Eyewitness (fourth and fifth series)

These two series would be a continuation of the 1990s British documentary series Eyewitness, based upon the Dorling Kindersley books of the same name. The two series would air on CBBC, each one consisting of 13 half-hour episodes. As with the preceding three series, the show would use stock footage taken from other BBC documentaries, coupled with footage shot in a studio.

While the two series do include programmes based upon the books, several episodes are made specifically for the show (as happened with the third series of Eyewitness).

Eagle
Book title: Eagle and Birds of Prey

Intro segment: A close-up shot of a prairie dog zooms out, showing it is being reflected in the eye of a steppe eagle, which turns its head to face the camera before flying over the camera and leaving behind the white background.

Episode description: Examines the natural history and cultural importance of birds of prey, including not only eagles but also hawks, owls, falcons and vultures among other groups.

Brain
Book title: Not based on a book title

Intro segment: A person is shown completing a Rubik’s cube; the camera pans around them and they are reduced down to a wire-frame with the brain showing, flashing with red spots to represent neurons firing – the last flash engulfs the screen, leaving it white.

Episode description: Looks at the evolution and structure of the human brain and the functions that each area performs, as well as showing how the brain affects behaviour and human personality, with information about things such as fears, emotions, senses and ancient beliefs about the brain.

Animal
Book title: Animal

Intro segment: A single animal cell is shown in close-up; it zooms out and explodes into a variety of animals (including a tiger, various birds, fishes and insects, an alligator, a couple of frogs and a deer) that move off-screen in different directions and leave the screen white.

Episode description: A tour of the whole animal kingdom, looking at what makes a living thing an animal (they all feed on other living things and mostly have symmetrical bodies), how they adapt to various habitats and the relationships between humans and nonhuman animals.

Evolution
Book title: Evolution

Intro segment: A close-up is shown of a fish’s fin; it then morphs through a horizontal weight-supporting fin, a reptilian foot, a furry tree shrew hand, a primate arm and finally a human arm, which picks up an apple and moves off the screen, leaving the white background.

Episode description: Looks at the processes behind evolution such as natural selection and extinction, the concept of living fossils and looks at many examples of how evolution has shaped animals and plants. This episode also looks at how evolution was first scientifically described.

Amazon
Book title: The Amazon

Intro segment: The clip starts showing dense tropical vegetation, being parted as if by a person walking through it; the vegetation is pushed aside to show a golden city standing in the rainforest; the screen cuts to white.

Episode description: This episode travels from the Andes to the Atlantic, following the course of the Amazon River and also looking at the rainforest habitat, showcasing the animals and plants, the human cultures and the threats posed to the region.

Rabbit and Hare
Book title: Not based on a book title

Intro segment: A domestic rabbit emerges from a burrow seemingly dug into the studio floor; it hops along, investigates the camera and then moves away, leaving the white screen.

Episode description: Explores the natural history and evolution of the leporids, a sixty-strong family consisting of rabbits and hares. It looks at their habitats, physiology and their long history with humans as a source of food, a pet, a pest and a symbol in myth and legend.

Spider
Book title: Not based on a book title

Intro segment: A golden orb spider sits in its web; the camera cuts to a bluebottle cleaning itself – the fly takes off and is shown getting tangled in the web; the spider begins moving towards the fly off-screen.

Episode description: Looks at the world of arachnids, especially the spiders. Showcases their diversity, the adaptations they have for different habitats, how they produce silk and also examines why we are so afraid of them, while also showing why we need spiders as predators of insect pests.

Microorganism
Book title: Not based on a book title

Intro segment: The camera pans around a microscope and then zooms into the viewfinder where a magnified moving image of a hydra is shown before the screen cuts to white.

Episode description: This episode travels up in an elevator, looking at progressively bigger living things (starts with viruses, then moving through bacteria, protists and then microscopic animals), showing how they can cause disease but are nonetheless vital to all life on Earth.

Predator
Book title: Predator

Intro segment: A serval peers out of tall grass at a feeding Barbary dove; the serval rushes out of the grass and the dove flies – the serval leaps into the air and comes down with a dead dove held in its jaws; the serval walks off and leaves the white screen (the effect is done by filming the dove and then later filming the serval with a dead dove provided as animal food - no animals are harmed in the making of this intro).

Episode description: This episode examines how predators have adapted their bodies and behaviour to help them catch and kill other animals. Looks at how predators have evolved, their tactics and weapons, predatory animals in human myths and the importance of predators in protecting ecosystems.

Early Human
Book title: Early Humans

Intro segment: The camera pans slowly through a set resembling a cave complete with a campfire; it zooms in towards a cave painting of a bear – several small human drawings run in from the side and pelt the animal with stones and spears; the bear rears up and roars loudly before the screen cuts to white.

Episode description: Follows the progress of human evolution, from the appearance of Australopithecus in Africa 4.5 million years ago to modern man. It explores not only the different species, but the history innovations such as bipedalism, tool use, cave art and domesticating plants and animals.

Whale
Book title: Whale

Intro segment: A large pool of water is shown in the Eyewitness museum atrium – a humpback whale breaches out of the water and crashes down, with the resulting spray turning the camera to white.

Episode description: This episode looks at all marine mammals (as the book does) - not only whales but dolphins, seals and sea cows. It examines their adaptations to water, how they survive, their social behaviour and their relationship with humans, including conservation issues.

Poison
Book title: Not based on a book title

Intro segment: The camera pans towards a series of poison bottles arranged on a shelf in a dark, candlelit room; a snake weaves through the bottles and suddenly rises up to reveal a hooding cobra; the screen then cuts to white.

Episode description: This episode looks specifically at toxins - natural poison and venom made by plants and animals. It moves from toxic plants through marine animals, insects, reptiles and amphibians, birds, mammals and finally the uses of natural toxins by humans.

Endangered Species
Book title: Endangered Animals

Intro segment: A scimitar-horned oryx stands alone; at the sound of a clicking gun the animal looks up towards the camera; the view cuts to further back where the gun is shown pointing and fired at the animal; white smoke covers the screen.

Episode description: The final episode of series four looks at the processes that make animals endangered, including hunting, habitat alteration and alien species. About half the episode then looks at conservation, showing how different methods can be used to stop animals from going extinct.

Earth
Book title: Earth

Intro segment: The camera zooms in on a small pile of soil and, on pushing inside the soil, shows a microscopic Protura animated with waving front legs; the screen then cuts to white.

Episode description: This episode looks at soil science, showing how soils are formed, the effects of different kinds of soil on plant life, the animals that live in the soil and how crucial soil is for our modern agricultural systems.

Lake
Book title: Not based on a book title

Intro segment: Fog is shown hanging low over gently lapping water, with a long-necked creature just visible through the fog; the fog clears to show the creature was actually a pelican that rises up and flaps its wings before the screen cuts to white.

Episode description: Explores the geographical, biological and mythological significance of lakes worldwide. This episode shows why lakes have so many unique species, unusual lakes (such as Lake Nyos in Cameroon) and various lake stories such as the Loch Ness monster and lady of the lake.

Weasel
Book title: Not based on a book title

Intro segment: A stoat is shown scurrying around the museum floor; it creeps into a crack in the wall and when it comes out again it has changed into its white ermine coat and scurries away again, leaving the white screen.

Episode description: Explores the mustelid family, including not only weasels but also otters, badgers and martens among other animals. Shows their evolution, adaptations, behaviour and human interactions, including hunting for their fur and the domestication of the ferret.

Reef
Book title: Not based on a book title

Intro segment: A close-up is shown of a coral polyp, which rapidly zooms out to show a complete coral reef with various fish and whole corals; the camera remains on this view before it fades to white.

Episode description: Explores the coral reef ecosystem, showing the processes that allow it to function, the enormous diversity of fish life and their unique behaviours, the uses of coral and appearance of reefs in culture and the threats now imperiling coral reef ecosystems.

Mushroom
Book title: Not based on a book title

Intro segment: A common toad is sitting when the ground starts to shake; the toad rises up as a fly agaric toadstool grows up beneath it before the toad hops off and leaves just the toadstool on-screen; the screen then fades to white.

Episode description: Examines the world of fungi, including mushrooms, toadstools and moulds, showing how they survive, their importance to global ecosystem health and looking at their unusual placement on the tree of life (fungi are more closely related to animals than plants).

Ice Age
Book title: Not based on a book title

Intro segment: A driving blizzard dominates the screen with a dark shape moving through the snow; the snow momentarily clears to show a woolly mammoth that trumpets before it is obscured by snow again and the screen turns white.

Episode description: Goes back to the extinction of the dinosaurs, showing how the mammals came to dominate the planet. It showcases animals from the Paleocene to the modern day, showing how the mammals we are familiar with today came to evolve.

Song
Book title: Not based on a book title

Intro segment: The camera starts off just with a white background with the sounds of birdsong; gradually a singing song thrush sitting on a branch fades into shot before it flies off and leaves the white background.

Episode description: This episode looks at biological song, rather than as an art. It shows why various animals sing, the parts of their bodies that allow them to produce and hear these sounds and looks at how humans have enjoyed and celebrated the songs of animals in their culture.

Forest
Book title: Not based on a book title

Intro segment: Stock footage of oak trees is shown before an acorn drops down and lands on the white museum floor; a Eurasian jay comes in, picks up the acorn and flies off with it, leaving the screen white.

Episode description: Explores all forest environments except for the tropical rainforest (the subject of Jungle), including taiga, temperate forest, dry forest and mangroves, looking at the wildlife that inhabits each forest type and also examining the mythology and use of woodlands.

Invertebrate
Book title: Not based on a book title

Intro segment: A collage of beautiful pinned insect specimens is shown; as the camera moves around the collage forms into a living Maxima clam, which slams its shell shut.

Episode description: A more general overview of the invertebrate family, including not only insects, spiders, crustaceans and molluscs but animals that haven't appeared much in other episodes such as worms, octopuses, jellyfish, centipedes and millipedes.

Night
Book title: Not based on a book title

Intro segment: An atrium of the museum is shown darkened as if at night; fireflies are flitting around and crickets are calling; suddenly a flying fox flies out of the darkness and low over the camera; the screen fades to white.

Episode description: Mostly looks at nocturnal animals, their adaptations and appearances in human culture, but will also include bioluminescence, what it is that causes night and why humans are afraid of the dark.

Ecology
Book title: Ecology

Intro segment: A bank vole sits alone on the white screen; in the background trees start to erupt from the ground and are gradually joined by plants, leaf litter and birdsong – the vole scuttles off into the habitat and the screen fades to white.

Episode description: Explores the complex relationships between animals, plants and their environments as well as the study of these relationships. Includes mentions of predation, seed dispersal, pollination, decomposition, nutrient cycles and ecosystem engineering species.

Fire
Book title: Not based on a book title

Intro segment: A line of fire is shown burning at night; in the background a dragon becomes visible and blows a jet of fire towards the camera; as the flame engulfs the screen it fades to white.

Episode description: Looks at the history of the chemical reaction we call fire, from when it first appeared in the fossil record to our taming of fire and the industrial revolution. Also looks at the reactions of plants and animals to fire, the danger of fire to people and various fire myths and legends.

Universe
Book title: Universe

Intro segment: A multitude of stars, galaxies and planets are shown when suddenly the camera gets pulled towards a swirling black hole – it is pulled inside and the screen flashes to white.

Episode description: The final episode of series five explores deep space, beyond our Solar System. This includes looking at stars, black holes and other features of space, plus the potential appearance of alien life forms and how humans are exploring space.