Walking with beasts [DVD]

65 million years ago the reign of the dinosaur ended. This BBC series is about what happened next. Nearly every creature over ten kilograms had been wiped out, leaving little creatures, like mammals to flourish. Mammals eventually took over the world over the next 20 million years, laying claim to earth and sea. This series presents the evolution of a multitude of mammals - exotic creatures such as the leptictidium, ambulocetus, dinofelis, gastronis, basilosaurus and the moeritherium, to name a few. Mastery of computer-generated images and animation, coupled with an atmospheric soundtrack, makes for colourful and realistic re-creations of the ways in which these magnificent animals operated in their fertile environments. Divided into six episodes - New dawn, Whale killer, Land of giants, Next of kin, Sabre tooth and Mammoth journey - each section focuses on a different type of mammal, covering such topics as species development, predators, laws of the animal kingdom, habits, habitats and changes to the earth’s ecosystems. At times this spectacular work, with its entertaining and gripping visuals, is capable of depicting graphically gory predatory behaviour. Also covers the age of the Neanderthal, and early stages of man versus beast. The breadth of background research is evident - awe-inspiring visuals are coupled with an informative and entertaining commentary. Narrated by Kenneth Branagh.