Be the Creature
Be the Creature is a 2004 Nature Documentary show by Chris Kratt and Martin Kratt. It was aired on the National Geographic channel (and these days, occasional reruns on Nat Geo Wild), and was an attempt by the brothers to do something aimed more toward adults, though it only lasted a couple of seasons. In typical Kratt Brothers fashion it involved going out into the wild and experiencing things the way the creatures did. Unlike their other shows it deals with more mature material, and has a number of uncensored moments.
The first season has a DVD release, though you have to Keep Circulating the Tapes (or hope to catch it on TV) for any of the other episodes.
It was preceded by Kratts' Creatures and Zoboomafoo, and succeeded by Wild Kratts, which has been called a Spiritual Successor to this show.
- Amusing Injuries: Staple of the Kratts.
- Blade of Grass Cut: Occasionally used as a break between scenes.
- Ear Notch: Rip, the alpha male wild dog featured, is named for one of these.
- Edutainment Show: Again, typical of the Kratts.
- Green Aesop: Pops up every now and then.
- Horrible Camping Trip: To a degree, the episode about wild dogs could be said to be this.
- Humans Are the Real Monsters: Pointed out sometimes during the darker parts of an episode, when it's not dealing with the Nature Is Not Nice aspect instead. Notable instances include the one about manatees (and how boat propellors are a big problem for them), and again in the episode focusing on lemurs (how people are burning valuable forest habitat).
- Mighty Roar: Lions roaring, elephants trumpeting, indri lemurs singing... Though these are never staged, instead being filmed as they happen.
- Nature Is Not Nice: Though the Kratts have never been shy about dealing with the darker sides of nature, even in their kids shows, Be the Creature deals with it even moreso.
- No Animals Were Harmed: Occasionally pops up in the credits. As a general rule, the bros never hurt the animals when they interact, unsurprisingly. Animals to other animals, however...
- Precision F-Strike: Martin does this a few times, and Chris at least once. Since the show seems to have a "film and see what happens" standpoint, several candid moments are caught on tape and subsequently aired.
- Ridiculously Cute Critter: The baby animals shown, naturally. Special mention has to go to the coastal Japanese macaque Limpet, orphaned at only three weeks old and who was revealed to have died three weeks after the episode was filmed.
- Seldom-Seen Species: Though there are episodes dedicated to more well-known animals like kangaroos and lions, others are dedicated to lesser known and lesser seen creatures such as wild dogs and gelada baboons.
- Super-Persistent Predator: It's amazing how many times those lions go after the herd of elephants in one episode.
- Urine Trouble: Martin gets, uh, scent-marked by a banded mongoose.