Neanderthals: Meet Your Ancestors

I am a geoscientist not specialized anywhere around the topic of Neanderthals, but interested enough to follow publications and progress in this field of science for over three decades. Concerning TV-documentaries, this is among the best I have seen to date on Neanderthals, because it covers in two hours the broad range of life, demise, and continued genetic presence in modern humans with clear examples and convincing conlusions. The facts are well presented and commented by world-wide acknowledged experts in this field.

A must-see for those who wish to better understand the past of our planet, the nature of this fascinating hominid, and his traces in our genome.

Save your time. This two part documentary obviously had writing problems and degrades into an exegesis on its own production, with virtually noting of interest on is subject: the Neanderthal.

Yes we know the BBC has been eclipsed by other makers in its once unparalleled production of science and documentary content. But this is a new low, and presumes its audience is utterly illiterate.

...although that is a great name for a pirate ship.

This swanky 2018 2-part doc will perhaps always stay in my mind as the show that first introduced me the idiosyncratic host Ella Al-Shamahi, part explorer, part adventurer, part anthropologist, part Stacey Dooley, mostly Alan Partridge. She adds a strange awkward edge to proceedings but it sort of works. It's nice to see scientists put center stage, it's groovy to see a bit on the process of motion capture animation - the results still look pretty good even and Andy Serkis is a lovely man. Beyond that it feels deeply padded, a little too melodramatic and full of strange assertions that will, knowing the science of prehistorical research, likely have already been disproven in the three years since this was made. Not exceptional, not as wholly authoritative as it might have been aiming for but it is relatively diverting.

She is much concerned about how she looks in front of the camera than provide scientific facts. Did you notice too? She had applied tons of make up and her hair curled and put on a lot of i-am-listening-very-attentively face. I have seen tons of documentaries presented by Western women, none of them tried to masquerade their inner mental issues by wearing tons of make up.

Worth watching but prepare to have your intelligence insulted . Anyone interested in watching a program about Neanderthals is hardly a 5th grade drop out. There was no need for the producers to talk down to their audience so much. The CGI and motion capture frequently degenerates into stupidity. When they stick to talking to the scientists actually involved in Neanderthal research the program is worth while. The scientists featured probably cringed in embarrassment when they saw the final cut of this show.