Weird Nature

Weird Nature
Genre	Nature documentary
Directed by	John Downer,James Honeyborne,Mark Brownlow
Narrated by	Ciarán McMenamin
Composer	Elizabeth Parker
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No.of seasons	1
No.of episodes	6
Production
Executive producer	Keith Scholey
Producer	John Downer
Camera setup	Rod Clarke,Steve Downer,Tim Macmillan,Peter Nearhos
Running time	30 minutes
Production company	John Downer Productions
Original release
Network	BBC,Discovery Channel
Release	21 March(2002-03-21)– 25 April 2002(2002-04-25)

Weird Natureis a 2002 Britishdocumentary television seriesproduced byJohn Downer Productionsfor theBBCandDiscovery Channel.The series features strange behavior in nature—specifically, the animal world. The series now airs onTLC (TV network)theScience ChannelandAnimal Planet.The series took three years to make and a new filming technique was used to show animal movements in3D.

Each episode, however, tended to end with a piece about how humans are probably the oddest species of all. For example, in the end of the episode about locomotion, the narrator states how unusual it is for a mammal to be bipedal. In the episode about defences, the narrator explains that humans have no real natural defences, save for their big brains.

Episodes

Series 1 (2002)

No.	Title	Original air date	Prod. code
1	"Marvellous Motion"	21 March 2002(2002-03-21)	101
"The first programme in a series looking at strange animal behaviour reveals nature's quirkiest movers and shakers. From dancingsea slugsto cartwheelingcaterpillars,this is nature at its most weird and wonderful. In a series of magical sequences,crocodilesgallop,salamanderstransform into wheels andbushbabiesbounce like rubber balls.Lizardsandfrogsstage an extraordinary air show, theMexican jumping beanreveals its fidgety secrets,lemurspogo, and two-legged lizards hunt like dinosaurs. Using new filming techniques and some extraordinaryspecial effects,this is nature as never seen before. ""Explore the wild ways animals move with a look at the mechanics of motion. Then delve into the interesting feeding habits of the natural world, including thechameleon,whose tongue is longer than its body. "
2	"Bizarre Breeding"	28 March 2002(2002-03-28)	102
Animal breeding,"Discover dancingscorpions,courting birdsthat give trinkets as gifts,micethat mate themselves to death and amantisthat eats its partner. This exploration of strange behaviour reveals nature's bizarre breeding rituals. Meet frogs that rear their young under their skin, fish that leap from the water to lay eggs on leaves and abullfrogfather that becomes lifeguard to his offspring. There arefish that change sex,others that bubble-wrap their young, malehamstersthat act as midwives, and even a male that becomes pregnant. And, in this weird world, there is even ashrewthat creates a living daisy chain of its own young. "
3	"Fantastic Feeding"	4 April 2002(2002-04-04)	103
Animal feeding behavior,"Discover a creature that employs glue-guns as weapons, a fish that slashes with a chainsaw and aspiderthat lassos its prey with a swinging blob of glue. This exploration of strange animal behaviour reveals the many inventive ways animals catch prey. Meet a fish that targets its prey using its mouth as a water-pistol, ashrimpthat stuns its prey with sound and a lemur with anET-like finger that taps for a meal. There is also afrogfishwhose mouth moves faster than its prey can see, asnakewith a tail that acts as a maggot-like lure, and aneaglethat has found a novel way to break into its meal. There is even amantis shrimpwith a knockout punch that reaches the speed of a bullet, and astoatthat uses hypnosis. "
4	"Devious Defences"	11 April 2002(2002-04-11)	104
"Discoverskunksthat handstand,crabsthat dress up, and fish that are slime monsters. This exploration of strange animal behaviour reveals the bizarre ways animals defend themselves. Meet anarmadillothat can roll into an impregnable ball,owlsand frogs that puff themselves up, and acobrathat spits venom. There are fish that can imitate a chess board,octopusesthat shape-shift, and creatures that can turn inside out. There are even birds that use projectile vomit or repulsive missiles and creatures that turn playing dead into a performance to die for. Using new filming techniques and some extraordinary special effects, this is nature as never seen before. ""Fromcamouflageto protective armour, animals use a clever variety ofdefense mechanismsto fool predators and protect themselves. From sex-changing fish to hermaphrodite snails, breeding methods in the animal world can be just as bizarre. "
5	"Puzzling Partners"	18 April 2002(2002-04-18)	105
"Symbiotic relationshipsexist between very different animals. Find out how unlikely relationships can be beneficial to both animals. Then, discover how the animal kingdom handles the effects of drugs and alcohol among its inhabitants. "
6	"Peculiar Potions"	25 April 2002(2002-04-25)	106
Animals and drugs. Cats oncatnip,birds andaromatic herbs,apesand self medication,rooks,antsandsmoke.

External links

• Weird NatureatBBC Online
• Weird NatureatIMDb
• Weird Natureat John Downer Productions