Big Cat Diary

(2003–2006)
Big Cat Live (2008)GenreNature documentaryPresented byJonathan Scott (1996–2008)
Simon King (1996–2008)
Saba Douglas-Hamilton (2002–2006)
Jackson Looseyia (2008)
Kate Silverton (2008)ComposerDavid PooreCountry of originUnited KingdomOriginal languageEnglishNo. of episodes76 (including specials)ProductionProducersKeith Scholey
Robin HellierProduction locationKenyaRunning time30 minutesProduction companyBBC Natural History UnitOriginal releaseNetworkBBC OneRelease11 September 1996 (1996-09-11) –
24 December 2008 (2008-12-24)RelatedOrangutan Diary

Big Cat Diary, also known as Big Cat Week or Big Cat Live, is a long-running nature documentary series on BBC television which followed the lives of African big cats in Kenya's Maasai Mara. The first series, broadcast on BBC One in 1996, was developed and jointly produced by Keith Scholey, who would go on to become Head of the BBC's Natural History Unit.^[1] Eight series have followed, most recently Big Cat Live, a live broadcast from the Mara in 2008.

The original presenters, Jonathan Scott and Simon King, were joined by Saba Douglas-Hamilton from 2002 onwards. Kate Silverton and Jackson Looseyia were added to the presenting team for Big Cat Live.

Merchandise

Currently available on Region 2 DVD are the 2004, 2005 and 2006 series of Big Cat Week (packaged as series 1 to 3, with series 1 and 2 being packaged together), the 2007 series of Big Cat Diary (packaged as series 4 of Big Cat Week) and highlights from Big Cat Live (packaged as Big Cat Special). There is also a trilogy of books written by Jonathan and Angela Scott, with each focusing on the stories concerning the lions, cheetahs and leopards of the Big Cat Diary format of the show.

In 2012, Seasons 1 and 2 of the original Big Cat Diary show was made available to download on iTunes and Amazon's Instant Video services. These episodes are DVD quality or better; however, no DVD or any other physical media are available for these two seasons. Additionally, Seasons 3 and 4 of the original Big Cat Diary series are not available at all as of August 2012.

The name and format of the show has changed several times. The following table illustrates the TV air dates and DVD release dates (if applicable) of each of the seasons.^[2]

Overall Season	Season Name	Season Year – TV air	Season Year – DVD Release	Availability	Notes
1	Big Cat Diary – Season 1	1996–1997	n/a	iTunes, Hulu,
2	Big Cat Diary – Season 2	1998	n/a	iTunes, Hulu
3	Big Cat Diary – Season 3	2000–2001	n/a	Hulu
4	Big Cat Diary – Season 4	2002	n/a	None as of February 2015
5	Big Cat Week – Season 1	2003	2006	DVD	Released in same DVD package
6	Big Cat Week – Season 2	2004	2006	DVD	Released in same DVD package
7	Big Cat Week – Season 3	2006	2007	DVD
8	Big Cat Week – Season 4	2006	2008	DVD
9	Big Cat Live – Season 1	2008 (late)	2009	DVD	Released as Big Cat Special

References

External links

• Big Cat Diary at BBC Online
• Big Cat Diary at IMDb