'Life in the Freezer' is an incredible look at life in the most inhospitable place on Earth: the continent of Antarctica. The series is divided up into six parts. The first five deal with different parts of the year and how the wildlife has adapted to survive in the vicious climate at various times in nature's cycle. The final episode details how people have adapted to this alien environment, both historically and in the present day. Because the climate is so aggressive at the South Pole, this series in many ways is about that as much as it is about the creatures that live through it. I think that one of this particular nature series strongest points is that it's genuinely incredible that wildlife has adapted to these conditions, so much so that it's even more life-affirming. I also very much enjoyed the final episode that detailed the experiences of people in this environment; I realize that this is not a typical subject for a nature documentary but in the case of Antarctica it is completely justifiable as human beings are hugely ill-equipped to survive in this land, therefore, it is fascinating to learn how we have adapted, and of course in some famous cases, perished.
As for the creatures who are from this icy land, this series covers – amongst other things - the incredible resilience of the emperor penguins, the violent rituals of mating seals, the sweeping journeys of the petrels, the feeding spirals of the whales and the ever-changing icy aquatic underworld. The myriad of ways in which these incredible creatures adapt to this brutal environment is captured beautifully by the fabulous photography and, as always, David Attenborough's brilliant commentary. As is so often the case in the best nature films, it is the revealing of the mysteries of the natural world that provide most of the genuine thrills that we take away from them. For this viewer, the moment that will always stick with me was the section in the snow-less, dry lands behind the mountains where we see a mummified seal that has lay entirely intact for centuries. It's a truly extraordinary thing to behold.
'Life in the Freezer' is a brilliant series about this most alien of places on our planet. At times it almost seems to be a documentary from another world, it's so unfamiliar. It comes highly recommended for anyone who is interested in life in the extremes of our world.
As for the creatures who are from this icy land, this series covers – amongst other things - the incredible resilience of the emperor penguins, the violent rituals of mating seals, the sweeping journeys of the petrels, the feeding spirals of the whales and the ever-changing icy aquatic underworld. The myriad of ways in which these incredible creatures adapt to this brutal environment is captured beautifully by the fabulous photography and, as always, David Attenborough's brilliant commentary. As is so often the case in the best nature films, it is the revealing of the mysteries of the natural world that provide most of the genuine thrills that we take away from them. For this viewer, the moment that will always stick with me was the section in the snow-less, dry lands behind the mountains where we see a mummified seal that has lay entirely intact for centuries. It's a truly extraordinary thing to behold.
'Life in the Freezer' is a brilliant series about this most alien of places on our planet. At times it almost seems to be a documentary from another world, it's so unfamiliar. It comes highly recommended for anyone who is interested in life in the extremes of our world.