Those of you who are lucky enough to own an HDTV should check out Planet Earth tonight on Discovery Channel. I keep seeing previews for it today as I absent-mindedly watch a marathon of Deadliest Catch and it looks stunning. The series is basically Earth Science, featuring all sorts of unique animals and plants, and examining various landscapes.Besides the fact that it looks beautiful, the story behind it is almost as impressive. The miniseries took five years to make and photographers put their lives on the line more than once to document the extreme living conditions on this planet.
Tonight, three episodes premiere. The first is "Pole to Pole", which follows herds of animals as they use the sun to find water. Episode two is "Mountains", featuring lots of aerial photography that takes us up and down some of the planet's most dramatic peaks. Episode three is "Deep Ocean", which is pretty much self-explanatory, isn't it?
I'm going to watch even though I don't have HDTV. Planet Earth premieres tonight at 8 pm on Discovery. Eight more episodes air over the next four Sundays in April.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-25-2007 @ 11:04PM
erroneous_nick said...
I don't have an HDTV, either, but I read your article just in time to set my PVR to catch the repeat airings of these first 3 episodes. The ads make this series look pretty darned fascinating.
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3-26-2007 @ 1:14AM
Judy said...
I do not have HDTV and watched all three hours tonight on the Discovery channel beginning at 8 p.m. Then I taped it beginning at midnight. It is truly mesmerizing and is so much more authentic than any reality show on TV. If you have a chance to see it, do so because it defies description.
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3-26-2007 @ 5:28AM
Peter said...
What the Discovery Channel did to Planet Earth is bullshit. Pure bullshit.
They butchered it by changing the narrator from David Attenborough to Sigourney Weaver. She is boring beyond measure and has absolutely no emotional investment with anything she says. I could be wrong, but I think they dropped many of the musical cues as well.
It's a pathetic change that was 100% needless. Attenborough sucked you into the show, gave everything mean and made you feel like a part of every bit of our planet. She is just reading lines off of a cue card.
It may not seem so to anyone who started off with this US'ed version of the series, but I am not exageratting in any sense when I say that it has been ruined. The BBC version is unbelievable. The American version is lifeless, even despite the astounding photography.
What a waste.
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3-26-2007 @ 9:33AM
rvkey said...
I Absolutely loved it! I called everyone I know and told them to watch!
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3-26-2007 @ 10:59AM
Akbar Fazil said...
That does suck Peter. I have these on my tivo waiting for me. If that is the case, I will not even watch them and look into acquiring the BBC versions (which probably have more content as well)
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3-26-2007 @ 12:59PM
TomB said...
I don't have HD, but I thought it was simply stunning.
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3-26-2007 @ 8:02PM
Judy said...
Akbar Fazil, if I were you, I'd make my own decision whether or not to watch this stunning show. The first 10 or 15 minutes will let you know if you like it or not. You can always turn it off if bored, but at least you say you gave it a chance and then call it BS.
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3-26-2007 @ 8:48PM
Judy said...
Also, listening to the crew members who flew and rode all over creation to get these fabulous films had distinctively non-American accents. Actually I recognized them as being u-m-m-m-m-m, very British.
Anyway, this was a joint BBC/Discovery documentary that aired in England last year where up to 9 million people watched each of the 11 episodes. It is just now premiering in the USA. So much for a "US'ed" version.
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3-26-2007 @ 10:17PM
Peter said...
There is certainly still entertainment and information to be gained from the series - no doubt - but Discovery Channel's presentation of it pales deftly in comparison to the BBCs.
Just wait until the DVDs come out with the original narration, original soundtrack etc etc. You'll be amazed at the difference, even if you've already seen every episode.
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4-17-2007 @ 9:59PM
JT said...
Sigourney Weaver is a wonderful narrator! One doesn't need to have a British accent to sound cultured and interesting. Let me add that I was priviledged to witness a premier of "Caves" tonight at the EcoVision 2007 conference in Washington and an opportunity to meet Discovery Channel Executive Producer Maureen Lemire, a wonderfully poised and intelligent professional. If you don't yet own an HDTV, here's your best reason ever to acquire one. Sit back and celebrate Planet Earth!
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4-25-2007 @ 5:58AM
Patrick Carlson said...
Is there any difference in the content between the S. Weaver version and the Attenborough version? Or is it just the narration?
Patrick
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5-06-2007 @ 10:31AM
PENDA said...
Planet Earth was AWESOME with Sigourney Weaver as narrator. Excellent narrator. YEA Sigourney.
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5-12-2007 @ 1:00AM
Meghan said...
Planet Earth is poo without David Attenborough! I was living in England for a year and I watched every Planet Earth episode there was. Then I come back to the US and excited to show my family what an awesome show it is......until I hear a boring woman's voice narrating instead. It is like night and day! Change back to Sir David. He def makes Planet Earth come to life! Big difference! Boo on the people who decided S.Weaver should be the voice. They need to be fired!
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