Frozen Planet

Wahnfried, McGregor

On Sunday 12th at 4pm we have the first two parts of the BBC Documentary series FROZEN PLANET (2h)

This seven-part series focuses on life and the environment in both the Arctic and Antarctic. The production team were keen to film a comprehensive record of the natural history of the polar regions because climate change is affecting landforms such as glaciers, ice shelves, and the extent of sea ice. The series was met with critical acclaim.

To the Ends of the Earth: The opening travels from the North Pole to the South Pole encountering different climates and landscapes on the way. Animals highlighted in this episode include the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), the short-tailed shearwater (Puffinus tenuirostris), the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), the caribou (Rangifer tarandus), the grey wolf (Canis lupus) hunting for American bison (Bison bison), the great grey owl (Strix nebulosa), the gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua), the South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens), the killer whale (Orcinus orca) hunting for crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophagus) and Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii), a species of icefish (suborder Notothenioidei), and a species of sea spider (order Pantopoda).

Spring: The subject of the second programme is to follow the polar spring: the ice melts and migratory animals move to the polar regions. Most animals give birth to their offspring. Animals highlighted in this episode include the Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae), the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) hunting for ringed seal (Pusa hispida), the narwhal (Monodon monoceros), a species of sea gooseberry (phylum Ctenophora), a species of sea slug, a species of sea snail, the Arctic cod (could be Arctogadus glacialis or Boreogadus saida), the Arctic woolly bear moth (Gynaephora groenlandica), the Arctic wolf (Canis lupus arctos), the king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus), the macaroni penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus), the wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans), the southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina), and the killer whale (O. orca).

‘’This beautiful documentary is a testament to what is possible in the hands of skilled cinematographers. In scene after scene one finds oneself in awe at the magnificence of the imagery, with that sense of awe only compounded by the awareness that this is all real, no special effects - there really are such incredible things to be seen in the world in which we live.
One more thing: as tempting as it might be to assume that the "behind the scenes" segments which round off each episode are mere filler, this is not at all the case. Apart from being educational in their own right, they serve to illustrate the extreme lengths to which the makers of this documentary series have had to go to capture all that astonishing footage. One can only feel thankful that there are such skilled people out there who are willing to undergo immense privation to bring to the rest of us a better understanding of the marvellous planet on which we reside.’’ Amazon.co.uk reviewer