Life on the Discovery Channel - Episodes One and Two

Life, the nature documentary show by BBC, was shot entirely in high definition and gives viewers an absolutely astounding view of nature up close. The BBC series ran from October to December 2009 and now Discovery Channel has brought it to the United States. The series consists of ten 50 minute episodes, each with its own theme of animals. The US is late compared to other countries in showing this series, as it has already been shown in Canada and Latin America.

Filming

Life is rumored to have been given the largest budget of any previous documentary: 10 million pounds. The first year of production for the film involved researching places that the camera crew could shoot and what animals would be interesting to observe. Then, the crew spend the next three years doing over one hundred and fifty shoots on all seven continents. The use of new filming techniques such as steady shots from moving vehicles and high speed cameras helped to create amazing results for the crew. Some of the time they were not so lucky in the wild, however. Some of the filming was done in closed situations so the crew could get better angles and views. Other shoots didn't turn out well if the animal couldn't be found or the film wasn't good enough to get into the series.

Episode 1: "Challenges of Life"

The first episode of the series opens with some amazing examples of how a wide variety of animals survive, eat, and reproduce. In Florida bay, bottle nose dolphins flick mud with their tails in order to catch jumping fish who try to escape it in their mouths. This is a behavior that only dolphins of that area do and it is the first time it has ever been caught on film. Three cheetahs take down an ostrich, killer whales attack seals, and tufted capuchins, a form of monkey, demonstrate their ability to crack open hard nuts with rocks that they use as hammers. The film makers ever catch baby capuchins practicing this technique clumsily. Other animals in the episode include octopi, venus flytraps, and a penguin eaten by a seal.

Episode 2: "Reptiles and Amphibians"

Life takes the second episode to the reptiles and amphibians. The episode is full of gross, slimy, and slithery creatures that will delight most viewer's sense of anxiety. Bringing the reptiles back with the dinosaurs, the narrator reminds us that they have been around for a long time and are still going strong. The Komodo dragon is the focus at the beginning and end of the episode. It is the first time that a hunt of a water buffalo by Komodo dragons has ever been documented and it proves that Komodo dragons use venom to hunt their prey. The episode also included the amusing pebble toad who free falls like a rock down a mountain to avoid a tarantula. Also the amazing "Jesus Christ Lizard" who, as the name suggests, can literally run on water. The high speed camera captured this stunning act in amazing clarity. The episode also included remarkable shots of chameleons grabbing bugs with their long tongues in slow motion, sea kraits, and a pygmy gecko so small that it can be drowned by a tiny puddle.

The series has started out with a wonderful bang and I look forward to next week's installment on Discovery Channel. The filming job has been excellent, the narration has been excellent, and nature itself, of course, has no fault to be had.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_%28BBC_TV_series%29