What is it? Life Story, complete series, six episodes on two discs from BBC
When? Now
How much? $24.98
Whose life story? The life story of a lot of creatures and critters, from honey ants to humpback whales.
This is another BBC nature documentary series narrated by David Attenborough. This time, the series focuses on what all the various life forms have in common: the circle of life.
It's divided into six episodes: First Steps, Growing Up, Home, Power, Courtship and Parenthood. No, there's not an episode on aging and death, though since this is a nature documentary, you can expect death to occur.
Each episode examines the challenges different species face at the different stages of life, and some of the challenges and habits are alternately horrifying and fascinating.
Just a few of the stories the series presents:
• Barnacle geese hatchlings try to survive a jump from a towering rock cliff in Greenland.
• Tiny pikas steal from each other as they store up summer flowers for the long Rocky Mountain winter.
• Fledgling albatrosses set out for their first flight, but have to avoid tiger sharks to do it.
• An elephant family comes across the bones of a female elephant.
• Young kangaroos learn to fight -- and then witness a heated battle for dominance between two grown males.
• A meerkat family clashes with a cobra.
• A veined octopus uses coconut shells as protection from a flounder.
The ultimate goal in all this is to show that while the different creatures have very different lives, challenges and homes, they also have a great deal in common in the instinct to survive and reproduce.
How is it? Fabulous. If you've seen the other BBC nature series, you should know what to expect. There's amazing, gorgeous photography showing some incredibly remote landscapes and some bizarre creatures. All narrated with Attenborough's soothing, authoritative voice.
Like good drama, it has got its share of romance, suspense, violence, comedy and touching "aww" moments. It's hard not to be moved by something like the reunion of mating waved albatrosses.
Sensitive types who are easily traumatized by animal death and suffering should consider themselves warned. Creatures die here. And not always easily.
Are there extras? Yes. There's an interview with Attenborough discussing specific animals and the people who helped put the series together and a short piece with Attenborough examining a group of meerkats. There's also a "making of" documentary that shows how they captured some of the amazing footage in the series.
New this week: Angie Tribeca, Season 1; Cop Rock, complete series; The Facts of Life, Season 9; Mr. Selfridge, Season 4; Orange Is the New Black, Season 3; Xena: Warrior Princess, Season 6 and complete series.
Next week: Call the Midwife, Season 5; Lou Grant, Season 1; Major Crimes, Season 4; Outsiders, Season 1.
Style on 05/15/2016