Martin Clunes's Wild Life

British actor Martin Clunes has achieved international fame as the comically dyspeptic title character of the TV series Doc Martin, who has a decided lack of enthusiasm for dogs. In real life, however, Clunes harbors a deep love for animals, evidenced in this five-documentary compilation. A Man and His Dogs (2008) traces the history of the human-canine relationship; Heavy Horsepower (2013) focuses on equine labor; Man to Manta (2011) explores the manta ray's habitats in the Maldives; The Lemurs of Madagascar (2012) details animal conservation efforts in the island nation; and A Lion Called Mugie (2014) pairs Clunes with an orphaned lion at Kenya's Kora National Reserve (immortalized in the book and film Born Free). As nature documentaries go, these are fairly standard issue, but the selling point here is Clunes, who is both marvelously charming and genuinely enthusiastic about his subjects. DVD extras include a viewer's guide and photo galleries. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)