Movies | November 15, 2011 | 16 comments

BBC Nature Show Drops Climate Change Episode In Order To Sell Better In The U.S.

source: http://thinkprogress.org/green/2011/11/15/368792/bbc-drops-climate-change-episode/

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Last month, the BBC released Frozen Planet, its much-anticipated follow-up to the Planet Earth series. The new seven-part documentary explores life in the Arctic and Antarctic, including an entire episode on the dangers posed by humans and global warming.

However, viewers in the United States will not see that final episode because the BBC believed it would not play well abroad.

The Discovery Channel, which will broadcast the series in the U.S., claimed it “only had slots for six episodes,” preventing an extended discussion on the effects of climate change. The BBC also justified the move by claiming that Sir David Attenborough, the iconic British voice of many nature documentaries, was not well known enough to justify the episode, which features the Brit talking at length to the camera.

“British viewers will see seven episodes, the last of which deals with global warming and the threat to the natural world posed by man. However, viewers in other countries, including the United States, will only see six episodes.
The environmental programme has been relegated by the BBC to an “optional extra” alongside a behind-the-scenes documentary which foreign networks can ignore. [...] Viewers in the United States, where climate change sceptics are particularly strong group, will not see the full episode.”

Instead, the BBC said that Discovery, which shows the series in the U.S., had a “scheduling issue so only had slots for six episodes,” so “elements” of the climate change episode would be incorporated into their final show, with editorial assistance from the Corporation.

The Earth’s poles are acutely affected by climate change. Any discussion of their life and environment would be sorely lacking without noting the ways in which they are harmed by global warming. Unfortunately, the BBC has decided to alter its series for American viewers rather than have a frank and honest discussion with Americans about the effects of climate change.

By Scott Keys | Nov 15, 2011
  1. groups:
    Community,   Tech,   Green,   Movies,   2 more
  2. tags:
    Climate Change,  BBC,  DENIERS HAVE NO SCIENCE
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16 comments // BBC Nature Show Drops Climate Change Episode In Order To Sell Better In The U.S.

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