Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1704 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-09-03
• Rating: To Be Announced
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 294 minutes

DVD Description
With names like Snowdon, Ben Nevis or Scarfell Pike, Britain 's high places are at once romantic and rooted in the nation's sense of identity. In Mountains, Griff Rhys Jones brings their stories to life.

Travelling the length of the UK by journeying across the rooftops of Britain, Griff Rhys Jones explores some of the most arduous and roughest mountain landscapes. It is a journey that takes him from the remotest areas of Northern Scotland to the wilds of Dartmoor in the South West, including some of Britain's most beautiful, rugged and fascinating locations. Along the way, he also reveals how these dramatic terrains came into existence.

While Griff experiences the flora and fauna, the breath-taking landscapes and stunning seasonal shifts, he meets the undiscovered mountain communities and the real people who inhabit Britain's highlands: shepherds, mountain rescue teams, scientists, farmers and artists - they deliver a real understanding and passion for the raw, natural beauty that has fascinated us for centuries. Griff also brings to life the history of epic battles, communities and famous people connected with the places visited.

This magnificent BBC series is Griff Rhys Jones' labour of love, a personal journey of discovery and a lasting testament to some of the most exciting, unique and treasured parts of Britain.

Synopsis
Episodes include: 'Wales', 'Lakes', 'Central Scotland', 'Pennines', and 'North West Scotland'.

Customer Reviews

Enjoyable Viewing
I cannot but agree with all the other reviews. It is a joy to watch the series of really splendid landscape portraits. The presenter may be a bit chatty at times, too much of a media chap, and the background music at times turns into background noise, i.e. it gets too loud, but it provides great viewing altogether. The picture quality is excellent!

Griff is fantastic!
Well, after seeing just the commercial, i immediately wanted to buy the whole lot!

Its really interesting, and Griff adds his edge of entertainment along the way as he explored the diverse ladscapes of the mountains!

Well worth watching... and re-watching!

Gorgeous to look at but not a lot more
I'm not sure that this series really stands repeated viewing. Griff Rhys Jones is an entertaining chap and the landscape of Britain's high places is stunning, but the repeated formula of going somewhere bleak, scrambling up a hillside, making some witty comments, and delving briefly into the history or geography of the area wears a bit thin if you watch several epiosdes at once.

The theme was an admirable one, and there's no doubt that the photography of the UK's wild (and tame) mountains is beautiful to behold. However, like so many programmes produced for BBC1, 'Mountain' is weighted more towards entertainment than information or education. You get some tantalising snippets from each area, maybe a human interest story or two -- and then it's over. Back to Griff manfully struggling up another gurt big hill. (And he does brilliantly for a chap of his age, tackling some daunting climbs. But then the programme suddenly becomes about Griff, and not about the landscape).
I suppose it's the difference in having a 'celebrity' presenter, rather than having an expert presenter. I'd rather have a geographer or historian explain things to me in great depth.

If you're looking for an enjoyable gift which can't possibly offend then this series would do the trick. But for real history of Britain try any of Michael Wood's 'In Search Of...' series, and for proper natural history you should stick to Coast. If you want UK landscapes, the Nicholas Crane's Great British Journeys is far superior. All of those series inspire me to go and explore for myself or learn more on the subject; this one didn't make the grade.

'Mountain' was just too frothy for my tastes. There seems to be a lot of rushing around for not much depth or detail. Looks great; not a lot of substance once you get into it.