Where can I watch Penguins: Meet The Family?
Penguins: Meet The Family first aired on Tuesday 29 December 2020 at 6.30pm on BBC One, and is now available to watch via BBC iPlayer.
What is Penguins: Meet The Family about?
This programme enjoyable hour-long celebration of the diverse penguin family, with plenty of surprises on a whistle-stop tour of the world’s 18 unique species.
Snowy scenes don’t even make an appearance for the first 15 minutes, though there is still some familiar slapstick humour as we watch the animals negotiate life on land. The programme itself hops around a lot to fit everything in, from fresh perspectives on the easily recognisable emperors to glimpses into the family’s evolutionary history and some rare relatives.
The dramatised predation scenes aren’t for anyone feeling fragile after the last year, but the nuanced sequences looking at human impacts on penguin life, and how they are continuing to adapt, are really engaging. Add in some cutting-edge science – including monitoring skidmarks from space - and it’s a must watch for anyone who’s ever wondered what lies behind the waddle.
Who is Liz Bonnin?
Penguins: Meet The Family is narrated by biologist and TV presenter Liz Bonnin, who has presented and narrated a number of programmes including Galapagos, Wild Alaska Live, and Blue Planet Live. She is also the lead host on the BBC Five Live show What Planet Are We On? (read a review in our podcasts article), and was recently announced as the president of The Wildlife Trusts.
Main image: An emperor penguin with its chick © Shutterstock/Samantha Crimmin
