Madagascar

David Attenborough brings the world of natural Madagascar onto the screen. This is one of the biggest islands in the world with a natural world unlike anywhere else. It's millions of years since it was separated as Africa and India drifted apart. It's a four part series. The first three parts have the standard beautiful nature cinematography with the last ten minutes of each episode showing the struggles of the filmmakers. The beautiful pictures are unforgettable. The ten minutes are sometimes interesting but it could still be cut down a little bit. What I find most compelling is the knowledge that this is a disappearing world. Everybody knows about the lemurs but this is an island onto itself. It is possible that this world will go the way of the elephant bird.

The last episode tells the story of the extinct elephant bird. In 1961, David was given giant shell fragments from a village boy. When he pieced the 3D puzzle together, it formed a nearly whole giant egg. It is the egg of an extinct giant bird which Marco Polo mentioned. With stories of the bird carrying off elephants, the bird is given the name elephant bird. While this episode doesn't quite have the beautiful nature shots, it tells the compelling extinction story which nicely wraps up the sad scary truth. I know very little about the island and it's sad that so much of it may never be known.

Despite how much he apparently dislikes the term "national treasure", that term really does sum up David Attenborough to a tee. He is such a great presenter (in his 90s and still sounds, and looks on a side note, great) and whenever a new series of his is aired they are often among the best the BBC has done in years.

Have been watching the BBC less over time, but there are always exceptions, unexpected gems and expected treasures that come our way every now and again and their nature documentaries are the perfect examples of expected treasures. 'Madagascar' is another David Attenborough gem, not quite one of his crowning achievements (favourites include both 'Planet Earth' series, 'Life', 'The Blue Planet' and 'Frozen Planet') but if anybody is a fan of nature/wildlife documentaries and of Attenborough 'Madagascar' is a must watch.

Once again, 'Madagascar' first and foremost is a wonderful looking series. It is gorgeously filmed, done in a completely fluid and natural, sometimes intimate (a great way of connecting even more with the animals), way and never looking static. In fact much of it is remarkably cinematic. The editing is always succinct and smooth and the scenery is pure magic. The music score fits very well, never overly grandiose while never being inappropriate.

Along with so much of Attenborough's work, 'Madagascar' continually fascinates and illuminates, while there are some familiar facts here a lot of it was very much new. Like what was said for 'Life', by the end of the series for me more was gotten out of it, and educated me much more, than anything taught when studying Geography in secondary school. Attenborough's narration helps quite significantly too, he clearly knows his stuff and knows what to say and how to say it. He delivers it with his usual richness, soft-spoken enthusiasm and sincerity, never talking down to the viewer and keeping them riveted and wanting to know more.

The animals, plants and the island itself are portrayed in a way that showed a lot of enthusiasm and very careful research. How they adapt to their surroundings, why they behave the way they do, how nature works and how what the wildlife does affects the island were all touched upon and made their points subtly, not hammering it home too much (a potential danger with documentaries). 'Madagascar' was particularly good in its primary aims in showing how evolution ran wild and makes Madagascar different to everywhere else and why it's justified having a documentary of its own.

Many powerful and poignant moments, as well as suspenseful ones, while not trying too hard to evoke a viewer reaction. One really cares for what they're told and the wildlife. Each episode doesn't feel like an episodic stringing of scenes, but instead like the best nature documentaries each feels like their own story and journey, with real, complex emotions and conflicts and animal characters developed in a way a human character would in a film but does it better than several.

In summary, a gem and a must see. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Madagascar, another BBC wildlife classic, where David Attenborough returns to this island he visited over 50 years ago.

All three episodes tells different stories about all the incredible animals found on this island, highlighting all the different lemurs and chameleons. The bonus episode with Attenborough and the Giant Egg is also a little gem, telling the story of the extinct gigantic bird who ones lived here. Photography and time lapse filming are as always excellent, and especially the filming of the Possas in nighttime was very interesting to see.

The series also comes with an important message. Hopefully we'll be able to discover more of all the mysteries hidden on this island before we manage to destroy it.

In conclusion a highly interesting wildlife documentary about one of the most fascinating islands on earth with the greatest wildlife narrator in history!