FROZEN PLANET 2
SUNDAY, BBC2
Valuation: 
There is something very special and incredibly spiritual about people who reach a very old age. Over the years, which many of us never reach, they become possessed by a wisdom beyond most people’s experience.
The Queen was such a person; Sir David Attenborough is another. And as a friend’s young daughter pointed out when the sad news of Her Majesty’s death broke, he is now on his own.
Last Man Standing of an extraordinary generation – and indeed someone very precious.
Sarah Vine reviews this week’s TV, giving Sir David Attenborough’s documentary Frozen Planet 2 a five-star review
The sequel to the original documentary series, first shown in 2011 when Sir David was just 85, is truly stunning television, the kind of thing the BBC, for all its sins, still does better than anyone else.
Sir David is of course the key. He may not be out in the field anymore, but his passion for the planet and its wildlife remains undiminished, as alive as it was all those years ago when he first frolicked in forests with mountain gorillas.
He’s also one of the few people who can talk about climate change in a way that doesn’t scare people off. He is neither hysterical nor preachy, and while you can tell he’s deeply concerned about it, like so many of his younger peers, he balks at political mud fights.
He’s just class, one of the few remaining real BBC assets.
Sarah Vine (pictured) says there is something very special and incredibly spiritual about people who reach very old age. She says, like the Queen, Sir David is different and the last man of an extraordinary generation
The first series of Frozen Planet explored life in the Arctic and Antarctic; this has a broader scope, extending to all frozen places on earth, including the boreal forests of Russia and China, the Gobi Desert and the vast steppes of Central Asia, home to the world’s grumpiest cat.
The technology has advanced massively since the first series, which is clearly evident in the truly breathtaking size and range of cinematography.
I was fascinated by the footage of the Earth itself, the incredible footage of melting ice, the footage of quivering baby penguins and a hungry Siberian tiger – a species reduced to a population of around 500 in the wild – hunting for prey . He’s so hungry he could eat a bear – and he’s trying.
A killer whale family of 14, led by a matriarch believed to be over 100 years old, hunts their prey with ruthless precision and demonstrates their total command of the sea.
An inflatable nosed seal struts its stuff and puffs out its trunk, much to the indifference of its intent. It’s just straight forward, uncomplicated, breathtakingly awesome.
Sarah says Sir David is neither hysterical nor preaching about climate change, and while you can tell he’s deeply concerned about it, like so many of his younger peers, he balks at political mudslinging
My only criticism is the obligatory behind-the-scenes look at the filming at the end. I have no doubt that the dedication of the crew is second to none (especially given the plague of what appeared to be giant mosquitoes they had to endure).
And of course, part of you wants to know how you managed to get all this incredible footage.
But there’s something about the act of turning the cameras on the cameras that just takes away from the magic a little for me. And magic is what we need right now.
The Queen on screen
A Queen is Crowned documenting her coronation was digitally restored in 2012 and is available on Britbox
When Prince Philip died, the BBC was inundated with criticism for its extensive coverage. I was sad about that.
After all, the man had been in the service of the Queen all his life. Surely he deserved better.
If you want to re-enact key events in Her Majesty’s life, there are some wonderful things to stream. A Queen is Crowned documenting her coronation was digitally restored in 2012 and is available on Britbox.
For a more contemporary look, ITV’s Queen Of The World is available on ITV.com.
It offers a brilliant insight into one year of her life and is accompanied by a book by our own Robert Hardman. I guarantee you will have no complaints.
A simple pleasure for complicated times
ALL CREATURES BIG AND SMALL
THURSDAY, CHANNEL 5
James Herriot (Nicholas Ralph) marries the beautiful Helen (the even prettier Rachel Shenton, center with Ralph) in All Creatures Great And Small.
Valuation:
I have to admit I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this remake of the original series that ran from 1978-1990. I think it’s because it’s not ashamed of what it is, a feel-good slice of sepia nostalgia, a cross in tone between Call The Midwife and Downton Abbey, with a smattering of Last Of The Summer Wine.
The third season begins with the beginning of World War II. Our hero James Herriot (Nicholas Ralph) marries the beautiful Helen (the even more beautiful Rachel Shenton).
She’s perfect for him, the kind of woman who looks fabulous in an apron and a pair of wellies and who can check on the pigs in the morning and walk down the aisle in the afternoon pretty as a picture.
War is looming, but nothing really bad is encroaching on the Dales. OK, there’s a recruiting van in town, but it might as well be selling ice cream than luring the local farmers’ sons to a muddy death.
Gentle comedy is offered in the persona of Samuel West as Siegfried Farnon alongside his loyal sidekick Mrs Hall (Anna Madeley). West inhabits his role with gusto, his camp-like excitement the perfect foil to Ralph’s wholesome charm.
Everyone is impeccably dressed up, not least the scenery giving us their best hovis. Honestly even the buses look good and I’ve never seen such neat mud.
Dramatically, it’s as smooth as a cup of Horlicks. An injured cow may have to be euthanized and one of Siegfried’s patients (a German shepherd) accidentally swallows the ring, but nothing too bad. A simple pleasure for complicated times.