Meet the pros who know how to keep their cool. . .
EVER heard of a place called Svalbard?
Well, you are about to in BBC Earth’s Ice People: Life on the Edge.
The 10-part series follows a close-knit community – comprising different nationals – living on this inhospitable Arctic island.
Kirsty Hanson, the commissioning executive of BBC Worldwide, shed light on their drive to develop and commission pioneering factual shows.
In an chat with she said: “We are looking to create brands. And we are commissioning fact-end offerings that are pacey, slightly male-skewed and high-octane.”
And if you thought nothing much would be going on in this remote part of the world, think again.
Hanson pointed out, “At any given time, four to six different nationals are represented there. It’s got the Polar Institute. People also go out there as Arctic tourists. It’s a unique place.
“As you know, a lot of the Alaskan series have done well in America so this, in a way, is a European take on that. It’s quirky and quiet dark, too. A bit like Fargo meets Northern Exposure… with polar bears.
“And it’s apparently the only place where you can go into a bank, wearing a balaclava and carrying a gun, and still get service with a smile.”
Aside from the plummeting temperatures and Mother Nature wreaking havoc with avalanches every now and again, there’s also the daily threat of running into a polar bear.
Hanson offered: “I’ve only seen the first two episodes so far. The cinematography is amazing. It doesn’t look like anywhere you have seen before. It’s a bluey-white wilderness with saturated bits of colour with the hut/ housing. It looks breathtaking. There’s something filmic about it.”
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They have a well-known British comedian providing some wry humour as the narrator.
The eccentric characters heighten the appeal.
“We have Mark (Sabbatini), who was a crime journalist in LA. He decided to go to a town where there was no crime. He has been living there for seven years now. We have Mary Ann, who is of an indeterminate age – she won’t tell us how old she is. She has been living there for 21 years and is the owner of the local B&B. She wears a full polar bear fur coat and is obsessed with Bruce Springsteen. And she has this bar where there is a big, glass circle display case with a polar bear penis in it. You just think, ‘wow’, when you look at her.
“We also have Ben (Vidmar), who is from Cleveland, Ohio, and has been living there for eight years. He is a bit like the Martian – he wants to be the first to grow vegetables there. Nothing grows there. So he gets a greenhouse going in the basement of his flat. Then there is a fire…”
There are other fascinating characters – from a satellite engineer, student/chef, and professor of snow and ice physics to a tour guide who also have incredible back stories.
With the place either experiencing 24 hours of darkness or light, it can be disorientating to visitors. The cuisine can be interesting, too. Hanson shared: “The food is amazing. They do fish, minke whale. I had a reindeer sausage which was delicious. But the tongue was gelatinous and disgusting.”
Bottom line, this series offers daring adventure, comical fun, heartbreak, extreme danger and the most intrepid human spirits.
Ice People: Life on the Edge airs on BBC Earth (DStv channel 184) on Sundays at 5.59pm.