Peter Crawford
Encyclopedia
Peter Crawford is a British
award-winning, freelance film-maker, author, photographer and lecturer.
He has been making films for more than 30 years, but Crawford is perhaps best known for his natural history
documentary films and TV series in the United Kingdom
and United States
including, in 1990, the first television series to attempt to comprehensively document North America's wildlife, Land of the Eagle (WNET
New York) and in 1999; Living Britain (BBC 2
), a series of ten 30 minute films which portrayed the natural history of Great Britain
and Ireland
. Living Britain was accompanied by a book authored by Crawford which became a Number 1 Best Seller for BBC Books.
; he 'served' most of his career working in the world-renowned BBC Natural History Unit
. Whilst there he was instrumental in bringing, via the television screen, a new-found interest in environmentalism and natural history to the living rooms of the United Kingdom.
Crawford studied Zoology and Marine Biology at the University of Exeter
in England
and made further studies in Anthropology at the University of Mainz in Germany
. He joined the BBC in 1966.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
award-winning, freelance film-maker, author, photographer and lecturer.
He has been making films for more than 30 years, but Crawford is perhaps best known for his natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
documentary films and TV series in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
including, in 1990, the first television series to attempt to comprehensively document North America's wildlife, Land of the Eagle (WNET
WNET
WNET, channel 13 is a non-commercial educational public television station licensed to Newark, New Jersey. With its signal covering the New York metropolitan area, WNET is a primary station of the Public Broadcasting Service and a primary provider of PBS programming...
New York) and in 1999; Living Britain (BBC 2
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
), a series of ten 30 minute films which portrayed the natural history of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Living Britain was accompanied by a book authored by Crawford which became a Number 1 Best Seller for BBC Books.
Career
Although Crawford is now freelance and specialises in lecturing on his work as a film-maker and author whilst covering the people and the natural history of the Pacific oceanPacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
; he 'served' most of his career working in the world-renowned BBC Natural History Unit
BBC Natural History Unit
The BBC Natural History Unit is a department of the BBC dedicated to making television and radio programmes with a natural history or wildlife theme, especially nature documentaries...
. Whilst there he was instrumental in bringing, via the television screen, a new-found interest in environmentalism and natural history to the living rooms of the United Kingdom.
Crawford studied Zoology and Marine Biology at the University of Exeter
University of Exeter
The University of Exeter is a public university in South West England. It belongs to the 1994 Group, an association of 19 of the United Kingdom's smaller research-intensive universities....
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and made further studies in Anthropology at the University of Mainz in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He joined the BBC in 1966.
Natural history
- Living Isles (1986)
- Land of the Eagle (1990 BBC/WNET New York)
- Global Sunrise: Around the world in 80 minutes (1997, BBC 2BBC TwoBBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
) - Living Britain (1999, BBC 2)
- Great Natural Wonders of the World (2002, BBC 2)
- Moonpower (2003, BBC 2)
Dramatised history
- Nomads of the Wind (1994, BBC 2)
- The Forgotten Voyage (BBC 2)
- The Garden of Inheritance (BBC 2)
Written works
- In The Country (edited and compiled by Peter Crawford) (1980) ISBN 0333293258
- The Curious Cat (with Michael Allaby) (1982) ISBN 0718120655
- The Living Isles (1985) ISBN 0563203692 (BBC Books) (winner of the 2001 BP Natural World book prize)
- Nomads of the Wind: A Natural History of Polynesia (1993) ISBN 0563367075 (BBC Books)
- Living Britain (1999) ISBN 056338476X (BBC Books)