Product Description

Join Britain's best-loved wit and raconteur, Stephen Fry, as he follows in the footsteps of his great friend, the late writer Douglas Adams (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), along with zoologist Mark Carwardine, to remote parts in search of some of the rarest and most threatened animals on Earth.

Twenty years ago Carwardine teamed up with Adams and embarked on a groundbreaking expedition in search of some of the world's most endangered animals. This time, he is joined by Stephen Fry to see how all those animals have been faring in the years since and which, if any, survived.

In this programme we follow the duo on six separate journeys which take them from the steamy jungles of the Amazon to the ice-covered mountain tops of New Zealand and from the edge of a war zone in Central Africa to a sub-tropical paradise in the North Pacific. Along the way, they search for some of the weirdest, most remarkable and most troubled creatures on earth: a large, black, sleepy animal easily mistaken for an unusually listless mudbank, a parrot with a song like an unreleased collection of Pink Floyd studio outtakes, a rhino with square lips, a dragon with deadly saliva, an animal roughly the length of a Boeing 737 and the creature most likely to emerge from the cargo doors of a spaceship.

Last Chance to See is a unique insight into the disappearing world around us, and this is their hilarious, entertaining, informative and thought-provoking adventure.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #611 in DVD
• Released on: 2009-10-19
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 360 minutes

Synopsis
Twenty years after HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY writer Douglas Adams and his friend, naturalist, Mark Carwardine travelled the globe in search of endangered animals (the progress of which was documented in the popular BBC radio series and companion book LAST CHANCE TO SEE), their amazing journey is retraced and reevaluated in this fascinating TV series. Adams' death in 2001 sadly put an end to the duo's adventures, so this series see his longtime friend, comedy legend Stephen Fry take up the challenge. Fry and Carwardine barely knew each other which makes their initial mission to find the Amazonian Manatee endearingly awkward, with both clearly intimidated by each others' vast knowledge. But the elusive manatee is just the tip of the iceberg, other episodes follow the trail of the Northern White Rhino, man-eating Komodo dragons, a flightless parrot, man's closest living relative, the pygmy chimpanzee and much more. As the pair re-investigate the disappearing animals of the world, the series highlights the worrying immediacy of extinction and what can be done to help prevent it.

Customer Reviews

EVERYONE SHOULD OWN THIS!!! *****
I have been lucky enough to see a preview episode of this series and I cant recommend it enough! The, what some may say strange, pairing of Stephen Fry and Mark Carwardine works phenomenally well and this series is bound to be a hit! Its funny, educational and uplifting. Albeit it sad at times when you think of the damage humans inflict on our worlds most fantastic animals and birds.
All I can say is buy the book, buy the DVD set and then start buying the back catalogue of Carwardines other books - the man is an inspiration.
Five Stars!

A program that helps to save another endangered species : the high quality tv series
20 years ago Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine produced a radio series and then a book of the same title in which they travelled the globe reporting on the precarious condition of some of the world's most endangered species. I didn't hear the radio show, but the book was one of Adams's finest, being both sobering and funny at the same time. Now a new sequel tv series re-visits the subject reporting on new endangered species as well as picking up the story of some of those that were reported on last time. This time Stephen Fry takes over the Adams role to accompany Mark.

This series is a worthwhile addition to the previous one and it works whether you are familiar with its legacy or not. What is most surprising is that I enjoyed it even though I'm not a fan of Fry's work, whether it be on quiz shows, sitcoms, travelogues or books. In fact I approached the series with some trepidation, wanting to watch because I was interested in the subject, but assuming his style of humour would detract rather than, as Adams had done, add to the enjoyment.

As it turns out Fry does all the things that irritate me (although of course many others love his style). He appears in the centre of the screen more times than the actual animals I wanted to see, as well as dragging humour out of situations with clever word play in a way that, to me anyhow, feels forced. But with Mark he has the easy camaraderie of a genuine friendship and the issues presented are just too important for them and for us. So together they provide an effective look at the side of wildlife that we don't often see on Nature shows as they visit the far-flung corners of the world and witness the cutting edge of our big ecological battles.

Again and again it's the subject of Mankind and our impact on the world that is displayed in different and thought-provoking ways and the victims are always the ones who are least able to do anything about it. Despite the humorous angle, this is a saddening, but ultimately rewarding series. I just hope some of the featured animals are here in twenty years to be reported on again.

very good book
a very good book, reminded me so much of the original by some sentences used in both. The only real drawback is the bittersweet taste left after seeing disappearing species and the state of the World described herein...