The Limited Career of Seth Pecksniff, Cinematographer

David Altenburg has been the BBC’s top nature journalist and presenter for over six decades. Respected, erudite and charismatic, he has wooed audiences across the globe with his insight and charm.

However, few people will be aware of his fateful Life Finds a Way series, which was abandoned after just three episodes and the footage shelved. Until recently, when a BBC archivist discovered rough footage of the three episodes, which go most – if not all of the way – to explain why they never made it to air. Here are descriptive extracts from all three.

Episode One: Fight or Flight
To camera – David: “We’re among the irrigation canals in the Kota district of Rajasthan, India to witness the rarest of cranes. This pair of Sarus Crane have two young. With populations so threatened, this is an uplifting sight. But wait! What’s this?
A solitary leopard is stalking close by.”

Cut to shot – The leopard emerges from a wall of grass with its eyes set firmly on the young bird at the back of the line.

Suddenly, the camera – still rolling – drops to the floor. We see cameraman, Seth Pecksniff run in from of the scene. He can be heard saying, “Shoo. Shoo. Bad cat. Run cranes, run! Bad cat, Shoo!”

Episode Two: The Cauldron
To camera – David: “Namibia, the fourth largest country in the world, and home to the Namib desert, a beautiful sandscape created from the harshest of conditions, even though it borders with the Atlantic. Very few animals live here, but the gemsbok, or onyx, have learned to successfully adapt. However, on this occasion, even their resourcefulness may prove too much for this little one.”

Cut to shot – A line of gemsbok, a parent and two calves are walking across a desolate landscape. At the rear, the smallest calf is being left behind.

To camera – David: “This little fella seems too weak to continue. He’s small, malnourished and near death. Another statistic in this unforgiving environment.”

Suddenly, the camera – still rolling – drops to the floor. We see cameraman, Seth Pecksniff appears running across the desert sands. He’s holding a water bottle. As the calf drops to the floor, Seth is there to cradle his head. He gives the calf water and is heard saying, “Come on little fella, you can make it. Fight through. I’m here. Come on, come on…”

The parent gemsbok and the other calf carry on walking.

Episode Three: From the North
To camera – David: “We’ve been tracking this large, solitary female polar bear across the Alaskan wilderness for three days. In tow, two cubs. They haven’t eaten for days. If they don’t eat soon, the prospects for one, if not both, of the cubs is bleak. But it also looks like there’s another hazard they must now face.”

Cut to shot – The female bear and one of the cubs have successfully climbed up the face of a three metres ice wall, but the last cub is struggling; weak with exhaustion.

Suddenly, the camera – still rolling – drops to the floor. We see cameraman, Seth Pecksniff run into the scene. He can be heard saying, “Come here little fella. Let me help”. He places his hands under the cub’s bottom, and begins to lift the bear up the wall face. He can be heard to say, “Come on matey. Put your back into it. Make an effort at least.”

The mother bear looks on…

Seth Pecksniff lost an arm during the filming of episode three. He returned to London. He was fired from his job. Life Finds a Way never aired. David Altenburg described Seth as a noble chap who was not cut out to be a wildlife cameraman.

Seth now lives in Sri Lankan and works on reinserting quills into crested porcupines that have been attacked by tigers.

Exclusive story by Simon Tappertit