Richard Crossley, among other things the coauthor of The Shorebird Guide, has been working on a proposal with Planet Grande Productions for a birding-related television series called Wild in the City. Animal Planet likes the show but has some concerns about viewer audience as bird related programs have not done well in the past. Visit this site and click on the oriole to watch. After you’ve done watching please complete the short survey to let them know what you think. They would like to see surveys completed by Monday.
Charlie and Richard go back a long time (probably much longer than they would both like to admit) and have many stories from the British birding scene and travels to India and Nepal. They have the same aspirations about popularizing birding and the outdoors. Richard tends to keep a low profile, at least ’til now but is working on some major books and Charlie has bribed him into letting us show you a few plates of one of ‘The I.D. Guides’ so stay tuned…
I’m still wanting a birding sitcom, you know…
“She’s a smart, sophisticated lawyer with binoculars. He’s a shy nerdy British Rock Star who thinks “birds” are those girls that hang around backstage. Together they find love and laughs while she twitches the latest rare bird and her life list grows.”
That sort of thing.
Best quote of the clip:
“I am champion burrrrrrrrrrrrdwatcher”
Richard’s an old mate of mine from the UK, so VOTE for him or he’s threatened to ‘send the boys’ round…
Charlie, it’s de je vu Speedbirding all over again!
Why bother trying to get this on the air via Animal Planet, etc.? They don’t need the networks anymore. Look at the thedogfiles.com for a new model of distribution. The production quality of the program is certainly close enough. But two things I’d suggest. First, more images of birds and less of the host. Have him voiceover until he is hoarse, but if I am taking time to watch a show about birds, I want to see birds, birds, birds and not clips of him running from one bird to the next. Second, the title of the programming doesn’t do much for me. If the show will eventually be about all kinds of wildlife in the city, then it’s fine. But otherwise, it should at least have the word BIRD somewhere in the there. That is, assuming they want anyone who is interested in birds to find it.
Finally, who is the audience for this program? If it is for a general audience, I hope they take note of the two points above. But really, why bother? No one but a birder is going to want to watch the show anyway, so why not just get their whole bird geek on? Sure, talk about the birds, the exciting discoveries, the irony of traveling hundreds of miles burning fossil fuels to see an ever diminishing spectacle in our environment. But don’t be afraid to talk shop, discuss which gear is best, where are the best places to stay, what locals have to say about their experience with birdlife. Also, get some kids involved (but not too many).
I hope they do get something in production. That’d be keen.