Nature's Microworlds is a 2012 British nature documentary series. Produced by the BBC, the series is narrated by Steve Backshall and produced by Doug Mackay-Hope.[1] There are thirteen thirty-minute episodes in the series, which was first broadcast on BBC Four.[1] Each episode focuses on its eponymous region, exploring the wildlife of the microclimate found there:[2] The featured ecosystems include the archipelago of volcanic islands known as the Galapagos, the grasslands of the Serengeti in Africa, the Amazon rainforest covering most of South America, the kelp forest located in California's Monterey Bay, the Okavango Delta where the Okavango River empties into a wetland surrounded by the Kalahari Desert, and the Arctic wilderness of the Svalbard archipelago.[1]
| Nature's Microworlds | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Hidden Habitats |
| Genre | Nature documentary |
| Narrated by | Steve Backshall |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Doug Mackay-Hope |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company | BBC Natural History Unit |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC Four |
| Release | 16 July 2012 – 27 March 2013 |
Episodes
editThere are thirteen thirty-minute episodes in the series—plus a three-part specials series—first broadcast on BBC Four on the dates shown.[1]
Season 1 (2012)
edit| # | Title | Location | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Galapagos" | Galapagos Islands | 16 July 2012 |
| 2 | "Serengeti" | Serengeti, Tanzania | 23 July 2012 |
| 3 | "Amazon" | Amazon rainforest, South America | 30 July 2012 |
| 4 | "Monterey Bay" | Monterey Bay, California | 6 August 2012 |
| 5 | "Okavango" | Okavango Delta, Botswana | 13 August 2012 |
| 6 | "Svalbard" | Svalbard | 20 August 2012 |
Season 2 (2013)
edit| # | Title | Location | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | "Canada's Coastal Forests" | British Columbia mainland coastal forests | 23 January 2013 |
| 8 | "Great Barrier Reef" | Great Barrier Reef, Australia | 30 January 2013 |
| 9 | "Namib Desert" | Namib Desert, Namibia & Angola | 6 February 2013 |
| 10 | "Yellowstone" | Yellowstone, United States | 13 February 2013 |
| 11 | "The Deep Sea" | Deep sea | 20 February 2013 |
| 12 | "Australia's Red Centre" | Deserts of Australia | 27 February 2013 |
| 13 | "Scottish Highlands" | Scottish Highlands | 6 March 2013 |
Insect Specials (2013)
edit| # | Title | Location | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Them & Us" | China, Africa | 13 March 2013 |
| 2 | "Making Worlds" | South America, East Africa | 20 March 2013 |
| 3 | "The Secret to Their Success" | Swiss Alps, Australia, Yellowstone | 27 March 2013 |
Critical reception
editDavid Crawford of the Radio Times criticized the first episode for its short length and "lightly sketched" coverage of science, but wrote that it is "full of arresting images".[3] A similar criticism was made by Jonathan Wright in The Guardian, who stated that the first episode is "far too short at 30 minutes and thus skims over some subjects".[4] Crawford writes that the fifth episode, like the first, "packs a lot of information into its short running time,"[5] and praised the final episode on Svalbard, likening it to a " mini-episode of Frozen Planet" filled with "jaw-dropping, eye-covering scenes".[6] The Guardian's Martin Skegg was more positive on the length of the final episode, writing that "relaying the complex interplay of life in just 30 minutes, the film is a punchy antidote to the sometimes bloated 'event' nature".[7]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Episode guide". Nature's Microworlds. BBC Four. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ "Nature's Microworlds". BBC Four. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ Crawford, David. "Nature's Microworlds: Galapagos". Radio Times. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ Wright, Jonathan (15 July 2012). "TV highlights 16/07/2012". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ Crawford, David. "Nature's Microworlds: Okavango". Radio Times. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ Crawford, David. "Nature's Microworlds: Svalbard". Radio Times. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ Skegg, Martin (19 August 2012). "TV highlights 20/08/2012". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
