Slightly OT: "Life" or other TV shows

[clouds815]

Hey all - many of us are waiting on pins and needles for the next few weeks for waitlists to move, so to distract us... maybe a new topic to discuss?

I was wondering if anyone had been watching the new BBC show "Life", sort of a continuation of Planet Earth. I loved Planet Earth, but this is like a whole new level of cool! I've spent most of the time when watching with my mouth open, some of these animal behaviors are mind boggling!

Any comments? If not- check it out its on Discovery. Or any other awesome animal related shows to talk about?

Also, another of my favorites is All Creatures Great and Small (James Herriot - old BBC series), although my family is british so I'm not sure how popular the tv show is w/ americans... does anyone else watch this?

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[organismal]

Ahh, i still have to watch planet earth. i've meant to for a long time, haha, but i just never got around to it. maybe i'll start with life, though both of them seem fabulous

the only tv i keep up with is house, bones, and the big bang theory. not exactly animal oriented other than those shows i haven't watched much tv in a while. good and bad, i suppose. good watching less tv, bad that i'm not watching more animal stuff!!

 

[scb44f]

I didn't apply but I'll go ahead and answer . I saw part of an episode of Life and really enjoyed it. I do prefer Sigourney Weaver's narration, but the information is still as cool as that in Planet Earth. I'm a sucker for those kinds of shows though.

I've not seen the other one, but have definitely heard of it.

When the tv is on, it's either my SO playing a video game, or Law and Order, or NCIS (we pretty much keep it on the same channel unless there's a video game going). Me catching Life was a pleasant mishap.

 

[clouds815]

haha i didn't mean that only us waitlisted could post! lol my bad.
and yes i much prefer either Sigourny Weaver or David Attenborough too

 

[Ausheya]

Ughhh, I forgot to watch it again! I haven't watched it since the first week, I think. I keep forgetting or I'm busy the entire time it's on. Have to admit, I'm not really a big fan of Oprah in general. But for the neat scenes and fun info, I'd be willing to deal with it. Especially since her voice isn't as annoying to me in Life as it always was in TV commercials for her show. If only I could remember to watch it!

 

[twelvetigers]

Oprah narrates it? Wah? That's weird.

David Attenborough is THE ****.

 

[zeebra44]

Yes, I love the show, but it's also quite disturbing. Did anyone else see the footage of Pelicans munching on the chicks of other birds because there are so few fish left? This behavior had not been seen before 2008, and apparently the show captured the first footage of it. I was completely mortified. They are starving. Also, Polar Bears should be wrestling in snow, not mud. I hope Life/Planet Earth/nature documentaries make more people aware of environmental changes. We as humans can't bury our heads in the sand in regards to this topic anymore.

Rant over.

 

[luplodw]

Yes, I love the show, but it's also quite disturbing. Did anyone else see the footage of Pelicans munching on the chicks of other birds because there are so few fish left? This behavior had not been seen before 2008, and apparently the show captured the first footage of it. I was completely mortified. They are starving. Also, Polar Bears should be wrestling in snow, not mud. I hope Life/Planet Earth/nature documentaries make more people aware of environmental changes. We as humans can't bury our heads in the sand in regards to this topic anymore.

Rant over.

My sister just got back from a trip to California where she came upon a starving sea lion pup on the shore. She took pictures of it and it was so sad looking! Anyway, we found an article about how the sea lion pups are starving all along the Californian coast and are washing ashore to die.

 

[Tiktaalik]

My sister just got back from a trip to California where she came upon a starving sea lion pup on the shore. She took pictures of it and it was so sad looking! Anyway, we found an article about how the sea lion pups are starving all along the Californian coast and are washing ashore to die.

I've been watching the show religiously with my fiance every Sunday - my favorite part is still from the first episode, when the baby monkey tried to crack a nut with a rock, but did it backward and hit the rock with the nut instead, lol

 

[clouds815]

Yes, I love the show, but it's also quite disturbing. Did anyone else see the footage of Pelicans munching on the chicks of other birds because there are so few fish left? This behavior had not been seen before 2008, and apparently the show captured the first footage of it. I was completely mortified. They are starving. Also, Polar Bears should be wrestling in snow, not mud. I hope Life/Planet Earth/nature documentaries make more people aware of environmental changes. We as humans can't bury our heads in the sand in regards to this topic anymore.

Rant over.

yeah i was kind of grossed out by that as well.

and those monkey's using tools? i thought that was the coolest thing! along with the dolphins trapping fish in circles, and the birds that drop bones on rocks, annd a whole bunch of other stuff

 

[BlacKAT33]

watching Life now, episode "changes of life" looks like the same episodes as the monkey using tools but i guess i turned the tv on too late to see this.

anyway, i couldnt believe it. they were talking about STALK EYED FLIES!!! ive posted about this in the successful applicants stats, but i used to work with these flies in lab. I never knew there were flies that exist that actually have personality and human qualities!! On Life it is showing them fight and trying to get female flies etc. they are so cool! im so glad they featured these amazing insects.

Eventualeventer, i hope you read this!

 

[clouds815]

watching Life now, episode "changes of life" looks like the same episodes as the monkey using tools but i guess i turned the tv on too late to see this.

anyway, i couldnt believe it. they were talking about STALK EYED FLIES!!! ive posted about this in the successful applicants stats, but i used to work with these flies in lab. I never new there were flies that exist that actually have personality and human qualities!! On Life it is showing them fight and trying to get female flies etc. they are so cool! im so glad they featured these amazing insects.

Eventualeventer, i hope you read this!

funny you mention that! i remember reading about those in that thread, and then when i saw them on the show i thought of that!

 

[HopefulAg]

Is this available online anywhere?

 

[BlacKAT33]

Is this available online anywhere?

stalk eyed fly clip!! (couple min's) you gotta watch this! sooo crazy, they pump their eyes out themselves when born. and it also shows them fighting
http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/life-the-series-videos/?bcid=68149779001

I dunno if they have full episodes, but i got this clip from their site.
http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/life/episodes.html

 

[lyndaelyzoo]

I love that show!!!! There is so much that we can learn from other species!!

 

[dee vee emm]

David Attenborough is THE ****.

agreed!!! lol

 

[HopefulAg]

For those inclined to find it, there are copies online with Attenburgh narrating it. Much less ear bleeding than Oprah.

 

[KKibo]

For those inclined to find it, there are copies online with Attenburgh narrating it. Much less ear bleeding than Oprah.

awesome! She just doesn't quite get it right.

 

[zeebra44]

Oprah mispronounces words (example: ecosystem pronounced as ECHO-system). It drives me insane.

Oh and on that note, is it "octopuses" or "octopi"? Or are both considered acceptable now?

 

[clouds815]

if i have to hear hunner instead of hunter or anNarctica instead of anTarctica ... seriously

 

[Tiktaalik]

Oprah mispronounces words (example: ecosystem pronounced as ECHO-system). It drives me insane.

Oh and on that note, is it "octopuses" or "octopi"? Or are both considered acceptable now?

Octopodes, actually (b/c it's latinized greek, not a latinate word), but nobody says octopodes. Octopi is wrong, but people use it (because octopi sounds latinate), and octopuses is correct and used fairly often.

Your choice, really. I say octopuses.

 

[zeebra44]

Octopodes, actually (b/c it's latinized greek, not a latinate word), but nobody says octopodes. Octopi is wrong, but people use it (because octopi sounds latinate), and octopuses is correct and used fairly often.

Your choice, really. I say octopuses.

Ohh, interesting!

 

[BlacKAT33]

Octopodes, actually (b/c it's latinized greek, not a latinate word), but nobody says octopodes. Octopi is wrong, but people use it (because octopi sounds latinate), and octopuses is correct and used fairly often.

Your choice, really. I say octopuses.

this is interesting. i just looked at the wiki page and there is actually a really long section of terminology under Octopus lol but ya, looks like you got it spot on!

 

[BlacKAT33]

speaking of Octopodes (heh), have you guys seen this video?!?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5DyBkYKqnM

Octopus steals the camera of a diver!! swims off with it. He eventually gets the camera back by putting his spear gun out but then he can't get the octopus off his spear gun!! and so then he takes him for a lil joy ride!!! must watch this!! so crazy

 

[Tiktaalik]

speaking of Octopodes (heh), have you guys seen this video?!?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5DyBkYKqnM

Octopus steals the camera of a diver!! swims off with it. He eventually gets the camera back by putting his spear gun out but then he can't get the octopus off his spear gun!! and so then he takes him for a lil joy ride!!! must watch this!! so crazy

Aww, I love that video!
Octopuses are so smart.

 

[HopefulAg]

Just watched the first one. Quite impressive. It amazed me some of the shots they got in the Planet Earth series but Life has some outright astonishing ones. The part where the iguana grabs the mantis and it 'fades' into the depth of field? The video grapher of that one must have been outright ecstatic to get such.

I wonder how long it takes to make each episode/series? (Edit: LOL nevermind, I actually made this post right near the end and the very next scene starts with: "During the 3 years it took to film Life...")

And whether the various scenes are all contiguous (such as the orca whales with the crab-eating seals) or just similar scenes spliced together. I'm sure there's some of the latter happening, but I wonder to what degree.


By the by, one of my favorite quotes, paraphrased: "These are animals known as the Crab-Eating Seals. They don't actually eat crabs..."