How BITTERLY disappointing is this new series of Echo and her family. I have videod, then dvd'd every programme on Echo for YEARS.
All of them were sensibly narrated/commented by Cynthia Moss. This new African lady is totally NOT suited for the commentary. Her voice is too stately and slow. And the script - the less said about that, the better as it is banal and very childish - surely this isn't a programme ONLY for children ?
Also, the script is constant repetition - 'Echo leads her family.....' 'Echo's family need water...' 'The lions want one of the babies.....' 'The lions are still waiting....'
On and on and on. The intro over-voice by this lady, then the intro film.....does it REALLY have to be shown before EVERY episode ? Particularly when there are 2 episodes one after the other ? Then the constant film of baby elephants in mortal danger - being left behind - did matriarch Alison REALLY abandon the new mother and her baby ? I've NEVER heard of a matriach EVER doing that before.
If so - why ON EARTH didn't the camera team rescue that baby from the swamp ? It almost died in it in one of last weeks programmes ! 'Nature has to take its course' is NOT a valid argument against rescue - because they rescue a baby trapped in a well !! and fly it to the wonderful Daphne Sheldrake orphanage in Nairobi. So human interference IS valid. To watch an elephant mother searching for 2 days for its sunk/drowned in a swamp baby, is unforgiveable.
And what is it with the ladies of the Amboseli rescue ? I've never seen anything like it - they travel for MILES on their own/driver whenever they get a message an elephant is in trouble. Then stand around for hours - they can't do anything on their own. THEN they call the rangers for help. Then wait for more hours.
THEN constant noise shouting chatter of voices frightening the elephants to death almost, while they then call for something else - a tractor - more ropes - more men - a vet.
Do they have NO sedatives themselves to inject by blow dart ? Then a male elephant badly injured in the leg.....they spend hours tracking it - then leave it !!!
We'll see what happens to the elephant with the arrow in its forehead next week. And another childish commentary. "They have to try and judge how deep is the arrow". I immediately shouted "4 to 6 inches of course" - and the commentary then said a ranger judged it to be.....4 to 6 inches.
It is all so INCREDIBLY childish, the constant repitions mean a half hour programme with adverts can be cut down to a maximum of well under 20 minutes.
Why didn't Cynthia do the commentary !
Bitterly bitterly disappointing programmes.