Natural Curiosities Online

David Attenborough is, of course, the champion of knowledge when it comes to nature and the living world. His shows usually explore the lives of various species by focusing on the topic of the episode, such as hunting or mating habits. We're given the major facts without all the extraneous trivia that surrounds each creature.

In this series, Attenborough takes this trivia and expands on it, thus making it less trivial and more relevant when understood. For example, we know a zebra has stripes but unlike a tiger it doesn't blend in with the surrounding environment - it stands out which, for a creature that is not a predator but prey, seems unusual. He investigates by exploring past theories and beliefs, presenting research and new ideas that try to explain why an array of creatures have evolved unique characteristics and abilities which are considered curious.

Each episode has a runtime of about 22 minutes, but in that short time Attenborough manages to explore two curious creatures and deliver a compelling argument for each ones curious trait. In this show he does not only provide a narrative voice but a hands-on role in order to show us documents, artwork, collections of species, and other materials that have been gathered over the years by various museums and institutions studying nature.

There is never a boring moment in "Natural Curiosities" - each episode moves swiftly and is over before you could ever tire. The format of each episode is similar but because each case is unique there is no feeling of repetition. What you get here is a splendid show for people who like nature documentaries but want to see something a little less mainstream, because it focuses on the surreal things in nature, rather than the highlights of well known places. This is a show that will take you to many places, not to see epic vistas and magnificent wildlife shots, but to analyse nature's way of doing things that may have baffled scientists for years.

As said many times, David Attenborough is a national treasure. He may apparently dislike the term, but it is hard to not say that about such a great presenter who has contributed significantly to some of the best documentaries there's ever been.

It is really hard picking favourites, let alone a definite favourite, among what Attenborough has done because he has done so many gems, it is the equivalent of trying to choose your favourite ice cream flavour or your favourite operatic role (for examples) and finding you can't pick. 'Natural Curiosities' is another gem of his, there is nothing artificial about it at all, it's imaginatively done and there is more than enough in every episode to make one stick with it, the curiosity factor is high. It is also very entertaining, very candid and very much accessible.

'Natural Curiosities' as always with Attenborough is a beautiful-looking series. It is gorgeously filmed, done in a completely fluid and natural, sometimes intimate and there is nothing static about it at all. The editing is smooth and succinct and the wide range habitats make for some truly eye catching scenery that are just as big in character as the animals and Attenborough himself.

The animals are also wide in variety and not only do they look great their personalities, whether prey or predator, are big. One learns a lot about them and cares about them in the same way they would for a human character in a film (more so than most actually). This may sound like hyperbole, but it really came across that way to me.

Entertainment value is high, and as always with Attenborough 'Natural Curiosities' is incredibly informative. Found myself learning a lot and found that even familiar knowledge was expanded upon. Format-wise, the episodes are similar to each other but the variety in habitats and animals is so diverse that repetition never kicks in. Like Attenborough's best work, it is easy to connect emotionally and it is hard not to be captivated by the fun, tension and pathos.

Attenborough is a huge part of the appeal, of course, and his contribution helps significantly. He is very candid, clearly knowing his stuff and knowing what to say and how to say it. He delivers it with his usual richness, soft-spoken enthusiasm and sincerity, never talking down to the viewer and keeping them riveted and wanting to know more.

Overall, a gem all round. For Attenborough fans 'Natural Curiosities' is a must watch regardless of how it stacks up compared to the rest of his work (have not seen a "bad" effort from him) and whether it's original or not. While it's not one of his very best, it still compares favourably. 10/10 Bethany Cox