It's not uncommon in many Arkansas towns -- even relatively large towns -- to find deer wandering down the street and across front yards.
It has happened at our house and we live a half mile from one of Little Rock's busiest roads.
Now imagine if those deer were polar bears. Yes, 10-foot-long, 1,300-pound, hungry polar bears on their annual migration to their wintering grounds after the ice melts.
That's the scene each year in the town of Churchill, Manitoba. The bears bring about 10,000 tourists riding in "tundra buggies" to the Canadian community of 800 on Hudson Bay.
Churchill is so small, there are no roads to reach it. You have to fly in or take the train.
And, yes, the polar bears -- and there are usually about a thousand of them -- are hungry. It has been months since they had their last meals and will be months before the ice comes back so they can return to their hunting grounds.
This fascinating fall spectacle is the subject of Polar Bear Town, a new Smithsonian Channel documentary series that follows a season in Churchill and shows the remarkable interaction among humans and bears. The situations are frequently unexpected and sometimes dangerous.
The six-episode weekly series premieres at 8̶ ̶p̶.̶m̶. 7 p.m. Wednesday*. For those of us who may have only seen a polar bear sweltering in a zoo, the footage is eye-opening.
The series points out that polar bears are the world's largest land carnivores and can detect seals (their usual prey) beneath three feet of snow and from miles away.
Churchill is one of the few settlements where the bears can be observed in the wild and prime viewing is in October and November.
The series documents tourists from around the world as they descend on the town and features professional guides Dennis Compayre and Kelsey Eliasson. They have a challenging mission -- get their clients close, but keep them safe.
In tonight's episode, "Welcome to Churchill," the townsfolk are preparing for the tourist influx, but tensions are higher than usual. The previous year on Halloween, a bear, who gave no warning and struck out of the darkness, left a local woman seriously injured. The bear was killed by officers.
Trying to avoid such confrontations is Bob Windsor of Manitoba's Department of Natural Resources. He leads a team of conservation officers stepping up their efforts to make the town safer. That makes life even more of a challenge for the guides.
Highlighted in the series is a mama bear with two vulnerable cubs and one huge male known as Big Bear.
Another local resident playing a prominent part is Brian Ladoon, who owns and operates the Mile 5 Dog Sanctuary for 170 endangered Canadian Eskimo dogs. Ladoon needs the tourist money to keep his dogs fed through the winter.
Here's a roundup of future episodes of Polar Bear Town. All air at 8̶ ̶p̶.̶m̶. 7 p.m.:
Nov. 23 -- "Paparazzi Alert." Guide Compayre takes on an apprentice, who has her hands full with an aggressive Japanese client who ignores repeated instructions to back away from Big Bear.
Nov. 30 -- "Rumble on the Tundra." Ladoon needs help at the dog sanctuary, but his volunteer may end up doing more harm than good.
Dec. 7 -- "Halloween Horror Story." Halloween is the worst day of the year for bears. Children are out and adults are attending parties. Last year, Erin Greene was attacked and now she must confront her fears. Meanwhile, Big Bear is headed directly toward an army of guards protecting the town.
Dec. 14 -- "Parole Day. " Winter has arrived and conservation officers release bears from their holding facility.
Dec. 21 -- "Quest for Cubs." It's spring in Churchill and the bears are hunting for seals on the frozen bay. Guides and photographers race to find hidden den sites in hopes of witnessing mothers and cubs emerge. Featured is the discovery of a den complex that has been used for generations.
• Uncle Si. A&E is milking the Duck Dynasty cow one more time. Going Si-ral debuts at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday following the season premiere of Duck Dynasty at 8.
Going Si-ral features 68-year-old host Si Robertson and his nephew/sidekick Willie Robertson offering Si's rather wacky perspective on the internet.
The series features original segments, games, and its own versions of viral videos. The premiere includes guest appearances by Jep, Jessica and Miss Kay Robertson and, no doubt, Si's ever-present green Tupperware cup.
• Shooter arrives: USA Network's long-delayed Shooter finally debuts at 9 p.m. today.
The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Email:
mstorey@arkansasonline.com
Style on 11/15/2016
* The air time for Polar Bear Town has changed. It starts at 7 p.m. Wednesday.