British vs US versions and in general

My take on the British vs US version.

British
Robert Winston sounds very authoritative. The video I purchased with his narrative doesn't have a jeep being attack by h. habilis, but it does keep more with the format of the rest of the series (except allosaurus) in that it is basically just nature shots. There are details about Rudolfensis and some of the other species that don't make it into the US version.

US
Alec Baldwin conveys a sense of fascination with the animals that is very contageous. And yes, there are some details in the narrative, not really shown, that weren't in the british version. And yes, psychedelics are a part of it. The wierd thing is the format, which breaks up the nature scenes with Baldwin walking amongst chronologically ordered displays of hominid skulls.

I only have the US version because I taped it on the Discovery Channel. When I purchased it, it was the BBC version, which I was very pleased with. It is a shame the two can't be unified, as this is the weakest of the "Walking with" series".

I really feel they should have used CGI for Australopithecus (like "Walking with Prehistoric Beasts") and Homo Habilis. The depictions of hominids in the first two chapters look ridiculous.

Anatomically, a person can't really play an Australopithecus or Habilis unless they happen to suffer from microcephaly. The result is that I was constantly aware that I was watching a lesser-quality "Planet of the Apes". I feel this way about Ergaster, erectus, heidelbergensis, and neanderthal as well, but to an increasingly lesser extent. It is surprising to me that neither "Prehistoric Beasts" nor "Cavemen" were able to acheive the caliber of makeup attained by the brilliant BBC special, "Neanderthal".

As opposed to other installments in the "Walking With" series, the visual acheivement was weak. Like the other installments, however, the narration of both versions is a strength. Pick your preference and enjoy!