Sunday 11 October 2009

BBC Autumnwatch

Now that the awful Bill Oddie is gone, I'm enjoying BBC Autumnwatch. Perhaps my favourite scenes so far have been the stags rutting on Rhum, although some of my stalking chums are crying out for the one-antlered killer stag Atilla to be culled.

Most viewers fail to spot the biggest clash of all, however - the one in the studio between the two main presenters.

In the blue corner, we have the fluffy anthropomorphic Kate Humble, recently appointed president of the RSPB, who goes all gooey at the sight of anything young and cute.

And in the red corner we have gritty realist Chris Packham, who takes a Darwinian/Dawkinsian view of nature and recently got himself into trouble for suggesting we should leave the pointless giant panda to die out naturally.

Most of the time Humble and Packham manage to avoid their differences, concentrating on points of agreement such as how 'staggering' it is that a tiny goldcrest can fly across the English Channel.

But every now and then, we get a glimpse of their true nature. In the latest programme, there was a brief mention of eating grey squirrels. Kate Humble's face took on a look that said 'Eeuww, how could you' while the glint in Packham's eye spoke volumes.

Packham is no fool, and knows which side his bread is buttered. But I wonder if he can last the series without giving Humble a metaphorical slap. I'm on the edge of my seat...

1 comment:

vicky said...

It almost sounds like it will be worth tuning in!