Oh no!

[hmvman]

This doesn't bode well for those of us hoping for an improvement in broadcasting quality…

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/10952692/BBCs-new-wildlife-presenter-rejects-scientific-approach-of-Sir-David-Attenborough.html

[french frank]

This doesn't bode well for those of us hoping for an improvement in broadcasting quality…

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/10952692/BBCs-new-wildlife-presenter-rejects-scientific-approach-of-Sir-David-Attenborough.html

Well, television is television and it's mainly for the masses anyway, isn't it?

The BBC loves the idea of 'comedy' and I'm sure 'humour' will go down well on BBCs One and Two. Coincidentally, I looked up for another messageboarder this morning a reference in a letter I was sent by one of the nation's distinguished writers who contacted me in 2012, and mentioned a new Radio 3 presenter whom he had not previously noticed, describing 'them' as 'a facetious populariser of content and presentation'. Woe betide those who have no gift for humour who attempt to introduce it to entertain: they are regarded not as funny but as facetious, in the sense: "Characterized by or given to pleasantry or joking, now esp. when inappropriate or flippant".

[Serial_Apologist]

This doesn't bode well for those of us hoping for an improvement in broadcasting quality…

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/10952692/BBCs-new-wildlife-presenter-rejects-scientific-approach-of-Sir-David-Attenborough.html

It's the market dot com, not the music, etc etc...

[Angle]

The most telling paragraph is, for me:

"Wendy Darke announced that the unit will seek “diverse”, populist presenters on the same wavelength as the audience."

It's a process that is well-developed across radio services already; nowhere more so than on Radio 3. imho

[hmvman]

"Wendy Darke announced that the unit will seek “diverse”, populist presenters on the same wavelength as the audience."

It's a process that is well-developed across radio services already; nowhere more so than on Radio 3. imho

Diverse and populist, yes. But are they on the same wavelength as the audience?

[french frank]

Wildlife News has the headline: "End of an era as BBC plan to dumb down wildlife documentaries."

[Richard Tarleton]

As a nature person I'm not too worried about all this.

David Attenborough evolved, over 50-60 years, there were no shoes for him to fill, and the possible parameters of wildlife broadcasting were imperfectly understood by others before and until he developed them. He was and is sui generis, developing the medium (with the superb Bristol team) as the decades progressed.

We've seen a great increase in diversification in wildlife broadcasting in recent years (alongside DA's magisterial series). If any one person was going to "fill his shoes" I think it would be clear by now who they were, because they too would have been evolving for many years. What is abundantly clear is that there is no one person, nor is there likely to be, so looking at a range of presenters and styles seems to me to be a reasonable approach. The technology has advanced alongside the programme styles, and more specialized, targeted programming (which seems to have been happening in recent years) seems like one way to go. The day of the over-arching series pursuing themes across the globe is surely over - it's been done!

As it is, we have seen a range of considerable experts in their fields given programmes or series (I'm thinking of people like George McGavin on insects, Charlotte Uhlenberg on apes) - and such entertaining series as those "bioblitzes" to such places as Burma and Bhutan and Ms Humble's recent efforts since she gave up being the dumb one alongside the cleverer males on Springwatch.

I hate the infantilising of Springwatch, with the hyperactive presenters locked in parent-to-child or child-to-child mode, items designed for gnat like attention spans, and (to take one particularly irritating example) talk of "poo" when they mean droppings, scats, spraints, defecation, faeces etc. . If the intention is to similarly infantilise wildlife broadcasting across the board then I would be worried, but I think the present degree of diversity is pretty healthy. Just let there not be anthropomorphism.

There have always been presenter-led wildlife broadcasting, and presenters whom some people loved and others did not - think of Armand and Micaela Denis, Hans and Lotte Haas, Jacques Cousteau....the way DA is universally admired only underlines just how unique he is, and has been.

[hmvman]

It would be great to have Animal Magic back again but who would fill Johnny Morris' shoes?

[MrGongGong]

It would be great to have Animal Magic back again but who would fill Johnny Morris' shoes?

More importantly (and a source of much discussion in our house) anyone know what the orchestration of the theme tune is ?

[Richard Tarleton]

It would be great to have Animal Magic back again but who would fill Johnny Morris' shoes?

I think that's exactly what we don't want - pure undiluted anthropomorphism - but it did cause me to write to Bristol Zoo aged about 10 to ask how you became a zoo keeper . I met JM in later years in Broadcasting House, having breakfast in the canteen.

[hmvman]

More importantly (and a source of much discussion in our house) anyone know what the orchestration of the theme tune is ?

I know that it was called 'Las Vegas' and was from a library music disc but I can't remember the composer or which company issued the record. I was always fascinated by the sound of it. Lots of plucked strings perhaps?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwxsaTaVhC4

Las Vegas, indeed, hmv - and by Laurie Johnson. Mainly strings and Latino (including Harp) percussion but with winds and some brass in the Intro and middle section (which we never heard on Animal Magic).

Anthropomorphical as it was, it was a children's programme and successfully aroused the interest of kids. This "new" style presentation is meant to be for adults - which merely shows the loathing and contempt with which the Beeb holds its funders.

[amateur51]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwxsaTaVhC4

Las Vegas, indeed, hmv - and by Laurie Johnson. Mainly strings and Latino (including Harp) percussion but with winds and some brass in the Intro and middle section (which we never heard on Animal Magic).

Anthropomorphical as it was, it was a children's programme and successfully aroused the interest of kids. This "new" style presentation is meant to be for adults - which merely shows the loathing and contempt with which the Beeb holds its funders.

It's had a lasting effect on me sadly - whenever I'm at London Zoo or indeed almost whenever I see a non-human critter I immediately lapse into Johnny Morris-mode. Friends find it funny ... at first

[Pabmusic]

It's had a lasting effect on me sadly - whenever I'm at London Zoo or indeed almost whenever I see a non-human critter I immediately lapse into Johnny Morris-mode. Friends find it funny ... at first

There are no doubt people who are (marginally) younger than us who might have said "Rolf Harris mode" until recently. What did Johnny Morris get up to????

[amateur51]

There are no doubt people who are (marginally) younger than us who might have said "Rolf Harris mode" until recently. What did Johnny Morris get up to????

Johnny liked to give voice to his animal friends' thoughts