Spy in the Cold

12th February 2013

Paul Goldstein reviews last night's Spy in the Huddle on BBC1...

My phone trilled with a rush of incoming text messages just a few minutes into last night’s Spy in the Huddle debut episode. One read: “fantastic pictures, cheesy music and hideous gushing commentary”. I got a few more of a similar vein, they were all spot on.

Disguising cameras is nothing new, it was first done eight years ago giving unique portrayals of lions. Doing penguins was vaguely novel but a one trick pony which did not require a constant smug reminding reprise, this was as grating as the puerile patronising soundtrack that went with it. However, and it is a big 'however' I could watch those mountaineering Rockhoppers assault on their own 'Omaha' for hours. Likewise the early distant shots of the Emperors against backdrops that would defeat Monet's palette were inspiring.

One sole Emperor doing his Titus Oates bit was not only moving but a fabulous indictment of the indefatigability of these hardy souls, as was the Humboldts’ Watership Down-like quest to find domestic bliss. I felt short-changed though, Sky1 had their own King Penguin affair on at the weekend, and with Sir David narrating it was already better, but again I felt the producers were striving too much for difference by just following one pair.

Emperors, Rockhoppers and Kings are about as photogenic as you get in the animal world (my finger was reaching for the shutter release on many occasions last night). By all means use gimmicks to film them but stop patronising us with your blithe use of license fee money - “flippers at dawn!” -  as if!

We get it, we understand it, stop ramming your tricks down our throats. Why not concentrate on an adult commentary from someone other than Dr Who and just let us gorge ourselves on the programme's images.

On a size note, Emperors are indeed bigger and their chicks perhaps cuter but I would put money on a King chick with his fluffy duffle coat knocking seven barrels out of the little grey ones! Size is not everything, 3000 pairs of Emperors is a heck of a sight against a perfect icy canvas, while 250,000 Kings against the cliffs, glaciers and mountains of Gold Harbour, South Georgia is a different proposition altogether, why not take your ersatz penguin there BBC ?  Alternatively, there are still five cabins left on our South Georgia Spectacular in early November - shameless plug alert!