Nicholas Harris

The long-running BBC daytime series Animal Park, filmed at Longleat Safari Park, is praised for its 25-year durability and gentle, undemanding appeal. Although it lacks the sophistication and wilderness drama of David Attenborough’s nature programmes, its affectionate animal stories, genial presenters and educational asides create a comforting television institution. Its continued existence reflects a mutually beneficial relationship between the BBC and the Longleat estate, and suggests that this fuzzy, familiar format may endure for decades more.