The broadcaster came under fire after the 70-minute programme failed to deliver any new footage of the “magnificent creatures” shown in previews.
One viewer said: “Enjoyable, but I’m still waiting for live pictures of any creature that isn’t a human being.”
The episode featured little more than 20 minutes of live footage during which the presenters, Richard Hammond and Julia Bradbury, spoke to the camera from their respective locations in Kenya and Minnesota. Most of the programme consisted of pre-recorded footage of lions, elephants, bears, whales and monkeys.
The BBC had advertised the series as a “global wildlife event” that would feature “real animals” in “real time”. Producers had hoped to emulate the success of series such as Springwatch, which have proved popular.
Within minutes of the first instalment of the eight-part series being broadcast, the BBC’s Points of View message boards were deluged with complaints. Moderators were forced to amalgamate at least 17 comment “threads” which focused on the programme. The BBC said it had received 118 complaints.
One viewer wrote on the Digital Spy website: “The bulk of the live action was Richard Hammond in a tent, in the dark, in the rain. It might as well have been in the field at the back of my house rather than one of the world’s great places.” Another asked: “Why fly the presenters to all these places and set up camp when it could have been done in a studio in London?”
Each presenter is backed by a team of wildlife experts and documentary makers, with additional footage being sent from teams in other locations.
Among the hundreds who took to online message boards to complain, many noted that the only animals to appear live were two buffalo which wandered close to Hammond’s makeshift studio in the Masai Mara game reserve.
“The presenter may be live but that’s about it, what’s the point? Shameful way to waste the licence fee,” one said.
Another added: “As far as I recall the only 'live’ wildlife in the programme was a couple of buffalo caught in a thermal imaging camera.”
Others complained about the choice of presenters, with many questioning why naturalists such as Chris Packham, Kate Humble or Simon King were not involved.
Hammond, in particular, proved an unpopular choice. The presenter, more famed for racing cars in Top Gear, was described as “maddening” and “annoying” by wildlife lovers. One viewer said: “I don’t think Richard Hammond is a suitable presenter for wildlife documentaries.” Another said: “Hammond should stick to cars.”
A spokesman for the BBC admitted that there was little live animal action but said the presenters were there to comment on the day’s news and stories and to provide analysis. “A lot of it had been filmed that day on location and the footage was clearly signed as pre-packaged,” said the spokesman. “We consider the series to be a multi-media experience so the Twitter feed and website is key to the live action.”
She acknowledged that many complaints had been about the choice of presenters but said they had been chosen because they were popular and were surrounded by wildlife experts. The second instalment is on BBC One tonight.
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