Reefwatch
(1988)
From the depths of the Red Sea, co-founder of the BBC Natural History Unit, Tony Soper, and wildlife film producer, Dr Martha Holmes, present the first ever live underwater broadcast. Reefwatch used this groundbreaking format to highlight the Red Sea’s wealth of marine life and bring it first hand into the audience’s living rooms.
Transmitted live to the UK and America, Reefwatch was a breathtaking achievement, and due to an ill-fitting helmet, also left presenter Dr Martha Holmes a little short on air herself. In her own words, the show had a number of firsts “first live TV broadcast from underwater, first television use of bubble helmets, and first near drowning live on air.” A pioneering production, its success led to the commission of a full length series – Sea Trek.
Tony Soper
