Wilderness with Simon Reeve “the best adventure series”
The first episode of Simon Reeve’s new series for the BBC, made by The Garden and featuring his toughest journeys yet into the heart of Earth’s last great wild areas, has garnered widespread critical acclaim.
In the first episode, Congo, Simon battles his way through Africa’s greatest and most impenetrable rainforest. The four part series will continue its run on Sunday nights on BBC Two, and the full series is available on iPlayer.
★★★★★
“Pick of the Day…the best adventure series…Breathtaking…Incredible”.
“Simon listened without comment or judgment. That’s what gives his documentaries their uniquely intelligent appeal. He doesn’t leap to conclusions or tell us what to think — he simply allows us to share his extreme experiences as an explorer and make up our own minds.”
Daily Mail
★★★★
“Great TV… Reeve has really, genuinely put himself through the wringer here… It looked bloody miserable. Which meant that as television it was bloody great. Reeve has been doing this for 20 years, and he’s really good at it. He strikes the perfect balance between wonderment (at the natural world) and dismay (at what we’re doing to it) …It’s old fashioned adventure television and it’s a privilege to be along for the ride.”
The Telegraph
Critic’s Choice: “Fascinating series…he is a cheery and philosophical guide to extreme terrain”
The Times
“Reeve shows immense respect for and openness towards local people, cultures and the environment but he never shies away from reporting on distressing things such as poverty, illegal logging and poaching. As TV adventurers go, he’s one of the best. Reeve is dauntless in his exploration of the world’s most remote communities.”
The Radio Times
★★★★
“He shines a light on some of the most remote, least-disturbed corners of the planet. As we’ve come to expect of Simon Reeve, this is not a ‘glossy travelogue.”
“Much of the fun in this satisfying series opener flowed from that tension between his natural optimism and the fact he was spending a fair chunk of his screen time fending off creepy crawlies….A less optimistic presenter might have given up – or framed the journey as a remake of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness (likewise set in the Congo). But Reeve sees a silver lining behind every cloud – even when that cloud is a horde of flies trying to devour his underwear. He took what could have been an ordeal and turned it into an enjoyable and informative adventure.”
The i
★★★★
“Wilderness might be much closer to a conventional conservation film than Reeve’s previous work, with a message less specific and surprising. But that message – a reminder not to give up on the hard slog to preserve the wonders we have left – could not be more important.”
The Guardian
★★★★
”Simon Reeve’s celebration of the wonder of nature is unbeatable”
The Standard
For the full Telegraph article click here
For the full Daily Mail article click here
For the full Guardian article click here