Penguin Town

It’s hard not to look at this army of exquisite creatures striding smartly around—looking all the more impressive against the stunning beach background—without suspecting they’re off to some black-tie celebration. They’re not, of course—the celebration is in the minds of viewers following this enchanting sight, this filmed gift in eight parts narrated by Patton Oswalt.

With the requisite beautiful photography and a funny but warm narration from Oswalt, Penguin Town is definitely something you can either binge or dip in and out of, especially if you’ve bought into the penguins as something akin to sitcom characters.

“Penguin Town” is a featherweight documentary about this amazing species, with Oswalt providing light and humorous narration, some penguin couples getting names, bouncy pop music and graphics straight out of a reality dating show.

The access and camerawork of documentaries like Blue Planet have raised the bar for nature programmes, and to put it bluntly, some penguins going about their usual business doesn’t really cut it – especially when a more interesting story seemed to be lurking beyond the frame.