Africa

David Attenborough's wonderful voice narrates another incredible BBC nature series. Planet Earth, Life, Frozen Planet, and now Africa, each takes us on a High Definition trip to some of the most amazing places on Earth. If I had to choose one of these series as the winner for the most breath taking camera work, I would have to give the honour to Africa! If I had one grouch about most nature series it would be in the grisliness in showing predators bringing down and sometimes tearing apart their prey. Africa manages to show predators at work without the overt gore. The only thing that stymies me about all of these incredible series is why they felt it necessary to release an Americanized version of each with Sigourney Weaver, Oprah, Alec Baldwin and now Forest Whitaker narrating. Attenborough's narration is as clear and concise as ever, and I would think understandable by the American viewing public.

I wasn't going to review because the others nailed it, but I have to add that beyond this being an amazing series among multiple planet earth series, there is some heart wrenching. In one they show a baby elephant calf die and if that doesn't rip your heart out I don't know what will. I've watched almost all of the series and there is natural life and death, but the one with the elephant was probably the worst. No way I could have filmed it without helping.

David Attenborough does it again.I personally have been hooked on his documentaries for more than a decade (pardon for being young) and I have to say no other man can come close to his interpretation of nature's wonders.Since the flawless "Planet Earth", David has continued to amaze with this interpretation and that certainly did not fail in "Africa".

Yes, we finally get to see more from Africa rather than just a big pile of desserts.The variety of climate changes,animal adaption and human construction at its peak is displayed in the most brilliant way you can describe.And of course the cruel fate of the residents due to climate change and increase number of predators really gives you a heart breaking image as to how bizarre and ferocious life can be when it's instinctively based on the three basic surviving methods, "Water,Food,Shelter".

In conclusion,I have to say that "Africa" ranks as one of the top documentaries ever done by BBC and that's saying a lot because BBC has done quite some documentaries which brought nature interpretation to a whole new levels.

Personal rank : 10/10.

Like many of the BBC Natural History Unit documentaries, Africa portrays the diversity of wildlife in the African continent in spectacular fashion. With each episode focussing on a different region of the vast landmass, we get a glimpse into the local geographical, ecological and ecosystem features of that specific area. Not only are new and astonishing behaviours revealed, the adaptations that life can make and challenges it must overcome to survive and thrive in diverse (and often harsh) conditions are captured and described beautifully. We also get an insight into the practical difficulties in filming such captivating scenes in the end-of-episode 10-minute segments.

This series is a must-watch for any nature lover, especially those keen to learn more about the unique aspects of Africa.

Terrific 6 hour documentary mini-series on the land and (mostly) animals of Africa's various geographic regions; from the ocean waters off the Cape of Good Hope, to the stunning, endless Sahara desert. Fantastically photographed, as all these BBC nature series tend to be, and hosted with his usual humanity, passion and insight by David Attenborough. It's important to note that Attenborough is not just narrating, but he writes his excellent verbal sections himself. Also, as with other BBC nature series, each of the 6 sections is accompanied by a mini 'making of' documentary, which are often as fascinating and compelling as the main program.

Everything 'educational' television should be. Fun, moving, beautiful, full of new information and animals you haven't heard or seen before - even if you've seen a lot of these docs - and reminding us of how important it is to save the amazing animals and wild places that strain under the ever heavier pressure of the demands of the human species. Great for adults or any kids not too young to be frightened by occasional honest (and sometimes heartbreaking) examples of animal death in the wild. And a great ad for the visual splendor of blu-ray.