The Bachelor King, New Years Eve, 8pm on SKY 3D.
Stunning 3D cinematography takes us into an extraordinary
sub-Antarctic island, home to majestic albatrosses, brawling elephant
seals - and six million penguins. Though our hero’s harsh world may be
alien to our day-to-day lives, his struggle will be familiar to us all.
The last 3D wildlife film that Atlantic Productions produced for Sky 'Flying Monsters 3D with David Attenborough' was missed by most of Britain when it was broadcast on Christmas day 2009 (less than 70,000 viewers had Sky 3D - compare that to the 12 million that watched Frozen Planet) - but Atlantic did win a Bafta for it.
This new years eve Sky continue to establish themselves as the home of an annual 3D fiesta for geared-up wildlife watchers. With 'The Bachelor King', a tale of king penguins on an Antarctic island, Sky have cleverly jumped into the wake of the BBC series 'Frozen Planet', which was also presented by David Attenborough. With more 3D TV's in British homes (the number of Sky 3D subscribers could now be as many as 200,000) 'The Bachelor King' might get a few more goggle-eyed viewers tuning in. Alternatively, there will be a 2D broadcast - date to be confirmed.
This new years eve Sky continue to establish themselves as the home of an annual 3D fiesta for geared-up wildlife watchers. With 'The Bachelor King', a tale of king penguins on an Antarctic island, Sky have cleverly jumped into the wake of the BBC series 'Frozen Planet', which was also presented by David Attenborough. With more 3D TV's in British homes (the number of Sky 3D subscribers could now be as many as 200,000) 'The Bachelor King' might get a few more goggle-eyed viewers tuning in. Alternatively, there will be a 2D broadcast - date to be confirmed.
Two more David Attenborough Sky 3D wildlife films are already in production and due to air in 2012 - Kingdom of Plants 3D, a series based at Kew Gardens, and a three part 3D series on the Galapagos.
I may be a little biased, but could Sky be getting inspiration from some of the BBC's most successful series such as 'Life of Plants' and the 3 part series from 2006 'Galapagos'? I look forward to seeing how these Sky 3D productions fare against some of the most beautiful and well crafted BBC 2D wildlife series ever produced.
An Epic Tale
This is the journey of a typical King Penguin from awkward adolescent
to adult.
Three years ago, The Bachelor King left home. He partied at sea - he
adventured, he matured. And now he is returning to the place where he
was born and raised: Penguin City. This is one of the most
densely-packed, sought-after pieces of real estate in the entire
southern hemisphere and somehow he must establish his own place in it.
He must find a mate. He wants to be a dad.
But how? What follows is a journey through the most challenging time
of the Bachelor King's life. There is joy and terror, a ton of hard work
- and some laughs. Our hero has to grow up fast. He meets the penguin of his dreams, and together they set out to
raise a family. Before long, they have their egg. The two of them take
turns to nurture it – one incubating, while the other zooms off to sea
to find food. And then, one happy day, their chick hatches. And the hard
work really begins...
Find out more about The Bachelor King and how it was made on the Sky website.
