Nature programmes ruined

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

I used to enjoy some of these 

I can't watch them any more for one reason 

Every single one now is just ruined. They show something beautiful and great then almost always talk about how human pollution / global warming is destroying them 

The latest is the Whale one in SKY. Looks exciting from trailer except the very last but where Steve B says something like ' and we show you how and why they are being threatened' 

Depressing in what should be an uplifting watch 

If I want to be depressed I'll look up the minutes of the RFL meetings 

Edited November 11, 2023 by Bedfordshire Bronco

[The Hallucinating Goose]

34 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

I used to enjoy some of these 

I can't watch them any more for one reason 

Every single one now is just ruined. They show something beautiful and great then almost always talk about how human pollution / global warming is destroying them 

The latest is the Whale one in SKY. Looks exciting from trailer except the very last but where Steve B says something like ' and we show you how and why they are being threatened' 

Depressing in what should be an uplifting watch 

If I want to be depressed I'll look up the minutes of the RFL meetings 

I completely agree, I too used to love watching these programmes and then a few years ago I started to find them getting very preachy. If I want to watch a programme about global warming or pollution I will purposefully seek out such a thing. 

I'm still a big fan of the watches though I will never forgive the BBC for cancelling Autumnwatch (but keeping Winterwatch, strange decision) however fans of the watches were not disappointed too much this year cos Chris Packham and Co. did their own two week programme on YouTube when Autumnwatch should have been on. Said programme is called '8 out of 10 Bats' and is all still available to watch should you fancy it. Looks like it might become an annual programme with Autumnwatch not existing anymore. I will say there is quite a bit in it about environmentalism but the programme isn't pretending it isn't gonna have this content unlike Attenborough documentaries. 

[John Drake]

If they only showed you the beautiful bits of nature, and omitted to mention that the beautiful bits won't be around for anyone to enjoy in future (except in archive footage), wouldn't that be a dereliction of duty on the part of the programme makers?

If they did that, when all these beautiful bits of nature are gone, people will complain 'why didn't they tell us this was gonna happen when we could've done something about it!!?'

In nature, you have to take the rough with the smooth. For these shows to ignore the impact of climate change and human activity on the natural world would be dishonest. Just as if they avoided showing animals killing each other for food because it's a bit upsetting to watch.

[JohnM]

I find the short end-pieces "The making of" type of thing that show how the shots are created  really interesting.  Things are not always exactly as they seem, which is understandable.

I do feel, though, that the later "insert season here" watches are pale imitations of earlier ones and now  more  aimed at a junior school audience. 

Clearly our climate is changing but I do find the proselytising axis of Packham - Attenborough somewhat tedious -and predictable, though. "We are all guilty".  Imagine the reaction on the main forum if the commentators of our game spent their time pushing a "the game's gone" agenda, or if other presenters used programmes to promote their causes so overtly 

On balance, these progs are unmissable for me, but as always, there's always the off switch, YouTube etc.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

11 hours ago, John Drake said:

If they only showed you the beautiful bits of nature, and omitted to mention that the beautiful bits won't be around for anyone to enjoy in future (except in archive footage), wouldn't that be a dereliction of duty on the part of the programme makers?

If they did that, when all these beautiful bits of nature are gone, people will complain 'why didn't they tell us this was gonna happen when we could've done something about it!!?'

In nature, you have to take the rough with the smooth. For these shows to ignore the impact of climate change and human activity on the natural world would be dishonest. Just as if they avoided showing animals killing each other for food because it's a bit upsetting to watch.

I only want the smooth bits to be honest 

I don't need to know every single time I enjoy something that it is ultimately doomed

In the same I wouldn't want Brian Carney to finish a Friday night SL cracker by talking about the reduced TV deal or RL's demise 

I would always take the blue pill 

[Futtocks]

12 hours ago, John Drake said:

If they only showed you the beautiful bits of nature, and omitted to mention that the beautiful bits won't be around for anyone to enjoy in future (except in archive footage), wouldn't that be a dereliction of duty on the part of the programme makers?

If they did that, when all these beautiful bits of nature are gone, people will complain 'why didn't they tell us this was gonna happen when we could've done something about it!!?'

In nature, you have to take the rough with the smooth. For these shows to ignore the impact of climate change and human activity on the natural world would be dishonest. Just as if they avoided showing animals killing each other for food because it's a bit upsetting to watch.

On that last part, that's become pretty much standard, even in the Attenborough shows. They almost always make miraculous escapes these days if they're cute and fluffy. Ugly animals tend to fare much worse.