Network: National Geographic Channel
Featuring Narration by Alec Baldwin
What’s It All About? If you think your work commute is rough, or those long family trips a challenge to get through, then check out the animals in this stunning seven-part miniseries, whose entire lives are spent on the move, and whose survival literally depends upon truly epic and often dangerous journeys over land, sea and air. National Geographic bills this as its largest cross-platform initiative ever (in addition to television, it will be featured in magazine articles, maps, books, exhibits and tours, iPhone apps and more), and it shows — the production crew logged in at least as much travel as their ever-moving subjects, trekking 420,000 miles across 120 countries and all seven continents in a two-and-a-half-year span to capture the often previously undocumented spectacle of nature on the march. The four core hours of the miniseries chronicle animal migration; three additional hours include a scientific investigation into why the creatures embark on these unbelievable travels, a behind-the-scenes look at the advanced technology used to capture these events, and an hourlong visual concert comprised of footage set to original music. The footage really is incredible, and often compellingly dramatic — you find yourself rooting for even the lowliest red crab to successfully complete its perilous journey, and being a bit heartbroken when it doesn’t. About the only fault in the miniseries is the choice of narrator. Like Discovery did with the Planet Earth and Life specials, NGC feels the need to bring in a celebrity voice — in this case Alec Baldwin — to guide us through the program. Baldwin does not really bring much, and is sometimes distractingly melodramatic in his descriptions of scenes that speak volumes on their own. But that definitely will not keep viewers from enjoying this highly recommended program.
