"Walking with Cavemen" (2003) TV series

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

27 March 2003 (UK)

Genre:

Documentary | Short | History

Tagline:

Eye-to-eye with your ancestors.

Plot:

The great follow-up to 'Walking with Dinosaurs' and 'Walking with Beasts', presented by Professor Robert Winston, explains the story of human evolution.

Plot Keywords:

Evolution | Caveman | Educational Program | Reenactment | Natural History

Cast

Robert Winston	...	Himself - Presenter (4 episodes, 2003)
Alec Baldwin	...	Narrator (USA version) (4 episodes, 2003)
Christian Bradley	...	Various hominids (4 episodes, 2003)
Alex Palmer	...	Various hominids (4 episodes, 2003)
Oliver Parham	...	Various hominids (4 episodes, 2003)
David Rubin	...	Various hominids (4 episodes, 2003)
Florence Sparham	...	Various hominids (4 episodes, 2003)
Marva Alexander	...	Various hominids (3 episodes, 2003)
Rachel Essex	...	Various hominids (3 episodes, 2003)
Faroque Khan	...	Various hominids (3 episodes, 2003)
Suzanne Cave	...	Various hominids (2 episodes, 2003)
Ruth Dawes	...	Various hominids (2 episodes, 2003)
Anthony Taylor	...	Various hominids (2 episodes, 2003)
Badria Timimi	...	Various hominids (2 episodes, 2003)

Runtime:

UK:30 min (4 episodes) | USA:100 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Singapore:PG

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Movie Connections:

Follows "Walking with Dinosaurs" (1999)

Enjoyable, though predictably racist.

It would be nice to one day watch a documentary about human species where the theories didn't make it obvious which species wrote it. The idea present that the Neanderthals were "no match" for us -- us with our far weaker muscles, weaker bones, and smaller brains, is ridiculous. There are many things that could have wiped out the Neanderthals. Despite our wish for it to be true, us out-competing them is not one of the likely ones.

Like most documentaries on subjects with more questions than answers, "Walking With Cavemen," presented vast amounts of speculation as if it were fact. Some of the speculation was questionable, like the degree they modeled earlier species' behavior after chimps, the claim that Neanderthals lacked imagination, and the depiction of Neanderthals' lifestyle. For example, showing them poorly sewn skins and living in caves. Of course all human species would live in caves from time to time, but Neanderthals primarily lived in tents.

Yet for all that, it was good on several other levels. The best part was how our forebearers were depicted with the gravity and intelligence that they would have had, people who we would have been able to empathize with and relate to. The actors were excellent. The way they were physically depicted, by modifying the modern human form with prosthetics, gives a much more realistic picture than the other approaches that have been taken. The worst failing in the physical appearance department is showing every species but ours as unkempt, despite grooming being shown as one of our earliest behaviors.

For me one of the best parts of the series (though one of the worst for another reviewer) was the host Robert Winston (I was fortunate to watch the British version). By stalking our forebearers in everything from jeeps to hot air balloons, he basically plays a throwback to the early British explorer/anthropologists in Africa, bringing with him all of British civility, and an deep intellectual curiosity and affection for his subjects.