# "Serengeti" on Discovery **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 9, 2019, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serengeti-on-discovery/838388 "2019-08-09T03:09:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serengeti-on-discovery/838388/1 "2019-08-09T03:09:41Z")
I really wanted to like this series. We spent two of the best weeks of our lives on the Serengeti and surrounding areas and really hoped that his series would illustrate the beauty of the place. Instead, Discovery turned it into some sort of anthropomorphic soap opera, ascribing human traits and emotions to wild animals. The HD photography was astounding, with terrific footage of all those critters doing what they do. Then they ruined it by giving all the animals names, plotting improbable stories around them and having the narrator say idiotic things such as (about a baboon) “Ngoombi had to focus on a way to win back Ngombi.” :rolleyes: Sadly, we didn’t even make it through the first episode. Don’t waste your time unless you mute the sound. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serengeti-on-discovery/838388/2 "2019-08-09T03:13:03Z")
The music is just. . . terrible. Overwrought and ridiculous. But visually. . . man, how beautiful! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serengeti-on-discovery/838388/3 "2019-08-09T17:19:43Z")
Oh, yeah, I forgot about the soundtrack. My wife and I were so busy rolling our eyes at each other, I barely noticed it. I also sent a complaint to Discovery about the series. ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serengeti-on-discovery/838388/4 "2019-08-09T18:56:13Z")
Having just returned from the real place, it has some amazing footage… but the audio cannot be on… and the super close ups where the animals are clearly nuzzling or swatting a GoPro is annoying in that filming nature should not literally be getting in its face. I’ll see if it gets better after the 7 minute mark, but I’m not hopeful. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serengeti-on-discovery/838388/5 "2019-08-09T19:41:12Z")
> [@Disheavel](#): > > Having just returned from the real place, it has some amazing footage… but the audio cannot be on… and the super close ups where the animals are clearly nuzzling or swatting a GoPro is annoying in that filming nature should not literally be getting in its face. > > I’ll see if it gets better after the 7 minute mark, but I’m not hopeful. Were you able to visit Ngorongoro Crater while you were there? ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serengeti-on-discovery/838388/6 "2019-08-09T20:29:40Z")
That’s so disappointing! I was looking forward to it. Thanks for the warning. Ugh. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serengeti-on-discovery/838388/7 "2019-08-09T20:33:50Z")
I may be the only one, but I liked it. The narration didn’t bother me and I seldom pay attention to the music on a show. I thought the camera work was fantastic. I’ll watch it again. By the way, the show is on Animal Planet, which is owned by Discovery. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2019, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serengeti-on-discovery/838388/8 "2019-08-10T02:27:15Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > I may be the only one, but I liked it. The narration didn’t bother me and I seldom pay attention to the music on a show. I thought the camera work was fantastic. I’ll watch it again. > > By the way, the show is on Animal Planet, which is owned by Discovery. It’s on Discovery’s app so they must be broadcasting it over both channels. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2019, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serengeti-on-discovery/838388/9 "2019-08-10T02:47:46Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > I may be the only one, but I liked it. The narration didn’t bother me and I seldom pay attention to the music on a show. I thought the camera work was fantastic. I’ll watch it again. > > By the way, the show is on Animal Planet, which is owned by Discovery. Can’t fault the photography. It’s the editing of the film to fit their narrative that bugs me. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2019, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serengeti-on-discovery/838388/10 "2019-08-10T03:09:30Z")
> [@Helena330](#): > > It’s on Discovery’s app so they must be broadcasting it over both channels. Yeah, my bad. It is on Discovery, but it’s on the Animal Planet app, too. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2019, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serengeti-on-discovery/838388/11 "2019-08-10T08:01:19Z")
disney started that trend decades ago see “perri” ect …and things like meerkat manor reinforced it for the modern age