Life in the Freezer

While March of the Penguins received a lot of well-deserved attention in 2005 for its close-up look at the migratory and family habits of emperor penguins, the BBC series Life in the Freezer covers the whole of Antarctica's startling, violent, and poetic ecosystem in six half-hour episodes. Host David Attenborough takes viewers on an amazing journey, studying enormous glaciers and visiting pristine Georgian islands (where seabirds flock during Antarctica's version of spring and summer), all the while sharing insights about the effects of the continent's seasonal expansions and contractions on the feeding, mating, and migratory habits of the wildlife. Viewers will see bull elephant seals appear on Antarctica's shores to manage their harems and battle to keep competitors away; humpback and killer whales turning up to feed on krill; and penguins enduring subzero snowstorms—only to, sometimes, end up as dinner for seals. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (T. Keogh)