Eyewitness (TV series)

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Eyewitness

Eyewitness
Format Nature documentary
Created by Jill Matthews
No. of series 3
No. of episodes 39 + 1 special
Production
Running time 36 minutes
Production company(s) BBC Worldwide Americas
BBC Lionheart Television
Wild Vision
Dorling Kindersley
DK Vision
Broadcast
Original channel BBC / Disney Channel UK and KidsCo (Series 1-4, UK)
PBS (Series 1, 2-4, US)
Original run 1994 – 1998

Eyewitness is a natural history television series produced by BBC and DK Vision.[1] The series is based on the Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Books series of children's books. Oxfordshire native Guy Dagul composes the theme music.

Format

Each half-hour episode focuses on a single subject in the field of natural science, such as the Solar System or the various functions of the human body. The information is presented in the "Eyewitness Museum", a computer-generated science museum. Various exhibits are shown, and stock video footage is usually seen through large windows or other depressions in the wall. The book series and the show share a striking visual style making notable use of the color white. During the newly produced content (as opposed to stock footage) a background is almost never used in favor of a stark white backdrop, presumably to make the presented object stand out better. In addition, almost every episode features a "Hero". The Hero is a character or object which drives the action of the show and is continually referred back to. These include the weathervane chicken from Weather, the claymation baby Tyrannosaurus from Dinosaur, the paper boat from Pond and River, the salmon from Fish and the robotic Human mime artist from Human Machine.

Andrew Sachs was the original narrator for the series in the United Kingdom. Martin Sheen narrated it for American audiences during the first two seasons, before Sachs took over doing both versions (with separate accents for the countries) in the final season. The series producer was Bill Butt.

When the series was released on video, episodes from the first two seasons featured brief behind-the-scenes clips after the main program. In 2003, eight episodes of the program were released onto "interactive DVDs". The UK narration were kept in the American releases of these interactive DVDs.

There are also four Eyewitness Virtual Reality software based on the show: "Cat", "Bird", "Dinosaur Hunter", and "Earth Quest".

Episodes

Series 1 (1994)

  1. Amphibian (Frogs, Toads, Newts, and Salamanders) - January 3, 1994
  2. Bird (Birds and how they survive) - January 10, 1994
  3. Cat (Members of the feline family) - January 17, 1994
  4. Dinosaur (the age of the dinosaurs) - January 24, 1994
  5. Dog (dogs and their relatives) - January 31, 1994
  6. Elephant (elephants and how they survive) - February 7, 1994
  7. Fish (the world of fish) - February 14, 1994
  8. Horse (horse life) - February 21, 1994
  9. Insect (species of insect) - February 28, 1994
  10. Jungle (Rainforests) - March 7, 1994
  11. Reptile (Turtles, lizards, crocodilians, and snakes) - March 14, 1994
  12. Shark (species of shark) - March 21, 1994
  13. Skeleton (bones of various animals) - March 28, 1994

Series 2 (1996)

  1. Ape (primates) - June 3, 1996
  2. Arctic and Antarctic (polar regions) - June 10, 1996
  3. Butterfly and Moth (species of moth and butterfly) - June 17, 1996
  4. Desert (deserts) - June 24, 1996
  5. Mammal (the world of mammals) - July 1, 1996
  6. Pond and River (rivers, lakes, and ponds) - July 8, 1996
  7. Prehistoric Life (how life on earth evolved) - July 15, 1996
  8. Rock and Mineral (geology) - July 22, 1996
  9. Seashore (beaches) - July 29, 1996
  10. Shell (Animals that have shells) - August 5, 1996
  11. Tree (trees) - August 12, 1996
  12. Volcano (volcanoes) - August 19, 1996
  13. Weather (the sky) - August 26, 1996

Series 3 (1997)

  1. Bear (bears and how they live) - September 1, 1997
  2. Flight (flying machines) - September 8, 1997
  3. Human Machine (the human body) - September 15, 1997
  4. Island (islands of the world) - September 22, 1997
  5. Life (biology) - September 29, 1997
  6. Monster (mythical monsters and the animals that inspired them) - October 6, 1997
  7. Mountain (mountains of the world) - October 13, 1997
  8. Natural Disasters (great disasters) - October 20, 1997
  9. Ocean (seas and oceans) - October 27, 1997
  10. Planets (Solar System Mercury to Pluto) - November 3, 1997
  11. Plant (the world of plants) - November 10, 1997
  12. Sight (eyes) - November 17, 1997
  13. Survival (how animals cope with their surroundings) - November 24, 1997

Specials

  1. The Making of Eyewitness
  2. The Making of Eyewitness Living Earth
  3. The Making of Eyewitness Worlds

Reception

The series was nominated for awards in two categories at the 1996 Emmy Awards.[1] It won several other awards.

Following its release on video and the end of its run on PBS, however, the show faded into relative obscurity.[citation needed] By contrast the book series which inspired the program has continued, and about 150 unique titles are now available.[citation needed]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "History of DK". DK. Retrieved 2008-01-06. 

External links

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