In honor of Earth Day, the BBC has released three series to DVD and/or Blu-ray that are designed to increase awareness while also providing entertainment and a feast for the eyes. These series are true “reality” TV with drama, suspense, violence, comedy and even romance.
First up is One Life (84 minutes on one DVD and one Blu-ray disc, $24.97).
James Bond actor Daniel Craig narrates this look at various life-forms and the way they rear their children, search for food, protect themselves from predators and attract mates.
It’s a fascinating, sweeping saga and if you’re familiar with BBC Earth productions, you’ll know what to expect: gorgeous imagery, dramatic stories and even occasional humor, as when a male silverback gorilla stuck “baby-sitting” irritably swats his child away when it interrupts his nap.
And there’s drama, as when a grandmother elephant steps in to save her trapped baby granddaughter. Or a giant octopus protects and hatches her babies, only to die after watching them swim away.
There’s romance, as in the mating dance of the Clark’s Grebes of Oregon.
The point of it is that while these various species and creatures are all different, there are striking similarities, not only to each other, but to human beings.
If you’ve seen the series Life, some of these stories will be familiar. This one covers much the same ground, but at less than two hours, it’s far more compact than the sprawling Life.
There are a list of extras, including interviews, behind-the-scenes segments and commentary.
The Blue Planet: Seas of Life (more than six hours on three discs, $39.98) has been released before, but this is its foray into Blu-ray.
Narrated by naturalist David Attenborough, this series examines the often-mysterious oceans with their sharks, anemones, corals and transparent fish.
Like One Life, it’s beautifully photographed, but even more extensive, exploring some strange places and creatures that look like they belong in a science fiction movie, like the nightmarish fangtooth.
Extras include interviews and making-of segments.
For a very different take on the natural world, and a closer look at one particular part of the ocean, there’s GreatBarrier Reef (2 1/2 hours on one disc, $24.98).
This examination of Australia’s complex reef system and the other habitats around it is a comprehensive study not just of the wildlife and plants that live there, but on the history and future of the ecosystem.
There’s some fabulous photography to show off some of the colorful and truly bizarre creatures that live there and the way they live together.
For instance, there’s the pearl fish, that goes inside the repulsive sea cucumber to hide from enemies. Or there’s the tiny wrasse, who swims into and around the mouth of the massive predatory grouper to feed on the parasites that live there.
The three episodes focus on the reef, the different habitats around it and how the reef is affected by the weather and by man-made changes.
Unlike the other two productions, the host, Monty Halls, is very much present and visible. Like Steve Irwin the Crocodile Hunter, he gets quite close to the creatures and acts quite chummy. It can seem a bit intrusive compared to the other series, but he does do a good job of explaining this world and how all the pieces connect.
There are no extras.
New this week: A Haunting, Season 5; Maverick, Season 2; Touched by an Angel, Season 7.
Next week: 30 Rock, Season 7; Ben-Hur, mini-series; Combat, Season 1; Friends, Seasons 1 and 2 (Blu-ray).
Style, Pages 50 on 04/21/2013