Lemur Street

Infobox Television
show_name = Lemur Street


caption = Logo for "Lemur Street"
show_name_2 = Lemur Wars (Australia)
Lemur Kingdom (US)
genre = Nature, documentary, drama
creator =
director =
creative_director =
narrated = Martin Shaw (UK)
Franklin O'Smith (US)
country = UK
language = English
num_series = 1
num_episodes = 20
list_episodes =
executive_producer =
co_exec =
producer = Joanne Lunt
supervising_producer =
asst_producer =
co-producer =
editor =
location = Madagascar
cinematography = Robin Smith
camera =
runtime = 30 minutes
network = Animal Planet International
picture_format = PAL
audio_format = Surround sound
first_aired = November 20, 2007
last_aired = present
website = http://www.animalplanet.co.uk/lemurstreet/index.shtml
production_website = http://www.oxfordscientificfilms.tv/ProductDetails.aspx?productid=01132
imdb_id =
tv_com_id = 75166

Lemur Street is a British television show produced by Oxford Scientific Films for Animal Planet International that is based on the successful format of "Meerkat Manor". [cite web |title=Production Programmes |publisher=Oxford Scientific Films |url=http://www.oxfordscientificfilms.tv/DynamicPage.aspx?cid=27&d=8 |accessdate=2007-12-10 ] The series premiered in the United Kingdom on November 20, 2007 on the UK Animal Planet network with Martin Shaw narrating.cite news |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/11/26/ealemur126.xml |title= After Meerkat Manor comes Lemur Street | publisher=Telegraph |date=2007-11-26 |accessdate=2008-01-18]

On February 8, 2008 it aired in the United States under the name "Lemur Kingdom". Fourteen episodes airing through May 9, 2008. It was removed from the air with the return of the channel's top series, "Meerkat Manor". It aired in Canada on TVO from February 13, 2008 through April 16, 2008, and on Knowledge from April 2, 2008 through May 31, 2008 using its original name of "Lemur Street".cite web|url=http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/mmnr/tvo/feb2008/#lemur |title=TVO February 2008 Highlights | publisher=TVO |year=2008 |month=January |accessdate=2008-01-18] [cite web|url=http://tvschedule.knowledgenetwork.ca/knsch/KNSeriesPage.jsp?seriesID=14695357 |title=Knowledge Network: Lemur Street | publisher=Knowledge Network |year=2008 |month=April |accessdate=2008-04-14] Each episode is thirty minutes in length. Renowned primatologist Alison Jolly is the series scientific consultant, and Joanne Lunt is the producer.

Lemur Street is due to be released in a three disc DVD set in the United Kingdom in September 2008 by Eureka Entertainment.

Production details

The twenty-episode series focuses on two competing matriarchal Ring-tailed Lemur gangs in the Berenty Reserve in Madagascar. Along with following the lemurs battles for dominance, against their natural enemies, and against each other, the series is reported to include the first professionally-recorded footage of a ring-tailed lemur birth.cite web|url=http://www.southernstargroup.com/productdetails.aspx?productid=01132 |title=Lemur Street | publisher=Southern Star Group |accessdate=2008-01-18]

Robin Smith, who filmed several series of "Meerkat Manor", is the cinematographer for "Lemur Street". [cite web |url=http://www.robinsmith.tv/credits.htm |title=Credits |publisher=Robin Smith |accessdate=2008-03-09 ]

National variations

The content of the UK and US versions of the programme are the same for most episodes, however Animal Planet US renamed the show to "Lemur Kingdom", added names for the episodes - which were referred to only by number in the UK - and renamed the lemur groups and some individual lemurs. The group called The Tornadoes in "Lemur Street" have been renamed to "The Furies". Furies was chosen by Animal Planet US because of the constant in fighting between the three families that make up the group.cite episode |title=Episode 1 (Little Lost Lemur) |episodelink=#episodes |series=Lemur Street |serieslink=Lemur Street |season=1 |number=1 ] Crystal, the dominant female of the Graveyards, has been renamed to Juno, and her mate Blake was renamed to Marcus.

The lemurs

Tornadoes

This group is made up of three separate families of lemurs and has approximately twenty members. In the US broadcast, they have been renamed to the "Furies" because of the regular fighting between the three families.

;Amazon:Four years old, Amazon is a first time mother who ignores and neglects her first son, Gizmo. Her neglectful nature leads to the rest of the troupe doing the same, and Gizmo's eventual death after he injures a leg.cite episode |title=Episode 2 (Unfortunate Son) |episodelink=#episodes |series=Lemur Street |serieslink=Lemur Street |season=1 |number=2 ] When she gives birth to her second baby, Orinoco, Amazon is a more attentive and caring mother. Between the fifth and six episodes, she and her mother Flame viciously attack and dethrone the pregnant Electra. Though she initially allows Electra to remain as the lowest ranking member of the troupe, after Electra gives birth, Amazon evicts her from the troupe.

;Electra:At the start of the series, Electra is the queen of the group and known for her bad-temper.cite web |url=http://animal.discovery.com/tv/lemur-kingdom/meet-lemurs/meet-lemurs.html |title=Meet the Lemurs: The Furies |publisher=Animal Planet |accessdate=2008-02-01 ] In the sixth episode, while she is pregnant, Amazon and Flame dethrone Electra. Electra goes into premature labor, giving birth to a son who is named Prince. After she gives birth, Amazon, joined by her sister Snowflake and mother Flame, evicts Electra and Prince from the group.cite episode |title=Episode 6 (A New Generation) |episodelink=#episodes |series=Lemur Street |serieslink=Lemur Street |season=1 |number=6 ] During the night, however, Prince is unable to maintain his hold on his mother and falls from the tree where they are sleeping. Electra finds his body in the morning and mourns his death, guarding the body for several hours before leaving to return to the protection of the forest.cite episode |title=Episode 7 (The Cycle of Life) |episodelink=#episodes |series=Lemur Street |serieslink=Lemur Street |season=1 |number=7 ]

;Gizmo:Amazon's first son, who was born late and is the runt of the litter. At the start of the series, he is five-months old and regularly neglected by his mother. He falls from a tree and injures his left rear leg after an unprovoked attack by spoiled princess Chelsea. He tries to keep up with the troop, but with his injuries he is often left behind and dies in the third episode. It is unclear how he died, though the narration suggests it was a predator.cite episode |title=Episode 3 (Gizmo's Fate) |episodelink=#episodes |series=Lemur Street |serieslink=Lemur Street |season=1 |number=3 ]

Graveyards

Made up of only one family, this twenty member gang is named from the fact that they live in an old graveyard. In the US broadcast, their name is changed to the "Graveyard Gang."

;Crystal:The steady dominant female of the Graveyards who has lead the group for four years.cite web |url=http://animal.discovery.com/tv/lemur-kingdom/meet-lemurs/meet-lemurs-tab-02.html |title=Meet the Lemurs: Graveyard Gang |publisher=Animal Planet |accessdate=2008-02-01 ] In the seventh episode, Crystal gives birth to her first baby Jasmine. In the US broadcast, her name has been changed to Juno.

;Blake:The aging dominant male facing growing competition for his position from the younger lemurs. During a battle with Flash, the dominant male of the Tornadoes, Blake receives a bad slash to one of his right front paw. In the US Broadcast, he has been renamed to Marcus.

;Peg Leg:At thirteen-years old, Peg Leg is the oldest, and lowest ranking, member of the group.cite episode |title=Episode 9 (More Mouths to Feed) |episodelink=#episodes |series=Lemur Street |serieslink=Lemur Street |season=1 |number=9 ] He lost one of his back legs to a dog attack 11 years before the start of the series. Peg Leg usually gets out of the way during battles, and avoids the mating fights. Despite his having only three legs, Crystal chooses him as her mate when she comes into heat.cite episode |title=Episode 5 (An Unlikely Suitor) |episodelink=#episodes |series=Lemur Street |serieslink=Lemur Street |season=1 |number=5 ] Crystal later gives birth to her first baby, Jasmine. He is frequently in the company of his sidekick Nimbus, another low ranking male. After six years with the Graveyard Gang, Peg Leg, joined by Nimbus, attempted to leave the troop to find a new one, an act called dispersal that helps avoid inbreeding, but they were unable to find another one and return.cite episode |title=Episode 10 (The Royal Family) |episodelink=#episodes |series=Lemur Street |serieslink=Lemur Street |season=1 |number=10 ]

;Liberty:The lowest ranking female of the Graveyard Gang and mother of Hogarth. She mated with Blake, the dominant male after he chased away a nomadic male named Titus.cite episode |title=Episode 4 (Fire and Battle) |episodelink=#episodes |series=Lemur Street |serieslink=Lemur Street |season=1 |number=4 ] With her family facing starvation, Crystal concentrating on feeding her immediate family during the dry season, and herself pregnant, Liberty leads her family to desert the Graveyard Gangs for a day.cite episode |title=Episode 8 (Family Ties) |episodelink=#episodes |series=Lemur Street |serieslink=Lemur Street |season=1 |number=8 ] A few days later, Liberty gave birth to a daughter named Lily.

Episode listing

Media

The complete series is scheduled to be released to Region 2 DVD in Europe as a 3-disc box set by Eureka Entertainment on 22 September 2008. [cite web |url=http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=68461 |title=Eureka Entertainment in September |publisher=DVD Times |date=2008-08-05 |accessdate=2008-08-22 ] [cite web |url=http://www.eurekavideo.co.uk/tv/lemur-street/ |title=Lemur Street |publisher=Eureka Entertainment |accessdate=2008-07-17 ]

References

;General for UK broadcast
*cite web|url=http://www.animalplanet.co.uk/lemurstreet/residents/index.shtml |title=Meet the Residents | publisher=Animal Planet UK |accessdate=2008-01-18

;General for US broadcast
*cite web|url=http://animal.discovery.com/tv/lemur-kingdom/episode/episode.html |title=Lemur Kingdom Episode Guide | publisher=Animal Planet |accessdate=2008-02-08
*cite web|url=http://animal.discovery.com/tv/lemur-kingdom/meet-lemurs/meet-lemurs.html |title=Meet the Lemurs | publisher=Animal Planet |accessdate=2008-02-08

;Specific

External links

* [http://animal.discovery.com/tv/lemur-kingdom/lemur-kingdom.html Official Animal Planet US website for "Lemur Kingdom"]
* [http://www.oxfordscientificfilms.tv/ProductDetails.aspx?productid=01132 Official Oxford Scientific Films website]