on our local wildlife so I've had to watch.

My concerns about the lack of in depth info still stand but my goodness did it look pretty, particularly the banded demoiselles which were stunning. I was also surprised by the strength of the closing comments made by Attenborough, both at the end of the main episode and the 'making of' section. It's made me more convinced that regardless of what the BBC says about the sixth episode, the production team has decided to make this series as a plea for us to care more about protecting our wildlife. Pretty much every species and/or habitat they showed in tonight's episode are under threat in one way or another.

I was recently re-watching the Seven Worlds, One Planet series (from 2019) and the same thing was being brought up, so it's not just a decision for this series - the BBC Natural History Unit have been trying to educate us in this for years.

Yes, lots of Attenborough's series (possibly over the last 20 years) have followed that format where the last episode is on the impact of humans on the specific environment. The plastics in sea being a memorable one.

[Fishnut]

Just finished the first episode of Wild Isles. It's the first Attenborough doc I've watched in a good while because I've felt they've got a bit too 'look at the pretty animal' and let the educational aspects slip. But it's the first one he's done focused on our local wildlife so I've had to watch.

My concerns about the lack of in depth info still stand but my goodness did it look pretty, particularly the banded demoiselles which were stunning. I was also surprised by the strength of the closing comments made by Attenborough, both at the end of the main episode and the 'making of' section. It's made me more convinced that regardless of what the BBC says about the sixth episode, the production team has decided to make this series as a plea for us to care more about protecting our wildlife. Pretty much every species and/or habitat they showed in tonight's episode are under threat in one way or another.

I was recently re-watching the Seven Worlds, One Planet series (from 2019) and the same thing was being brought up, so it's not just a decision for this series - the BBC Natural History Unit have been trying to educate us in this for years.

Yes, lots of Attenborough's series (possibly over the last 20 years) have followed that format where the last episode is on the impact of humans on the specific environment. The plastics in sea being a memorable one.

This is my point though - Attenborough's advocacy in conservation of habitats and species is well-known and long-supported by the BBC. IIRC they have often ended their recent series with a more polemical episode showing the harm that people are doing and what needs to be done to help protect the wildlife people have spent the last few episodes watching. So if it's ok to do that for series highlighting wildlife overseas, why is it not ok to do it for wildlife in the UK?

They are trying to have it both ways - they want to have the episode but they want enough distance to not get the blame when people inevitably get outraged at how government policies have allowed the widespread destruction of once common habitats.

[jimbob]

I was recently re-watching the Seven Worlds, One Planet series (from 2019) and the same thing was being brought up, so it's not just a decision for this series - the BBC Natural History Unit have been trying to educate us in this for years.

Yes, lots of Attenborough's series (possibly over the last 20 years) have followed that format where the last episode is on the impact of humans on the specific environment. The plastics in sea being a memorable one.

This is my point though - Attenborough's advocacy in conservation of habitats and species is well-known and long-supported by the BBC. IIRC they have often ended their recent series with a more polemical episode showing the harm that people are doing and what needs to be done to help protect the wildlife people have spent the last few episodes watching. So if it's ok to do that for series highlighting wildlife overseas, why is it not ok to do it for wildlife in the UK?

They are trying to have it both ways - they want to have the episode but they want enough distance to not get the blame when people inevitably get outraged at how government policies have allowed the widespread destruction of once common habitats.

Yup, I was expanding on your point.

Agree entirely with all that you said here