Funny fakes and serious business
Maybe there’s something wrong with me — I find, or at least I look for, the comedy in everything.
That’s why I couldn’t watch “Spy in the Ocean, A Nature Miniseries” (8 p.m., PBS) without laughing at, and appreciating, its peculiar blend of the goofy and the profound.
The latest in their “Spy in the Wild” series, “Ocean” uses artificial, animatronic devices to hold multiple cameras. Molded to resemble actual creatures, they blend in to their environment, inviting their subjects to approach them, play along and even nurture them.
For the first segment, an artificial baby whale attracts the attention of a whole pod of sea mammals. One mother approaches it and tries to communicate using that species’ signature language of clicking sounds. She’s so convinced it’s real that she leaves her own offspring with it while she takes a little break, diving several miles into the deep.
While this interaction is supposed to show us how whales socialize and communicate, you can’t help but feel a bit sad for the poor deceived mother clicking away at a piece of metal and plastic. It’s like a disturbed character in a horror movie or psychological thriller sadly nurturing a dead-eyed doll. We’re told that whales have the largest brain of any creature on Earth. Was it right to mess with her head?
The second helping shows a fake octopus scuttling along the ocean floor. I couldn’t help but think of the old Cousin It character from “The Addams Family.” Despite his slightly stiff appearance and awkward shuffle, he gets close enough to a real octopus to interact and even help save it from predator sharks. Unlike the whales, these ocean residents don’t appear to be fooled by this deep-water spy — they can sniff out the difference.
Other prosthetic critters and elaborate fakery include a manatee, a macaque and a frisky primate who spends a lot of time on shore and has learned to use tools (OK, rocks) to smash open all of the shellfish he can gather.
“Ocean” cries out for one of those “making of” recaps. We can see how the fake creatures captured great footage of oceanic life, but we also see the poseurs interacting with their subjects. Who’s spying on the spies?
› A rescue mission shortly after D-Day showcases the resolve and bravery of a high school English teacher turned citizen soldier (Tom Hanks) in director Steven Spielberg’s 1998 war epic “Saving Private Ryan” (9 p.m., Sho2).
Hanks and Spielberg would collaborate on miniseries war epics “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific” for HBO in 2001 and 2010.
Next January, Apple TV+ will stream the limited series “Masters of the Air,” executive produced by Spielberg and Hanks. It recalls the actions of the 8th Army Air Force in the skies over Europe in World War II.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
› Ben goes Hollywood in all the worst ways on “Quantum Leap” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
› A speech writer enlists his ex to deceive his gathered family into thinking they’re still an item in the 2021 romance “An Unexpected Christmas” (8 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).
› “The Challenge” (8 p.m., MTV, TV-14) enters its 39th season.