Wednesday 7 November 2007

Wildlife programs

Watched two wildlife programs on BBC this evening, and they couldn't be more contrasting.

I enjoyed Autumnwatch last year, as I did with Springwatch in spring. Autumnwatch is back on, a bit later than in 2006, but with the same (human) presenters. And I'm irritated out of my box by Bill Oddie, I'm sorry to have to say. He just whitters on, thinks he's still in "Birding with Oddie", and it's a breath of fresh air to have outside presenter Simon King doing his pieces. I'm not saying Bill's subjects are boring, far from it. It's quite exciting that beavers might be reintroduced into the wild in Britain. The annual migrations of birds is a subject that does hold my interest. Here in the Western Isles, we catch a large portion of that every year. But please, can we have a little less of the Bill Oddie and Kate Humble giggle party?

Counterpoint with Alan Titchmarsh (sorry, I call him Titmarsh) who had a pre-recorded program about the natural history of the British coastline. Something again close to my heart, as I live on the coastline. Literally within stone's throw, as one of our guests once demonstrated. He was an amateur geologist who had collected a car full of rocks, and he couldn't take them all on the plane. So, as I was watching television one evening, the sound was interspersed with the gentle plop of redundant rocks splashing into the Newton Basin, tossed there by our esteemed guest. Back to AT. Although he is a wee bit too softly softly for my liking, his presentation is a lot more gentle than the guffaws of Bloddie. Sorry.

5 comments:

  1. I agree, a little less of Oddie and Humble and more of Simon King, i have liked him since way back when he had hair.
    Jenny <><

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  2. I am reading this as I am trying to listen to the CMA awards, I will do anything rather than just really look at them, but you must have gotten a start when those unidentified sounds occurred of rocks tossed away.  Reminds me of all thse rocks my boys would try to bring home!  Gerry

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  3. Thank goodness someone agrees with me....I have said the same before about Oddie and had my nose cut off !!!  I do enjoy the programme though...sometimes I just turn the sound down !!  Love Sybil x

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  4. I enjoy Simon King and I'm sure Kate would love to present the programme without Bill Oddie.  I find him very distracting and I miss what is being said becasue they both seem to be competing for our ears at the same time. Although he is full of knowledge and enthusiasm its a bit missplaced alongside Kate.
    I can take him on his own so maybe he should be left to his own devices on another Nature programme.  I missed last nights TV.  I wasn't in the mood to watch but I'm sorry I missed these programmes as they are my favourites.
    I am easily lured by a Nature or Wildlife programme.
    Jeanie

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  5. That's the beauty of not having a TV, I don't have to listen to irritating people whittering on and on! Jeannette xx  http://journals.aol.co.uk/jlocorriere05/Welcometomytravels  

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