Eyewitness (British TV series)

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Not to be confused with Eye Witness (TV series).
Eyewitness
Created byJill Matthews
Narrated byAndrew Sachs (Series 1–3, UK, Series 3, US) Martin Sheen (Series 1–2, US)
No. of series3
No. of episodes39 + 3 specials
Production
Running time30 minutes
Production companiesBBC Worldwide Americas (Season 2–3)
BBC Lionheart Television (Season 1)
Wild Vision
Dorling Kindersley
DK Vision
Original release
NetworkBBC / Disney Channel UK and KidsCo (Series 1–4, UK)
PBS (Series 1, 2–4, US)
ReleaseJanuary 3, 1994 –
November 24, 1997

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

Eyewitness is a documentary series. 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 CGI science museum. Various exhibits are shown, and stock 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. 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 Legs the 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) - September 5, 1994
  2. Bird (Birds and how they survive) - September 12, 1994
  3. Cat (Members of the feline family) - September 19, 1994
  4. Dinosaur (the age of the dinosaurs) - September 26, 1994
  5. Dog (canines) - October 3, 1994
  6. Elephant (elephants and how they survive) - October 10, 1994
  7. Fish (the world of fish) - October 17, 1994
  8. Horse (horse life) - October 24, 1994
  9. Insect (species of insect) - October 31, 1994
  10. Jungle (Rainforests) - November 7, 1994
  11. Reptile (Turtles, lizards, crocodilians, and snakes) - November 14, 1994
  12. Shark (species of shark) - November 21, 1994
  13. Skeleton (bones of various animals) - November 28, 1994

Series 2 (1996)

  1. Ape (primates) - September 2, 1996
  2. Arctic and Antarctic (polar regions) - September 9, 1996
  3. Butterfly and Moth (species of moth and butterfly) - September 16, 1996
  4. Desert (deserts) - September 23, 1996
  5. Mammal (the world of mammals) - September 30, 1996
  6. Pond and River (rivers, lakes, and ponds) - October 7, 1996
  7. Prehistoric Life (how life on earth evolved and changed) - October 14, 1996
  8. Rock and Mineral (geology) - October 21, 1996
  9. Seashore (beaches) - October 28, 1996
  10. Shell (Animals that have shells) - November 4, 1996
  11. Tree (trees) - November 11, 1996
  12. Volcano (volcanoes and earthquakes) - November 18, 1996
  13. Weather (the sky) - November 25, 1996

Series 3 (1997)

  1. Bear (bears and how they live) - August 25, 1997
  2. Flight (flying machines) - September 1, 1997
  3. Human Machine (the human body) - September 8, 1997
  4. Island (islands of the world) - September 15, 1997
  5. Life (biology) - September 22, 1997
  6. Monster (mythical and real-live monsters) - September 29, 1997
  7. Mountain (mountains of the world) - October 6, 1997
  8. Natural Disasters (great disasters) - October 13, 1997
  9. Ocean (seas and oceans) - October 20, 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 (1998)
  2. The Making of Eyewitness Living Earth (2000)
  3. The Making of Eyewitness Worlds (2003)

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. By contrast the book series which inspired the program has continued, and about 150 unique titles are now available.

References

  1. ^ a b "History of DK". DK. Retrieved 2008-01-06.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eyewitness_(British_TV_series)&oldid=730972303"