As said many times, David Attenborough is a national treasure. He may apparently dislike the term, but it is hard to not say that about such a great presenter who has contributed significantly to some of the best programmes (of the documentary genre and overall) the BBC has ever aired/produced.
It is really hard picking favourites, let alone a definite favourite, among what Attenborough has done because he has done so many gems, it is the equivalent of trying to choose your favourite ice cream flavour or your favourite operatic role (for examples) and finding you can't pick. 'The Private Life of Plants' manages to do the seemingly impossible (to me that is) in making plants interesting and making one not only appreciating them more but caring for them. When it comes to documentaries on plants, 'The Private Life of Plants' is ground-breaking and one of the best, also one of many Attenborough gems. It has everything that makes so much of his work so wonderful, hence some of the reiteration of my recent reviews for some of his work (being on a nature documentary binge in my spare time), and deserves everything great that has been said about it.
First and foremost, 'The Private Life of Plants' looks amazing. It is gorgeously filmed, done in a completely fluid and natural, sometimes intimate (a great way of connecting even more with the plants), way and never looking static. In fact much of it is remarkably cinematic with some of the shots being unique for a documentary series, making one forget that it is a series. The editing is always succinct and smooth and the scenery of all the continents is pure magic.
The music score fits very well, never overly grandiose while never being inappropriate while also being a beautiful score in its own right.
Again, like so many Attenborough nature/wildlife documentaries, 'The Private Life of Plants' fascinates, teaches, moves, entertains and transfixes. In terms of the facts there was a very good mix of the known ones and the unknown. Likewise with the plants themselves.
Narration by Attenborough helps significantly. He clearly knows his stuff and knows what to say and how to say it. He delivers it with his usual richness, soft-spoken enthusiasm and sincerity, never talking down to the viewer and keeping them riveted and wanting to know more.
Loved the plants as expected, caring for them in the same way that one would a human. There's as always a wide range of emotions from tense conflict, awe and tear-jerking pathos.
Each episode doesn't feel like an episodic stringing of scenes, but instead like the best nature documentaries each feels like their own story and journey, with real, complex emotions and conflicts.
Altogether, if one wants to learn more about plants and appreciate them much more 'The Private Life of Plants' couldn't be a more perfect choice. 10/10 Bethany Cox
