Format and Content
In commissioning The World About Us, Attenborough also created the first documentary series whose programmes ran to 50 minutes rather than the half-hour films typical of the time. This allowed wildlife filmmakers to present more detailed studies of their subjects. The format has remained largely unchanged to the present day, though some recent episodes have been extended to 60 minutes.
Although the series is characterised by large budgets and high production values, Natural World programmes rarely fall into the category of blue-chip wildlife films (as defined by Derek Bouse). The commissioning editors draw on a diverse range of films with sometimes idiosyncratic presentation styles or subject matters. Films with conservation messages, human-animal interaction and poetic or spiritual musings on the natural world feature alongside more traditional profiles of individual species and wildlife-rich locations. Some of the more unusual subjects have included plankton, wasps and cephalopods.
Read more about this topic: Natural World (TV Series)
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