As difficult as it is to watch the Oscar-winning documentary “The Cove,” about the annual dolphin slaughter in Japan, the experience is rewarding on multiple levels.
The film is important in terms of exposing the dolphin kills that turns Taiji’s blue waters a sickening red in a gruesome few minutes’ time; it is also a rare piece of investigative filmmaking that weaves a compelling story while letting the viewer in on the sleuthing and clever technological rigging involved in capturing the underwater and above-ground images that shook the world.
Now the story of “The Cove” is extended — and in some parts rehashed — in a three-part miniseries, “Blood Dophins,” premiering this week on Animal Planet.
Ric O’Barry, the central figure of “The Cove,” who has dedicated his life to saving dolphins after unwittingly giving impetus to the captive dolphin trade early in his career as the trainer of “Flipper,” again stars in the miniseries.
The articulate, media-savvy O’Barry reiterates the story of “Flipper” committing suicide in his arms and the tale of his crusade with his son Lincoln to stop the dolphin slaughter in Japan. The pair then travel to the Solomon Islands in an effort to halt the 400-year-old captive-dolphin trade.
“Blood Dolphins” debuts Friday with a recap episode, “Return to Taiji,” at 9 p.m. “The Cove” will be replayed Sunday at 7 and 10 p.m. on Animal Planet.
Going beyond the original film, the TV miniseries can claim a degree of success.
Lincoln O’Barry, who serves as producer and director, told critics he is particularly proud of the TV project. “Not only are we showing the problem, but we’re actually going and solving it and doing something about it. And you’ll see that in the Solomon Islands, where we actually stop the largest slaughter of dolphins in the world.”
Local notes:
Count KDVR morning anchor Melody Mendez a keeper. The former Seattle KOMO reporter/fill-in anchor is settling into her “Good Day Colorado” gig with notable comfort, raising the professional feel of the show a notch.
“So You Think You Can Dance” is fielding a 40-city tour, coming to Broomfield’s FirstBank Center on Nov. 2.
As sports fans have heard, Kroenke Sports Enterprises and Altitude Sports & Entertainment signed a three-year agreement with Mile High Sports Radio to continue as the flagship radio partner for the Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets.
The teams return to AM 950. The deal involves both of Mile High Sports Radio’s stations, KCKK AM 1510 and FM 93.7, as well as Lincoln Financial Media’s KRWZ AM 950 and KKFN FM 104.3 The Fan.
AM 950 serves as the primary carrier; Mile High Sports Radio AM 1510 and FM 93.7 carry overflow games when multiple teams play on the same day.
“Noticias” scores”:
“Noticias Univision Colorado” likes to send up a flare when they beat the competition. It happened again last Friday at 5 p.m., when “Noticias” on KCEC (Comcast channel 10) beat KUSA-Channel 9 by a tenth of a rating point among 18-49-year-olds (as well as trouncing the less-challenging rivals). The Spanish-language newscast tied Channel 9 among 25-49-year-olds.
Tea Party TV:
For the right amount of money, any political concern can buy time on local television. “BrushFire TV,” which bills its programming as “Tea Party and liberty group news from Colorado,” has bought half-hours on Denver’s KCDO-Channel 3 on Sundays at 9 p.m., featuring an interview with Tom Tancredo. Comcast rebroadcasts the show at 7:30 a.m. weekdays (channel 19 in Denver).
For KCDO (“K3”), the half-hours build on the Sunday local public-affairs programming block initiated by “The Aaron Harber Show” and “Colorado Election 2010” 8 and 8:30 p.m., respectively.
Joanne Ostrow: 303-954-1830 or jostrow@denverpost.com
