[JTweedie]

Have you ever noticed when watching natural history programmes that the presenters are always on boats/safari/in museums on their own? For example, if they were showing grey seals off the Farne Islands, they'd be in a boat on their own, but if anyone else went out in a boat, they'd be sharing it with 40, 50, 60 other people.

Therefore, I don't think these TV programmes give an accurate representation of what it's like for the average person to get out and see wildlife in situations like this.

Let's see them experience what it's like to try and take a photo of a bird only for someone to stand up on the other side of the boat and block your view...

[Steve Lister]

And quite often they are walking around on the shoreline whereas normal people have the sense to keep to where they should be.

Steve

[Farnboro John]

I'm not sure that's the job of wildlife presenters. Shouldn't it be what happens to presenters from the One Show (it sometimes does: Mike Dilger off Sula Sgeir for instance), holiday shows, Countryfile and Julia Bradbury walks the world?

The piece to camera by a wildlife presenter is a different matter and is treated differently.

John

[Peewit]

I feel that the presenter should suit the show or programme that they are suited too.

examples:

Julia Bradbury - Walks of all types and all terrain
Alan Titchmarsh - Gardens of all sorts and wildlife gardens included.
Mike Dilgar - Wildlife of all types, as the One Show presents each day.
Tom Heep - starting at the bottom with 'captive animal' shows, and working his way up to wildlife.

IMHO, just keep the programme to what the presenter likes most, and not go off onto another subject that does not suit them at all.
Another subject meaning that a presenter who talks about a subject, that is not part of their interest should stick to their own subject as that is what they want themselves at the end of the day

Regards
Kathy
x

[Farnboro John]

Originally Posted by Peewit

I feel that the presenter should suit the show or programme that they are suited too.

examples:

Julia Bradbury - Walks of all types and all terrain
Alan Titchmarsh - Gardens of all sorts and wildlife gardens included.
Mike Dilgar - Wildlife of all types, as the One Show presents each day.
Tom Heep - starting at the bottom with 'captive animal' shows, and working his way up to wildlife.

IMHO, just keep the programme to what the presenter likes most, and not go off onto another subject that does not suit them at all.
Another subject meaning that a presenter who talks about a subject, that is not part of their interest should stick to their own subject as that is what they want themselves at the end of the day

Regards
Kathy
x

Yeah but.....

Presenting is a skill in and of itself. Nick Knowles is an adaptable presenter who did a workmanlike job on the wildlife cameraman reality show. Kate Humble is stretching her wings with Orbit and making a fair job of it. Ray Mears is an outdoorsman but his interests and presenting now stretch from survival to exploration to history to wildlife - his tracking shows were great.

Kenneth Branagh can do voice overs as well as David Attenborough, but he needs a script and he can't write it himself or ad lib over a wildlife programme. Many other actors have been the same.

I would never have guessed that James May could come away from Top Gear and either make old toys interesting or bring them back to life by interactive programmes with communities. Still less would I have guessed that Chris Barrie could go from acting as Rimmer in Red Dwarf to presenting on Ginormous Machines or whatever his prgramme is called - but he's informative and entertaining.

Its a mistake to try to put people in boxes and a bigger one to keep them in ones they have started in.

Discuss

John

[Peewit]

Hi John

Maybe I put presenters on a pestestal, and that is wrong. Still we all like our favourites and not so favoured with people who are keen on their subject.

Hard though as we all get used to what people we associate with in the wildlife presenter world - and we all have our favourites and not so favourites.

We all have those bad habits and we should be more open minded in more ways than one.

Regards
Kathy
x

[Farnboro John]

Originally Posted by Peewit

Hi John

Maybe I put presenters on a pestestal, and that is wrong. Still we all like our favourites and not so favoured with people who are keen on their subject.

Hard though as we all get used to what people we associate with in the wildlife presenter world - and we all have our favourites and not so favourites.

We all have those bad habits and we should be more open minded in more ways than one.

Regards
Kathy
x

Hi Kathy,

I also have favourites and I guess I put them on pedestals for their work - but I don't want to limit their aspirations by my preferences!

Cheers

John