Bill Oddie In America (4 Viewers)

[Roger P]

I know how much David Attenborough has done for appreciation of wildlife and he is a genuine sort of chap but I have begun to find his commentaries a bit lacking in humour / humanity. I do find much of Bill Oddie irritating but he does involve me more in his programmes, he does introduce the feeling of unpredictability which is what attracts me to my local patch rather than a zoo.

BTW I think some of the music was John Lee Hooker?

 

[lockbreeze926]

OK, it's not meant to be just about birds, but there were almost none in tonight's show.

Long sections on whales, beavers and virtually inanimate frogs, but just a quick 20 seconds on "birds like wot we get at 'ome", a rapid Bald Eagle and a flash of Goldfinch and then it was back to interminable damsel-fly mating.

I'm not sure of the point of this show, having now seen a few weeks' worth. It's only 30 minutes and it seems to be trying to combine almost random jumbles of wildlife with a sketchy nostalgia for a 1965 performance tour that only Bill Oddie knows or cares about. It's an awkward mix and a missed opportunity at best.

(Still some nuggets in the muck, though).

 

[dogfish]

Pretty good summary Lockbreeze. I thought it was lazy, self-indulgent television; half of the time the viewer wasn't even told was species he/she was looking at. I know it's not a birding programme, but wildlife enthusiasts deserve better than this.

Sean

 

[The sniper]

he is on tv to prromote wildlife,thats what he does.Of course he enjoys it,who wouldn't but why do people slag him off for making other people aware of what lives in the world.Perhaps with more people like him about,more people might take care of our world instead of treating it like a tip.And as for things being stage managed on tv,so what,The programme is there to show people what is in certain places around the us,if he had to look for everything that he has shown on the programme he would be out there for months costing the taxpayer lost more money and then people would find something else to moan about.

 

[Euan Buchan]

I enjoyed the Florida episode I pretty muck knew about the Little Egrit, Rosette Spoonbill etc as I have 2 birdwatching in Florida books

 

[steveo]

I remember I used to watch a program, on our cable channels, called Bird TV which was an american birding programme fronted by a really tall enthusiastic university professor(I think). I remember a particular episode were they where looking for nesting Golden Plovers and demonstrating how well they were camoflauged. Dont think they showed too many though.
__________________
Thanks For the info Bill. How do you get the red lines and the "originally posted by" around somebody's post to dignify quotation.

 

[J Moss]

You click on the red "reply" button at the bottom of the post you want to quote. The text within the is the text you'll be quoting, in a red box

J

Thanks For the info Bill. How do you get the red lines and the "originally posted by" around somebody's post to dignify quotation.

 

[steveo]

Thanks much J Moss, I'm learnin.

 

[steveo]

Thanks much J Moss, I'm learnin.

YESSS

 

[The Raptor]

he is on tv to prromote wildlife,thats what he does.Of course he enjoys it,who wouldn't but why do people slag him off for making other people aware of what lives in the world.Perhaps with more people like him about,more people might take care of our world instead of treating it like a tip.And as for things being stage managed on tv,so what,The programme is there to show people what is in certain places around the us,if he had to look for everything that he has shown on the programme he would be out there for months costing the taxpayer lost more money and then people would find something else to moan about.

Good pionts there Robert, well said.

Rod.

 

[jeff]

Good pionts there Robert, well said.

Rod.

I have nothing against him, he does a good job, but i find the lastest series a trip down memory lane, nothing more, nothing less, is it suposed to be about wildlife or just a trip back in time for Bill?

3/10 - Boring. Yawn!

 

[ghostrider]

Watched tonights episode and enjoyed it. The cranes where rather good and even the prarie dogs had appeal. But did the americans really wipe out the buffalo to starve the native indians? that is a bit sad.

 

[Xenospiza]

OK, I enjoyed the show as well.
First of all, he's in the Big Plains – not too many Europeans care for them, which is a pity. Second of all: birds!
After the usual Bison-watching and an embarassing visit to a prairiedog town, we get to see two birds that were very high on my wish list when I visited the northern prairies, and we end up in the Platte River Valley – good for quite a lot of big birds.

And yes – the Americans killed the bisons to destroy the Plains Indians culture. "A bit sad" doesn't begin to describe this crime...

 

[dogfish]

UKTV Style Gardens are still showing Birding with Bill Oddie late at night (eg Thursday night-early hours Friday). Watched two of the programmes on birding in Norfolk this week and was reminded how good Oddie can be; no silly accents or harmonica playing, just real feeling about the joy of birding that appealed to me (as a keen birder) and I'm sure had a broader appeal to the armchair bird-lover too. More of this please, and less pretty pictures of US insects and birds that the programme-makers can't be bothered to identify ...

Sean

 

[aucarius]

Hi, does anyone know if 'Bill Oddie Back in the USA' will be coming out on DVD? I've really been enjoying it & would like to have further details on the places he's visited.

 

[Henry B]

Hi, does anyone know if 'Bill Oddie Back in the USA' will be coming out on DVD? I've really been enjoying it & would like to have further details on the places he's visited.

Welcome to Birdforum. B

 

[da2m]

BIGFOOT oh please. don't get me wrong i know that the BBC is trying to make this mainstream but what bulls#!t. i did like the orca! i managed to watch the wild caribbean, the mangrove swamp was amazing.

 

[Xenospiza]

Oh, all these boring mammals. The sasquatch "expert" reminded me strongly of a popular BF thread though.

 

[GTeig]

Birding with Bill Oddie

As an American, I have never had a chance to see one of Bill's shows although I have seen his books.
Several years ago I had a business tirp to London. I used an internet newsgroup to ask for advice on where to go on Saturday. I got an invitation to join a local birder on his patch (Hampstead Heath) on Saturday. We were joined by two other regulars. One was Bill Oddie. With the help of these three I saw a lot of birds I would have missed on my own. It is certainly one of the top birding experiences of my life. (Bill left a little early to go film a harrier for the BBC.)

 

[The sniper]

my opinion has not changed,bill oddie is probably not for your average twitcher/birder/lister etc etc.
There is probably not much he could teach alot of the people on here.
But for the average person at home who has an outside interest in wildife/birds etc etc the programmes he does are very informative.I have spoken to various people over my local rspb reserve at rainham who have only started going over there because they have watched his programmes and realised that there is wildlife outside their windows not just tower blocks and shops.
I can understand your hardened birder not being too impressed by him but in all honesty the programme is probably aimed more towards your fairweather birders or your average person on the street.
It is on mainstream tv so by that admission it is probably aimed at the masses rather than your selected birders.I mean what do some people want,no programmes and to have all the wildlife to theirselves????