Primates

This is a 3-part BBC Earth series. It skips around the world looking at various primates. The last episode is devoted to people trying to save individual species. It has the gorgeous pictures and primates are photogenic for a nature show. The last episode doesn't get too preachy and the hand signals are fascinating. I would like for the locations to be more specific and clear. Otherwise, it's a good light nature show for everyone.

I enjoyed the first episode. 5 minutes into the second episode, some woman said something I couldn't understand. She spoke so fast, even teletext couldn't keep up with her.

I wanted to enjoy this series, I always watch nature documentaires, and not all by Sir David.

This woman just put me off. I apologise if I appear sexist, it is most definitely NOT the case. She just put me off watching the rest of the series and THAT is a problem.

Granted I'm watching behind live showing however, the points are still valid. Interesting series with well known personalities, ruined by a person who cannot speak their own native language, in a speed that ALL can understand.

That's the best pun I've got. It's not great, is it?

What IS great is this three-part Primate series - a classical bit of enthralling BBC documentary with some stunning footage. The first two parts take the age-old form of "skits" as it were, short semi-narrative encounters with varying primate species and the third is principally about research studies or protection efforts that are being carrying out that involve primates. I'm in favour of this recent shift in documentaries to be at least a third concerned with the realities of conservation and the numerous factors that jeopardise animal habitats although the two episodes on, one episode off structure was jarringly specific.

Although not a very long series and hardly at the same level as the Attenborough "event" series, Primates manages to be brief but beautiful. Packham's commentary is very pleasant, and as an outspoken and passionate naturalist himself, felt very genuine. Everything is shot gorgeously and some sequences within - the macaques doing hilarious battle with giant tree squirrels, or the glorious Kathmandu swimming segment at the end of the first episode - will be etched into my mind forever. Definitely game for a rewatch further down the line!