Customer Reviews

David Attenborough Wildlife Specials

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This two disc collection is a great value, each disc contains four shows narrated by David Attenborough, so it is not overbearing, and it offers beautiful wildlife pictures unhindered by presenters in the foreground.

DISC ONE contains four 45 min shows : CROCODILE, EAGLE, LEOPARD and POLAR BEAR. DISC TWO contains two 45 min shows HUMPBACK WHALE, WOLF, as well as two bonus programs, an hour show that collects some of nature's GREATEST WILDLIFE SHOWS and a 40 min show on NATURAL WONDERS OF THE WORLD.

The main eight shows have all been on PBS and are professionally done, which makes this two disc set more then worth the $20 price tag. The two bonus shows present many different segments about the animal world. I found the Greatest Wildlife Show to be the most entertaining, a one hour show presenting 12 short segments about various animals doing their most impressive natural activities. I think this is a great set of animal video stories and a worthwhile purchase for animal lovers to enjoy.

I will purchase any DVD produced or narrated by David Attenborough. You just can't lose. This man could make mowing a lawn interesting. He involves the viewer so deeply in his documentaries that you crave more. I can't wait til The Private Lives of Plants becomes available on Region 1 [U.S. & Canada] DVD. I contacted the BBC and begged them to consider transferring it to Region 1 DVD. I saw a clip and it looks incredible. This (Wildlife Specials) set is no exception. It is absolutely fascinating as are all of Sir David's work. He is flawless in his work.

David Attenborough is able to capture your attention and entertain you while teaching you about the natural world. He seems to love everything from the smallest plant to the largest mammal - and he is able to convey this love to his audience. With more people like Sir David, I am sure our world would be a better place and we wouldn't be facing the dangers of global warming.
These wildlife specials are very entertaining and informative.

Up front, I need to state that I adore Sir David Attenborough's work. I have all his books and (unless I'm missing something) all his DVDs as well. He is probably the most important wildlife specials producer in this, as well as the last, century.

The CONTENT of this collection is marvelous. A lot of work went into creating these specials, and it shows. The footage is unique, especially the night shots of the hunting leopards. Love them all.

The TRANSFER, however, is horrible. On our big HD screen TV it looks like a decent VHS copy, but often worse. This may not show so much on a small screen, but on a larger one, buyer beware.

Why Attenborough's amazing specials receive such lousy treatment while crappy horror movies are released in Blu-ray is beyond my comprehension. His specials are, at least in my humble opinion, in a class all by themselves and should deserve the utmost care when transferred onto the DVD medium for generations to enjoy.

Citerion, how about tackling this job if nobody else will? I'd buy each and every release in high quality Blu-ray immediately!

I haven't yet seen all the episodes on this set, but what I have watched is predominately very good picture quality. Not as sharp as PLANET EARTH of course, but definitely nice. (Remember to try any not-so-recent material WITHOUT HD upconversion --for those of us who bought those players--before watching with this feature, as it tends to make older signals worse rather than better.)
If you've seen the horrible picture quality of LIFE OF BIRDS and are worried that this set is of similar reprehensible clarity, don't be! It will at least satisfy almost everyone.

As a longtime fan of David Attenborough, who has ALL his nature documentaries, I was as usual not disapointed in this DVD. The usual fantastic filming, great narration. The segments are nice too, because you can view one segment(show), and then go back to it and see another the next day. I love David Attenborough. He is a class act. I hope he never quits!!!

This is another outstanding presentation from David Attenborough.

This presentation takes a look at the lives and habitats of some of the worlds most amazing animals such as polar bear and leopard, humpback whale, crocodiles, wolf to eagle, and other Wildlife Wonders.

This (Wildlife Specials) set is for nature lovers and others who are being introduced to nature and wild life.

We own every title of David Attenborough's work that's available on DVD. Once you watch one, you're hooked. The photography is to die for, and he explains everything with such interest, and knows what he's talking about. It's incredible. If ever there's a series put out by David on DVD, you need to buy it, it's well worth letting your family learn something, than watching mindless TV. All our children love David Attenborough, and all the animals just totally come to life when you watch them from Attenborough's point of view. Also, I recommend "Life with Mammals, and Life in the Undergrowth", they are wonderful DVD's to watch together. You won't be sorry if you buy this one too.

As the title suggests, this is a collection of documentaries on specific animals, including leopards, eagles, and whales. Some of the footage is good, some of it clearly dated. However, it doesn't even compare to David Attenborough's later work. "Wildlife Specials" follows a more traditional documentary style of talking about one animal. By contrast, Attenborough's "Life of" series explains entire classes of animals or ecosystems. Also, the later documentaries are shot with HD cameras and the quality is really light years beyond "Wildlife Specials."

In short, if you are looking for one great wildlife documentary, this isn't it. If you love David Attenborough and can't get enough of him, this is worth checking out.

If you like David Attenborough (and who does not?)as being THE most expert entertaining naturalist available, plus camera work from the best available crew in the world (BBC), there is no reason whatsoever NOT to buy this DVD. I have them all (also the ones not available in the USA, but can be bought through Amazon UK - you will need a player that is universal) and they give you the best insight in our natural world.