Eyewitness (TV series)

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Eyewitness
EyewitnessBBC.JPG

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.

Contents

[edit] 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[clarification needed] 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, 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".

[edit] Episodes

[edit] Series 1 (1994)

  • Amphibian (Frogs, Toads, Newts, and Salamanders)
  • Bird (Birds and how they survive)
  • Cat (Members of the feline family)
  • Dinosaur (the age of the dinosaurs)
  • Dog (dogs and their relatives)
  • Elephant (elephants and how they survive)
  • Fish (the world of fish)
  • Horse (horse life)
  • Insect (species of insect)
  • Jungle (Rainforests)
  • Reptile (Turtles, lizards, crocodilians, and snakes)
  • Shark (species of shark)
  • Skeleton (bones of various animals)

[edit] Series 2 (1996)

[edit] Series 3 (1997)

[edit] Specials

  • The Making of Eyewitness
  • The Making of Eyewitness Living Earth

[edit] 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]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "History of DK". DK. http://us.dk.com/static/cs/us/11/about/history.html. Retrieved 2008-01-06. 

[edit] External links

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