New Ray Mears TV series???

[lucan]

I'm hoping its going be similar to his previous programmes, How someone's survived against great adversity, How they did it, What they used.
I've a feeling it's just going to be about wild animals that live in the woods.

 

[Retired Member southey]

I should think, that from reading the previews further up the thread, it will be a look at the British Isles and the flora and fauna,

 

[JonathanD]

In the first episode of the series, Uncle Ray explores the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, using his tracking skills and expert wildlife and plant knowledge to reveal its secrets to viewers; from the rare sight of wild boars and their piglets foraging, to finding the wild-growing edible ingredients for a uniquely British salad.

Situated between the Severn estuary and the gorges of the river Wye, it’s one of Britain’s few remaining ancient forests and covers 27,000 acres. The diversity of trees and plants in an ancient forest is not only beautiful but also provides food for a variety of animals.

Ray visits in the spring when the forest is bursting with life and carpeted with radiant bluebells. He is hoping to see creatures that, until recently, were extinct in this area – the elusive goshawk, the magnificent wild boar and the hazel dormouse.

He reveals that deer are actually the reason why the forest exists today; in the 11th century, the area was protected as a royal hunting reserve where kings could hunt wild boar, red deer, roe deer and fallow deer.

Recently, the loss of habitat caused by the construction of new roads and poor woodland management means that the common dormouse is not so common anymore. Ray meets female wildlife ranger Elizabeth ‘Sid’ Davis, who shows him the nest boxes which have been set up to help the mice hibernate. He is delighted to discover that the boxes are working well and that the dormice are now thriving in the area.

The rich habitat of the forest is home to a variety of birds, mammals, insects and plants. But recently, one important forest inhabitant has been missing; the wild boar was a favourite quarry for the Royal hunt and 300 years ago, the last boar was hunted out. They have recently been reintroduced to the forest and Ray is delighted to see some boar and their piglets feeding in the forest.

That’s something very few people in Britain have seen. It’s an animal that really should be in our landscape but the challenge will be for us to learn to live alongside it because I think we’re going to see a lot more of these animals in the future. – Ray Mears

On his journey through the forest, Ray also sees adders, wild goshawks and fallow deer, and takes advantage of the abundance of available plants to make a delicious wild salad of saxifrage, wood bittercress, wild garlic, small leaved lime and cherry blossom.

 

[stovie]

Thanks JD, don't need to watch it now

Apparently, Darth Vader is Luke Skywalkers father...

 

[JonathanD]

Thanks JD, don't need to watch it now

Apparently, Darth Vader is Luke Skywalkers father...

I must stop doing that. Don't worry though, it's not a complete synopsis.

 

[crazydave]

so it is country file with adverts then!

hope he has a decent young lady to gawp at when he cuts away to next weeks weather forecast

 

[JonathanD]

so it is country file with adverts then!

hope he has a decent young lady to gawp at when he cuts away to next weeks weather forecast

Nothing like Countryfile. It concentrates on British Wildlife with hints to a few bushcrafty things.

 

[crazydave]

yep countryfile - wildlife and walks in the woods talking about the history of the place, its current uses, problems and what we need to do to save it - but for news of the world readers

the risk is that instead of country file where the celebrity isnt really so you can wqtch the subject, too many folks will be obsessive about the celebrity as per current popular culture. I wonder who approached who regards all his recent work?

I used to like all those world of survival wildlife shows where you had a lone cameraman in the serengeti whose life work was condensed into a half hour show narrated by that bloke from crossroads, I'd prefer that format similar to the life on earth setup than what we are likely to get where its all celebrity and little content so they can get their moneys worth out of the turn.

 

[Retired Member southey]

I dont think its fair to put him in with the celebraty set, I have always found his shows to be full of content worth watching, I see what your saying about some progs being based around the prsenter rather than what the presenter is presenting, but i dont find that the case with the Mears,

 

[JonathanD]

yep countryfile - wildlife and walks in the woods talking about the history of the place, its current uses, problems and what we need to do to save it - but for news of the world readers

the risk is that instead of country file where the celebrity isnt really so you can wqtch the subject, too many folks will be obsessive about the celebrity as per current popular culture. I wonder who approached who regards all his recent work?

I used to like all those world of survival wildlife shows where you had a lone cameraman in the serengeti whose life work was condensed into a half hour show narrated by that bloke from crossroads, I'd prefer that format similar to the life on earth setup than what we are likely to get where its all celebrity and little content so they can get their moneys worth out of the turn.

I wouldn't watch it if I was you, doesn't sound like you are going to enjoy it much

 

[crazydave]

Thats why I asked who commissioned who? if Itv just want a named face to compete with eastenders and autumnwatch then its doomed from the start, I'd like RM to find his own niche as I do think bushcraft was a mistake and someone lost the plot over it, whether its not been repeated because his missus passed away I dont know but he doesnt seem to be able to find anywhere to fit in - maybe he fells stereotyped and wont take the other jobs they are trying to offer him.

the eden shows may open it up a bit and give a better than the half hour format they've given him to start with, itv is just the wrong channel to go for with its current program scheduling, even channel five would probably be better in their how do they do that type of programming slot. I reckon the show willl end up being more celebrity than substance when it might be better as a voice over show in the style of attenborough with a bit of face time at the end. if itv want a show they would be better doing wildlife with ant and dec.

RM should be the one doing last chance to save and similar shows but he doesnt have a big enough draw outside of a very small social group and one show viewers who cant tell the difference. I hope it will be a worthy program for his sake if no one elses.

 

[JonathanD]

I think your viewing RM from a bushcrafters perspective. From a laymans point of view, RM is seen very differently. It's only us lot and a few others that will view the programme for RM as well as content. The average viewer will see it as a Brit wildlife programme which just happens to be presented by RM. He isn't a draw to them, the content and title will be.

He has always wanted to branch out to wildlife presenting for ages now and he moved to ITV because he could do just that. I doubt we will see any bushcraft specific programmes from him in the future, which is very sad. I could watch them for hours on end. But lets face it, with 48 episodes of Tracks and the World of Survival series three series of Extreme Survival and two of Bushcraft, Wild Food etc. He's covered the same ground many times, so there is little new material there for him to present.

 

[Sherwood]

Ray is on "the wright stuff" on five at the moment.....

 

[General Lee Speaking]

If it's 'just another' wildlife programme then brilliant! I really love wildlife programmes! Like has been said already, RM has covered the same content a few times over his many previous series and it would be difficult to go in to more detail and have the programme appeal to your average viewer. When I heard about this new series I said to myself "for God's sake, please don't demonstrate the bloody bow drill again". I love anything on British wildlife and this show is going to go through all the different environments in Britain which is something I think I can take something from and the tracking bits will be educational for us bushcrafters I reckon.

 

[JonathanD]

Well that programme suffered from being cut down by half an hour. Dumb move by ITV and left me thinking 'is that it'.

 

[greeneggcat]

Yup, me too. Being local to me i was hoping it would be a bit more in depth, guess i have to wait til it is on eden. Is it just me or does everything seem dumbed down these days?

 

[JonathanD]

Yup, me too. Being local to me i was hoping it would be a bit more in depth, guess i have to wait til it is on eden. Is it just me or does everything seem dumbed down these days?

What we have to remember is, it was made to be an hour long programme. I don't understand ITV cutting it down unless Eden was a main financer. I enjoyed it and liked the shots of the adders, it's good that Ray is actually looking and finding these animals rather than just presenting. I look forward to the full version, until I see those, there will be a feeling that I've come home halfway through and only caught it partway through.

 

[Forest fella]

It looked like it was Filmed at Speech House to me,can anyone confirm this,or not

 

[JonathanD]

It looked like it was Filmed at Speech House to me,can anyone confirm this,or not

He would have stayed there without a doubt.

 

[Shewie]

It was a good taster but frustratingly short, editorial rights bah