Patrick Aryee is in his element in a show thats mostly about saying awwww. Plus Clare Balding on Who Do You Think You Are?
A dog tree! In Dogs: An Amazing Animal Family (Sky1). A big tree on a plain, with different kinds of canines on each branch. Its like one of those pictures of goats in a tree, except these are dogs, not known for their tree-climbing skills. How do they get them up there, stay still, and then get down again afterwards?
By CGI of course, its a computer-generated amazing dog family tree, with the different branches representing the different arms of the family. So there are foxes on this one; bush dogs over here; wolves, coyotes and labradoodles on this one. Its like Who Do You Think You Are?, but for dogs.
Were in the Americas for this episode, where canines first appeared over 30m years ago. And where there is actually a dog that can climb trees. The grey fox specifically, a relic from an age when canines ruled the canopy. But then along came something else that was better at climbing trees. Cats, Im afraid. Boo.
Im a dog man myself. Im pretty sure presenter Patrick Aryee is too. He looks as if hes in heaven, sitting among a litter of playful, fluffy wolf cubs who havent quite worked out how to use their legs without tripping over them. Or squatting in the snow as an even fluffier arctic fox emerges from its burrow. A lot of the show features these things cuteness, and Patrick wearing a massive grin. Nice set of canines and the rest youve got yourself there Patrick, if you dont mind me saying. Theres a bit of science evolution, that big computer-generated tree but mostly its about saying awwww: about Patrick, about the cubs, about everything.
But then they the cubs dont stay tumbly and fluffy for ever. They grow up into big wolves. Maybe Patricks also not so smiley and cuddly and cute when hes hungry, or on the hunt. Aaaroorrroow.
Cut to the chase, literally, and a pack of wolves has targeted a herd of bison on the plain. They wear them down, weaving in and out of the stampeding herd, spreading panic even though the bison are 10 times the size of the wolves. A young calf and its mother get separated from the herd, the wolves harry and snap. Mum does her best, puts up a brave and desperate fight, but its hopeless, this is only going to end one way: tenderloin of bison for tea tonight. Its appalling and sad, and also very exciting, like the BBCs The Hunt was, remember? This is the nearest most of us will ever get to a hunt, watching animals doing it on the telly. Maybe it triggers something in our own evolutionary history, presses a button that remains from a time long ago when we were hunters too.
The running wolves get Born to be Wild by Steppenwolf for a soundtrack. Someone enjoyed themselves choosing the music for this. That grey fox improbably climbed its tree to the Mission Impossible score da da, dada da da A South American maned wolf does a long-legged dance to some Argentinian tango music, even if it is actually filmed in Brazil. Im not sure why a bush dog is shaking the water from its fur to the Flower Duet from Delibess Lakm, the British Airways music. Is it the worlds favourite canine maybe? And actually steppenwolf means coyote, so that was the wrong music. Maybe, given that they were going full cheese, they should have used Who Let The Dogs Out, for all of them and be done with it. Who who who who…
Now Who Do You Think You Are (BBC1) for humans, specifically Clare Balding. Yeah Clare, who do you think you are? I know where you are, youre everybloodywhere right now. Not that Ive got a problem with that, I adore Clare Balding, doesnt everyone? I just hope theyre paying her enough.
Anyway, Clare, whos successful and posh and horsey, goes back and finds that her ancestors were successful and posh and horsey. Way, way back, on both sides, shes pure thoroughbred. Oh, thats not how this is supposed to work is it? No workhouse? Theres always someone in the workhouse, I thought it was a rule of WDYTYA?
So there is tragedy, a hunting accident (of course). And a gay great grandfather when it was more interesting (illegal) to be gay. And on the other side, a spectacular rise to immense riches through baking powder. Quite interesting, but its not Danny Dyer is it? That is the problem with this show: it peaked with Danny Dyer. It will never can never be Danny Dyer again.
Read more: www.theguardian.com
