Yellowstone: Battle for Life [Blu-ray]

I'm writing this before the Blu-Ray is released, but I happened to catch this program on Animal Planet yesterday and was very pleased with it.The program contains the usual stunning scenery and animal video you would expect from this type of program. The basic theme of the program is to follow how various animals survive in Yellowstone throughout the year. I missed the first part of the program, but I believe it starts with summer and then flows through the seasons to summer again. There seemed to be particular emphasis on the Yellowstone winter given its harshness. (Of particular interest was the fact that winter is when wolves are at their strongest as their prey animals become weaker.)The program also spent some time explaining how the geology of Yellowstone affected its climate. They explained, for example, how it can snow in Yellowstone any month of the year. (Something I found interesting given that I got caught in a snowstorm there in late July one year!)The TV airing was 120 minutes, less commercials. The Blu-Ray description indicates a run time of 150 minutes. That might include extra features or it might mean additional footage not included for broadcast. Either way, and given the price, this seems to be a good deal.UPDATE: The program actually includes three 50-minute episodes (Winter, Summer, Autumn). I must have missed part of the Autumn as part of that episode has a bit more of the man versus nature theme than the other episodes. The episodes are presented in widescreen (and look great). Three short features on "The People of Yellowstone" are included.

While the photography was gorgeous, what's that I see? Could that be "filler video" from another mountain range? Parts of this appears not to be even shot in Yellowstone, which was my first disappointment, just as I was beginning to recover from the near death experience you're flung into from the very beginning. I love these nature shows and I realize that death is a natural part of life (even though is sounds strange when you say it out loud) ... but when the producer, director, and scriptwriter all get together in a room and agree that they need to over dramatize a place as YELLOWSTONE to move their viewers in some way, they don't know their audience at all. This group obviously doesn't know their target audience ... people, I'm sure like you and I who love nature and care enough about it to want to see a documentary or nature film or whatever you want to call it, about the grandeur and majesty of Yellowstone. I loved knowing that the animals are there and that winters are tough for them, but don't turn this into an unbearable soap opera where this becomes a film about the animals ... this is about YELLOWSTONE. I sincerely eventually turned the sound off and turned on some incredible music and just enjoyed the scenery, which was worth every cent. Maybe the writers were all just weepy that day or something. Anyway ... I wanted to give them two stars, but I felt they were already upset enough with all those close calls they had to embellish.

Great video photography of course, as expected for this series.One frustration with the BluRay is that the disc has numerous introductions. Lots of slow emerging animations in a series telling you about piracy law from US perspective, telling you its HD, that it is BBC, a commercial for the other BBC nature series, then a BBC warning on piracy, then the jingle telling you the series menu is coming up. My player was brand new up to date with updated firmware (5 star rated Samsung model) and yet it had trouble with this disc. If you skip all the intro stuff it freezes on the menu and you have to restart. I learned my workarounds but it was a hassle at first.

Another quality BBC presentation, especially the cinematography. I must say, as much as I like David Attenborough it was refreshing to hear another voice for a change. Peter Firth's delivery is a little less enthusiastic but, still respectable.Because of my interest in Yellowstone I bought this out of the blue based upon the quality of previous BBC productions. I was not disappointed and would in fact highly recommend it. The first two episodes (Winter & Summer) were the best, the last episode (Fall) was unfortunately filled with too much human content. Although I understand why, it is not what I want to see in a natural history documentary. I would rather that it was simply part of the narrative instead of taking up video content that is better used on the wildlife and landscape.

I think I enjoy this Yellowstone DVD the most from the BBC Nature Series. Besides Yellowstone, I own Ganges, Wild China, Galapagos and of course, Planet Earth. I love they way Yellowstone starts out in the dead of Winter, and builds up to life, warmth and Springtime...there is just something about the mood throughout this disc that really grabs you. Also, the blu ray photography is so stunning...from one Series to another, these BBC guys are the best! Many posters scrutinize how the photography in, say Galapagos is better than Ganges, or that Wild China has blurry scenes..I say this is all nonsense. All these discs are the best blu ray photography around ... and yet it's only shot in 1080i. I don't know what they do to enhance it, but these discs in 1080i are as sharp and colorful as any 1080p movies I have ever watched on my player.

I absolutely love this documentary. It originally came free with Prime but the last time I tried to watch it you had to buy it. I love it so much I paid for it so I can get my Yellowstone fix any time I want. The photography is breathtaking and really gives you a taste of what it is like during the 3 seasons featured. My favorite is Winter with the bison covered in ice using their massive heads to clear the snow so they can get to the grass beneath.Having visited Yellowstone and lived just outside it near Grand Teton where traffic jams are caused by Buffalo not cars this series takes me back to that beautiful region and makes me yearn to return.

Enjoyed the video

Nice wildlife documentary.

A very nice look at Yellowstone. I found the narration to be well done but slightly dark. Everything is a drama! The poor elk! The poor wolves! The poor otters! The poor bison! Etc. The winter is the coldest ever, bleak. Nothing could survive. But things do, as always! Summer is extreme. Hot, harsh and bleak.Oh, its fine. I hope you understand what I mean. Not everything needs to be so dramatic. Just show us Yellowstone. :)

This set of four programs keeps up the excellent standard of presentation I have come to expect from BBC. The narrative is relevant and engaging and the videography is absolutely fantastic - on Blu-ray even more so... Now I want to go there and take some of my own photos of the wildlife and scenery. If you are interested in nature, you love photography or just want to know a bit more about the area this is a must see.

This a great wildlife documentary showing how the wildlife adapts to the changing climate and survives. Good for naturalists or anyone interested in nature.

A wonderful documentary on life in the Yellowstone National Park. I like the approach of reviewing the park life by going through the four seasons, one at a time: it gives the listener a chance to experience the roughness of life in nature, however beautiful. High-five to BBC (again)!