'The Polar Bear Family & Me' starts Monday 7th January, 9:30pm, BBC Two
You might remember The Polar Bear family from Planet Earth Live earlier in the year when Gordon fed updates into the programme during his time in the field. This new series reveals the full story behind his daring attempts to gain the trust of baby polar bear cubs Miki and Luca as they take their first strides into the frozen Arctic alongside their larger-than-life mum Lyra. Gordon is the first person to have ever filmed and followed a polar bear family over a year, and using little more than a plastic box built by the producers Dad 'The Icecube' he was able to get up close and personal to a feisty female bear looking for a meal! A dose of adrenalin to kick start the New Year.
A Sneak Peek
The last time I worked with Gordon we were on the Arctic island of Svalbard where this series was filmed. It's home to the worlds highest density of polar bears and for our own protection we were laden with bangers and heavy rifles - interestingly stamped with the swastika, a reminder of the islands Nazi occupation. When setting up camp at night great care was taken to surround our tents with trip wires that would bang if anything tried to cross - occasionally alarming when one of us would accidentally set it off whilst enroute to the toilet hole. One night I was camping on my own high on a hill and I slept with my rifle just in case.
Svalbard is a beautiful wilderness but you can't help feeling a little nervous and exposed on the wind blasted tundra. After watching this clip I think I'll grip my bangers even tighter next time. I have no idea how Gordon was able to keep so calm, casually speak to camera, and not swear, while half a tonne of bear hungrily tried to rip him out of his protective box like a child opening a christmas present. Gulp!
