It would be presumptuous to expect anyone to remember what I penned two weeks ago about the geographically incorrect but visually sparkling 'Kalahari'. This was the first of what was supposed to be a groundbreaking new series on, let's be honest tried and tested subjects. I worried that they had cast too many aces and picture cards onto the wildlife baize too early. If last night's ponderous edition is anything to go by, there is not a Jack or King left in the pack.
It is childish to anticipate constant action but in so far as last week's 'Savannah' irritatingly spent a lot of time in swamps and on mountains, I needed a break from the claustrophobic detail beneath the canopy. It was not until well over halfway that I got it with the forest elephants. Twelve years ago the magnificent Gavin Thurston – also involved in this series – did his own documentary on these animals here in the Bais (the name of these clearings this series refused to tell us), it was superb, it did not need short-changing. Yes forest elephants are interesting but seeing them in monochrome is just not that riveting, plus the elephant scrap from last week was far better.
6.5 out of 10 is a half decent score for last night and the 2001 Space Odyssey chimps with honey-soaked sticky fingers were excellent and no red blooded natural history fan would ever spurn big snakes and frogspawn. Last week we had no reptiles – snakes on a plain would take years to find let alone film – that was corrected here. More importantly we got some biological detail: the success rate of young pythons was staggeringly low. Having heard rumbling frogs for years across Africa the mellifluous sounds of the libidinous males were superb. Far better than any recent X Factor contestant.
An hour before on BBC two Chris Packham – just before his delightfully childish 'beaver' close out with Ms Strachan – was breathlessly excited about long tailed ducks. Well Mr Packham, permit me a moment's rapture about skimmers. I have pursued these winged seductresses from Zambia to Brazil but never seen chicks, this was avian nirvana, now that is a top 5 bird. This was top telly.
Mike Nichols, one of National Geographical's most zealous and accomplished staffers, showed the surfing hippos years ago in Gabon's Loango National Park so this was nothing new, although the elephant silhouette was pretty. If this series is to live up to its deafening hype I want innovation, new behavioural patterns, new camera tricks, not just another gadget that can film in the dark. I will keep watching, because it is still far better than anything else.
My favourites: I rather liked the butterfly fish and those wonderful russet-backed forest buffalo, hefty thoroughbreds that must have the Tesco's meat sourcing department salivating.
