THERE’S an easy chemistry between Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan that always makes them a delight to watch on screen.
It helps that the pair have known each other for so long, “growing up” together over the past three decades, because this is the sort of TV magic which you can’t create artificially.
They first met back in the 1990s when Michaela joined the Really Wild Show, taking over from Terry Nutkins as one of the main presenters. The pair clicked instantly and have spent many of the intervening years renewing their on-screen partnership on Springwatch and its seasonal spin-offs.
Adored by fans for their cheeky banter – which has also led to BBC bosses ticking them off on occasions when the innuendos have become a little too saucy – the pair were reunited for a surprise Christmas special that found them setting off on a quest to uncover the wonders of the winter skies.
The trip takes them from the wilds of the Arabian Desert in search of the fabled Star of Bethlehem to the opposite weather extremes of the Arctic Circle in the hope of witnesssing the magic of the Northern Lights.
“I’ve worked with many, many male presenters over the years – but with Chris there is instant chemistry, that little spark of something on screen,” Michaela told the Mirror last year.
“We both really enjoy working together, we work well together and we have a lot of fun.”
It’s a winning formula for television and what has worked so well on Springwatch translates easily into this exploration of celestial wonders.
Mishaps with camels, sandstorms and snow sledges create a chaotic backdrop for their journey from Jordanian desert to Arctic tundra, with some rare oryx, friendly reindeer and welcoming bedouin herders helping the duo share a little festive spirit along the way.
When the Radio Times asked the pair to identify each other’s most attractive traits, Chris mentioned Michaela’s “unwavering optimism and joie de vivre” while she referred to his intelligent humour and expansive knowledge – “not just about wildlife but all sorts of other random things”.
Perhaps it’s that mutual respect that is the secret ingredient which makes them such an appealing duo on the small screen. For anyone who missed the Christmas Eve special, Chris and Michaela: Under the Christmas Sky is available on BBC iPlayer for the next few weeks, with the promise of a new Winterwatch series to come from the Cairngorms later this month.
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