I guess I just have one more thing to add....that being a narrator is obviously a talent. I don't think it is something that anyone can do. Just because someone can act doesn't mean they can narrate.I think that's where they made the mistake with SC. They made an assumption.

One of the special things that Sean Astin had was a natural humor and great sensitivity. Really, now, can any of you imagine anyone else, especislly SC, narrating the episodes when Flower died and when Mozart died. I will never forget his words and his tone and sensitivity.

Thank you, Sean. we will always remember the way you comforted us and grieved with us.

MKK

Patrick Stewart and Morgan Freeman are great suggestion. MF was great in March of the Penguins. I bet those 2 are pretty high priced. Signourney will be awesome.

Does anybody know who the guy is who does the narration for those 3-4 minute summaries at Comcast On Demand? I have no idea who he is, but his delivery is much like Sean's.

I wonder what the original UK episodes of MM are like?

Glad to hear everyone is safe and that we can have a spirited discussion.

Hi everyone,

i welcome SC, too. it might be a little rough, following SA, and
as others have said, it is what it is.

That said, if it turns out that SA is back someday, i would be happy.

i listened closely to his narration, and i think part of his appeal is that he pauses in places you wouldn't really think to pause. somehow it all comes together to make his narrating style truly outstanding. i wonder if it's something he learned in acting school.

I'll find an example when i either finally buy a dvd or see a rerun.

Anyway, i guess that makes me of 2 minds. Welcome, SC!! and
Still miss you, SA!!

I think Stockard does a pretty good job with the narration. It doesn't bother me. Having said that, I liked Sean's voice better. I thought the tone and timber better fit the narration of the series.

As for Stockard Channing, she's an amazing voiceover talent. AND Animal Planet is lucky to have her. She conveys emotion and personality that is just not present in Sean Astin. HOWEVER, here is where Animal Planet messed up...

1. This is a captive audience that wants familiarity. You changed too much, too quickly. You took away the security blanket from Schroeder - bad move.

2. You took way too long to get season 4 underway. I'm sure that was a function of demanding production. But it still took too long for an impatient, fleeting American audience to follow into a new season.

Basically, if you had eased everyone into the new season with the same on-screen graphics and same name, you would have carried a lot of the audience with you. But you took too long and changed too much. Probably the work or a marketing executive - we all bow to their sparkling intellect. Yeah, right. <LOL>

Good thing you kept most of the music, that held part of the audience in season 4. Without it, you woulda been in worse shape.

And yes, I work in the industry and have for about 15 years. And yes, I'm a huge meerkat manor fan. I cried when Mozart died, and I'll cry when this series dies too.

Just take measures to see that doesn't happen.

Don't take it lightly, you've got something special here that will set the standard for many shows moving forward.

quote:

Originally posted by trazom4:
Hi everyone,

i welcome SC, too. it might be a little rough, following SA, and
as others have said, it is what it is.

That said, if it turns out that SA is back someday, i would be happy.

i listened closely to his narration, and i think part of his appeal is that he pauses in places you wouldn't really think to pause. somehow it all comes together to make his narrating style truly outstanding. i wonder if it's something he learned in acting school.

I'll find an example when i either finally buy a dvd or see a rerun.

Anyway, i guess that makes me of 2 minds. Welcome, SC!! and
Still miss you, SA!!

And you have to understand, the dramatic pauses aren't a funtion of Sean Astin. They're a funtion of the video editor sitting at the Avid splicing this together.

Just focus on the voice and measure the talent based on that. Not the voice in the final product - there's way too much manipulation to hold that against Stockard Channing. It goes for all voiceover talent.

Sorry, whtailx46, I think Stockard Channing's take on her narration is great. I remember the first time I realized how clever she was. She was discribing a pending meerkat fight between Nikita and Rocket Dog and she said, "This will be no mere kat fight." At the time I thought, what a clever play on words. After that, I paid more attention to the narration. I still miss Sean but give SC a break this is her first year. KellyJello

quote:

Originally posted by mozymeerkat1120:
And you have to understand, the dramatic pauses aren't a funtion of Sean Astin. They're a funtion of the video editor sitting at the Avid splicing this together.

I don't think you can entirely blame/credit the editor for this. If it was the editing, why was it so much better before?

I recently listened to Sean's audio narration of his book "There and Back Again", and he uses distinctive phrasing and pauses to great effect. He is quite simply an excellent reader.

Sean has been involved in a lot of other voice-over work lately. He has an animated film (Spirit of the Forest) due later this year, recorded a couple of episodes of Twilight Zone Radio Drama, and did narration for audio Bibles. That he is in demand for such work shows his level of skill.

quote:

Originally posted by kellyjello:
I remember the first time I realized how clever she was. She was discribing a pending meerkat fight between Nikita and Rocket Dog and she said, "This will be no mere kat fight." At the time I thought, what a clever play on words.

Neither Stockard Channing nor Sean Astin write the script. They read what they are given. Both have been given sometimes cute, sometimes corny material.

This season was good, but I did not enjoy it as much because of the narration. It made this exciting show rather dull. I was not as enthusiastic about remembering to watch the program this season. Before, I would hurry home on Friday nights or make sure we were recording the show. Though I did try to watch the program, I wasn't upset if I forgot to watch an episode as I was before in prior seasons. I finally did catch up on this season's episodes and I personnally think they would have been more enjoyable/exciting with someone with more zest or excitment in there voice. This is only my opinion and I am sure people are sick of hearing the complaints. For me, the show has lost the pizzazz it had because of the boring narration. I love the meerkats and I always will! They are so easy to get emotionally attached to and you want to care so much about their well being...but a good narrator would make the show more moving, thrilling and interesting !

If someone is a good narrator or storyteller, they can make something boring or silly interesting!

quote:

Originally posted by kellyjello:
I remember the first time I realized how clever she was. She was discribing a pending meerkat fight between Nikita and Rocket Dog and she said, "This will be no mere kat fight." At the time I thought, what a clever play on words.

Neither Stockard Channing nor Sean Astin write the script. They read what they are given. Both have been given sometimes cute, sometimes corny material.[/QUOTE]

This season was good, but I did not enjoy it as much because of the narration. It made this exciting show rather dull. I was not as enthusiastic about remembering to watch the program this season. Before, I would hurry home on Friday nights or make sure we were recording the show. Though I did try to watch the program, I wasn't upset if I forgot to watch an episode as I was before in prior seasons. I finally did catch up on this season's episodes and I personnally think they would have been more enjoyable/exciting with someone with more zest or excitment in there voice. This is only my opinion and I am sure people are sick of hearing the complaints. For me, the show has lost the pizzazz it had because of the boring narration. I love the meerkats and I always will! They are so easy to get emotionally attached to and you want to care so much about their well being...but a good narrator would make the show more moving, thrilling and interesting !