David Attenborough is nothing short of a national treasure. He may apparently dislike the term, but it is hard to not say that about such a great presenter who has contributed significantly to some of the best programmes (of the documentary genre and overall) the BBC has ever aired/produced.
It is really hard picking favourites, let alone a definite favourite, among what Attenborough has done because he has done so many gems, it is the equivalent of trying to choose your favourite ice cream flavour or your favourite operatic role (for examples) and finding you can't pick. 'Africa' to me though is right up there, so are the likes of both 'Planet Earth' series, 'The Blue Planet', 'Life' and 'Frozen Planet'. It has everything that makes so much of his work so wonderful and deserves everything great that has been said about it.
This may sound like reiteration of what was said before in my reviews in the previous five episodes, but to me it is very hard to think of something new to say for each episode because all of them have the same strengths and 'Africa' is one of those rare consistently great series throughout its six episodes. "The Future" doesn't disappoint.
Once again as with all of Attenborough's work, "The Future" first and foremost is a wonderful looking episode. It is gorgeously filmed, done in a completely fluid and natural, sometimes intimate (a great way of connecting even more with the animals), way and never looking static. In fact much of it is remarkably cinematic. The editing is always succinct and smooth and the scenery is pure magic, like a character of its own and majestically photographed. The music score fits very well, never overly grandiose while never being inappropriate.
Like with a vast majority of Attenborough's work and throughout 'Africa', "The Future" continually fascinates and illuminates, in terms of the facts there was a very good mix of the known ones and the unknown. It completely succeeds, and brilliantly, at both educating and entertaining while not hammering it home too much.
Attenborough's narration helps quite significantly too, he clearly knows his stuff and knows what to say and how to say it. He delivers it with his usual richness, soft-spoken enthusiasm and sincerity, never talking down to the viewer and keeping them riveted and wanting to know more. The closing scenes have honesty and humanity.
While the conservation and statistics parts are informative, the sequence that stays with one forever and one of the most truly emotional ones of the whole series is Attenborough with the baby rhino.
Nothing episodic, repetitive or dull here.
Overall, a wonderful and moving end to a gem of a series. 10/10 Bethany Cox