Tag: Documentaries

For 15 years shark documentaries have been a big part of my life. I have a pretty good idea of what producers, commissioners and audiences are looking for in terms of a great shark documentary. Unfortunately, many pitches for shark documentaries follow the old-fashioned formula - the classic 'shark attack' docco appealing to our primal fear of sharks. I will exclude these. I have never watched a well made shark attack documentary. In my opinion, they are typically formulated for cheap and easy ratings. It seems to me that there is little effort made to tell a great story. So here are 10 great (non shark attack) shark documentaries that have never been made: 10 Shark documentaries never been made Great white of the Med! Long ago the Med was a renowned white shark hotspot. Over time, excessive fishing effort reduced numbers to such an extent that a film crew in the Med has never documented great whites. But this is changing! White sharks are being spotted on a regular basis at a certain location (secret) each year. I think that a slick shark documentary that actually documents great white sharks living in the Med would be a huge hit with the UK and European audiences.               Wolves of the sea Most broadcasters have been focused on the big three of sharks – great whites, tiger sharks and bull sharks. However in 2015 shark documentaries featuring smaller species proved to be a hit during Discovery’s shark week. 'Wolves of the Sea' is a scientific publication that mentions there may be a shark (lessor known species) that co-operatively group hunts. This is a massive claim! The level of intelligence and behavioural sophistication required in a species to co-operate in such a manner has been the sole domain of advanced mammals