A new BBC One TV Series ‘The Great British Year’ starts on Wednesday 2 October 2013 at 9pm and explores the spectacular colours and wildlife habits of the ever-changing British landscape season by season.
Rather apt considering that this weekend marks the start of autumn: the kids are back at school in the UK, summer travellers return to work, and the countdown to Christmas has begun!
The new documentary from the BBC Natural History team will present a “definitive portrait” of Britain over a year, broken down into seasons. It will showcase Britain’s 10,000 miles of stunning coastline, iconic birds and animals and the annual migration.
The series will highlight the rich autumnal landscapes and focus on animals that are gathering their final supplies prior to hibernation. Winter sees the arrival of snow and ice and the issues British wildlife face just to get enough food to see the season through. Spring arrives with aplomb, where trees burst into bud and wildlife begins the task of migration and breeding. Summer captures the sheer heat and vibrancy of the great British countryside, although drought also plays a part in the story.
The series is narrated by film and stage actor Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare in Love, Enemy at the Gates) and uses time-lapsed photography to highlight the effects of the very pronounced seasons in an interesting way. The Great British Year will document a waterfall freezing solid in winter, to its thaw in spring and the heather encrusted hills at the very peak of summer. More details can be found here.
The BBC’s Natural History team have produced many fine TV series highlighting the sheer diversity of the UK’s wildlife, nature and environment. If you missed Hebrides: Islands On The Edge, narrated by Ewan McGregor you can catch up with the episodes online. The previous series of Frozen Planet, Africa and A Year In The Wild really captured viewers’ imaginations and I’m sure that The Great British Year will be no different.
