A NEW, three-part documentary series described by the British press as “visually stunning”, “sensational” and “extraordinary” is scheduled to start at 10.30pm tonight on DStv’s BBC Knowledge.
It is Richard Hammond’s Invisible WorLds which lifts the lid on the minute worlds the human eye cannot see.
“Just beyond the perception of our naked eyes lies an invisible world of secret forces that touches every aspect of life on Earth and shapes it in unseen ways. Now, for the first time, this hidden world is revealed,” says a BBC Knowledge spokesman.
“The human eye is a remarkable piece of precision engineering, but all around us is an astonishing and beautiful world we cannot see. Some wonders are outside the visible spectrum, others are too fast, too slow, too small or too remote for our eyes and brains to interpret.”
From lightning sprites and shockwaves to heater bees and the crystalline structure of a spider’s web, this new series uses cutting-edge camera technology – some specially adapted for the series – to reveal the full glory of these secret forces and hidden powers.
Combining bold ideas with lucid scientific insights and stunning footage, the programme is packed with surprising facts as well as phenomena never seen before on television.
Among highlights in the series are the sight of a deadly discharge leaking from high-voltage power lines as repairmen risk their lives to fix it, the intense heat and energy of a forest fire, the hidden patterns and colours of a flower garden as an insect sees them, a look at how German scientists have unlocked the secrets of animal movement and a glimpse into a black hole at the centre of our universe.
Looking ahead to tomorrow on DStv’s Animal Planet... a show worth catching is a new season of PITBULLS AND PAROLEES, starting at 10pm.
The series has pitbull trainer Tia Maria Torres continuing her quest to challenge the misconceptions associated with these dogs.
The top pitbull trainer is also founder and owner of the Villalobos Rescue Centre – America’s largest rescue facility for pitbulls. It is here that she rehabilitates and retrains more than 200 rescued pitbulls so they can be placed in good homes.
However, the dogs are not the only ones whom Torres helps; she also pairs these misunderstood animals with ex-convicts who are on parole, to give man and man’s best friend a chance at redemption.
The series follows Torres and her crew as they work tirelessly to give abused pitbulls a second chance at a loving, happy life.
Sticking with Animal Planet, note that at 7.15pm on Monday, the channel is in line to premiere Michaela’s Animal Road Trip
Viewers will get to join host and animal lover Michaela Strachan as she embarks on a grand journey across Britain to explore the wildlife parks, rescue centres and zoos that care for the country’s most threatened animals.
In each episode, she will travel to a different carer community and get to know the keepers, carers and animal rescuers who go beyond the call of duty to protect native and exotic wildlife.
Viewers will see Strachan visit Colchester Zoo, where she follows one keeper’s emotional journey to move a family of meerkats into a new open-plan enclosure. And at Edinburgh Zoo, which is home to the only koalas in Britain, she will come face to face with a host of native and exotic animals, including injured badger cubs and foxes. - The Mercury