Reader Tom brought my attention to a three-part series on PBS (U.S.) that starts tonight and broadcasts eac Wednesday until November 7. The shows will be online after that, though I’m not sure whether those outside the U.S. will be able to see them.
I’ve put below a summary of the show from its website and short trailers for each of the three episodes.
Super Cats, A Nature Miniseries premieres nationwide Wednesdays, October 24-November 7 at 8 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). Each episode will be available to stream the following day at pbs.org/nature and on PBS apps.
Stalking in the shadows, prowling almost every continent, cats are one of the world’s most diverse and successful predators. But there is far more to these charismatic and misunderstood animals than most people recognize. Filmed over 600 days in 14 countries and featuring 31 species of cat, this groundbreaking three-part miniseries narrated by F. Murray Abraham uncovers the secret lives of big cats and introduces behaviors captured on film for the first time, using the latest camera technology and scientific research.
From the solitary bachelor snow leopard in the Himalayas to the elusive swamp tiger of South Asia, to a remarkably efficient Californian bobcat that is blind in one eye, Super Cats, A Nature Miniseries reveals how cats survive and thrive in all four corners of the globe. Nature uncovers their social sides, their complex communication, devoted parental care, courtship rituals, hunting patterns and more.
Advances in technology allowed for several on-camera firsts, including the nocturnal pursuits of a tiny but deadly black-footed cat in South Africa who hunts more in one night than a leopard does in six months. Remote cameras capture exclusive intimate moments between a mother Pallas’ cat and her kittens. Low-light technology exposes a true rarity: a puma preying on Magellanic penguins, one of the few successful hunts ever caught on film. A swamp tiger takes a bath in the sea — a phenomenon previously unseen on television.
Extreme Lives:
Cats in Every Corner:
Science and Secrets:
Thanks for the heads up on this one. I was not paying attention.
I want to see it all.
I’ll be checking these out; I bet they had PCC(e) at “mother Pallas’ cat and her kittens”.
Narrated by F. Murray Abraham is a bonus.
I will be watching with my kids.
Thanks for the heads-up; My DVR is programmed and ready. I’ll be watching with my feline-loving grandson.
Thanks!
Jerry “Super Cats” is just a repackaging of the BBC’s “Big Cats” 3-part 180 minute series from January this year. You wrote about the BBC version HERE back then.
This version has a different narrator & is more frantic on the music front [I think]. Stick to the original [it should be on your Hard Disc Drive]!
Here’s an adorable 2 minutes from “Big Cats” featuring the smallest wild cat species
https://youtu.be/W86cTIoMv2U
Sweet.
Watched tonight’s episode before seeing this announcement. Definitely had you in my thoughts.
Also a surprisingly good documentary about Neanderthals right after. Aimed at the general audience, but it was far more sophisticated than the usual documentaries relating to evolution.
Crap. Missed both of these. Need to see if they are available on On Demand.
I don’t know if it is a trend but the last few newer documentaries I’ve seen have been better than I’ve become used to expecting. More relevant information, less blathering and repeating. Sounds like the Neanderthal documentary you mentioned is the same in that respect.
Thank you SO MUCH for the SuperCats URLs/videos.
THANKS SO MUCH for the Super Cats links/videos.& your “Reply above this line” makes no senseon my webmail, so I don’t know if you’ll receivethis. varney@mindspring.com