David Attenborough has done it again
Giulia reviews the new Life Story series
Although he doesn’t go out to the field anymore, nothing can keep David Attenborough away from TV. This autumn, he returns to the screens with the series_ Life Story_, an attempt to show how different animals share the same rituals and habits across species.
It may be said that the production goes a bit God-Almighty on the poor animals, filmed while trying to get on with their lives and inserted in a view that we are all part of the same great cycle repeating itself (insert_ Lion King_ quote here).
Throughout six episodes, Attenborough shows us feeding, courting, and mating as we have never seen them before . The message: animals to go through adolescence, school, pulling, maternity leave, etc. exactly like us. And even if this is definitely a case of man anthropomorphising nature, it is hard not to be impressed.
The team spent almost two thousand days filming in a 1,850,798 mile-trek that brought them across all continents, recording material for 64,000 DVDs. That’s dedication. And because the BBC is eager to show who is top dog in the documentary world, the intimate close-ups and majestic slow-mos are the results of pioneering techniques and hour and hours of researching and hiding.
As a big David Attenborough fan, it’s hard not to watch_ Life Story _with nostalgia. The show is almost a re-telling of some of Attenborough’s career defining moments, bringing us back to the cheetahs and the birds of paradise. This time, Britain’s favourite grandpa is only lending the documentary his voice, probably anticipating a well-deserved retirement from TV appearances.
Some may say that this series in just a repeat of some of Attenborough’s greatest work shot in HD. But can there ever be too much Attenborough? Absolutely not, the BBC should record him uttering every word in the dictionary, so that future generations will be able to listen to computer-generated commentaries by our national treasure.
Here’s the thing: it is not the stunning shots and innovative techniques that make Life Story another great documentary. It’s the humanity that the commentary can add to the performances of baby monkeys and barnacles alike.
Even if we complain that Attenborough’s work has become a bit samey, we should enjoy this latest one, as, without wanting to sound too grave, it may also be his last. Watch it on BBC One, Thursdays at 21.00 and remember to order your free online poster, if you’re a fan of all things beautiful.
