ITV 'The Zoo'
- Thread starter Pertinax
- Start date
I thought it was good, a good bit of P.R. for the zoo just before the kids break up for the Summer holidays, highlighting of course the new tiger exhibit, and some very good camera work of the two tigers in it. I did like the bit at the official opening ceremony when the Duke of Edinburgh turned around in almost surprise at the sight of one of the tigers walking past the glass, also in the butterfly exhibit, this is looked after by a Geordie, I think he must be the first Geordie keeper I have ever known of working at Regents Park!
It was Ok as far as modern Tv programmes go good camera work but the animals are never enough on their own, every thing is a bit dumbed down and cut up into small quick sections, The opening shots of gorilla Kingdom was never revisited at least in the first episode. Tiger territory looked great, but we didn't need so many shots of the keepers watching the tigers I wanted to watch the tigers.
I think personally there was as much if not more keeper coverage than animal, it's as if they are looking for the next personality to hang the show on rather than the Zoo being the star.
The Geordie in the butterfly house looked at times as if he couldn't understand the fuss over him rather than his charges. He must have been there ages as I have seen him on other shows. Personally speaking I wanted more shots of the zoo and some behind the scenes shots and less on cute penguins, and the love life of the keeper.
May be i'm hard to please, my advice is to record it and wizz through the ad breaks and the boring bits of the staff sweeping or carrying boxes.
I think personally there was as much if not more keeper coverage than animal, it's as if they are looking for the next personality to hang the show on rather than the Zoo being the star.
The Geordie in the butterfly house looked at times as if he couldn't understand the fuss over him rather than his charges. He must have been there ages as I have seen him on other shows. Personally speaking I wanted more shots of the zoo and some behind the scenes shots and less on cute penguins, and the love life of the keeper.
May be i'm hard to please, my advice is to record it and wizz through the ad breaks and the boring bits of the staff sweeping or carrying boxes.
I think it's a show about the keepers really. The TV people are keeping up with the personalities we met in the previous series, with quite a lot of emphasis on the work of the vets. The emphasis on the tigers was understandable but they missed the chance to explain how the new enclosure is an improvement on the previous one.
Alan
Alan
This is very much the format adopted by most T.V. series about Zoos, from Paington's 'Zookeepers' onwards and up to the previous ZSL series last year. The Bristol and New Zealand series(also both(?) called 'The Zoo'- what else?
)were in a similar vein too. Even the excellent Molly Dineen series centred on personalities- although in that case they were mostly in conflict!I think nowadays the animals themselves just aren't deemed interesting enough for mainstream T.V. without a major injection of the human/emotional aspect. Its just the way it is.
Gigit
Well-Known Member
From next week's Radio Times:
'Most troublesome (but very entertaining) is a teenage silverback gorilla that the zoo is hoping will mate for the first time. Kumbuka has a bit of a rep for trashing things and, true to form, sets about destroying the £5.3 million gorilla enclosure. But then he notices a female.'
and:
'A silverback male gorilla that's never seen a female causes a rumpus when he's introduced to the ladies.'
I don't know why they persist in calling him a teenager. In human terms at 15 he'd be a spotty teenager, but in gorilla terms he's a silverback in his prime. And why say 'a silverback male'! That, said, do I detect an optimistic tone about his encounters with the females
'Most troublesome (but very entertaining) is a teenage silverback gorilla that the zoo is hoping will mate for the first time. Kumbuka has a bit of a rep for trashing things and, true to form, sets about destroying the £5.3 million gorilla enclosure. But then he notices a female.'
and:
'A silverback male gorilla that's never seen a female causes a rumpus when he's introduced to the ladies.'
I don't know why they persist in calling him a teenager. In human terms at 15 he'd be a spotty teenager, but in gorilla terms he's a silverback in his prime. And why say 'a silverback male'! That, said, do I detect an optimistic tone about his encounters with the females
I don't know why they persist in calling him a teenager. In human terms at 15 he'd be a spotty teenager, but in gorilla terms he's a silverback in his prime. And why say 'a silverback male'! That, said, do I detect an optimistic tone about his encounters with the females
Yes. I hate the way they call him a teenager too
- they did it with 'Effie' when she was already a fully adult female too. 'Teenager' he most definately isn't. They even contradict themselves by saying 'silverback male' as a 'teenager' in Gorillaterms is a non-silverbacked/blackback male. They must surely know that so why persist with that silly description..Maybe the nitty-gritty of his reactions with the females will now be revealed! After reading of that USA male 'Oliver' breeding, I feel anything's possible.
This evening's final episode of this series climaxed (oops 
) when Kumbuka mated with M'Juku. Also featured the mangabeys, Boelen's pythons and the baby tapir. Best episode by far 
Repeated later tomorrow night.
Alan
) when Kumbuka mated with M'Juku. Also featured the mangabeys, Boelen's pythons and the baby tapir. Best episode by far Repeated later tomorrow night.
Alan
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This evening's final episode of this series climaxed (oops
I'm not sure whether they were complete matings, but he's obviously got the idea and the interest already, which is great news.
He certainly gave the enclosure a hard time to start with , but rather surprisingly ( it appears) not the females, with whom he seemed very relaxed from the word go.I just wish they wouldn't keep calling him a 'teenager'.
At 15 he definately isn't.
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Gigit
Well-Known Member
I was just hoping he was doing it properly. But even if he wasn't it's very promising, and it's all such an improvement on his previous solitary life at Paignton. He seems to have adapted very well and, as one of those at Paignton who had assumed proprietorial rights over him, I'm very proud of him
Not_a_Nautilus
Well-Known Member
I haven't watched this series, but I would like to interject and say that not all zoo shows focus on humans: Dublin Zoo's one (also called The Zoo 
) introduces keepers by name but otherwise focuses entirely on animals.
) introduces keepers by name but otherwise focuses entirely on animals.