Unusual sights and sounds on TV

There are many TV shows that feature humans helping animals, but a new viewing treat, “An Animal Saved My Life,” turns the theme and format on its head, and invites viewers to share stories about how they were rescued and defended in potentially deadly situations by “heroic” members of the animal kingdom.

One grateful sharer, whose story we caught recently, narrated that he and a pet dog were accosted by a big bear in the wilds, and his life was saved when his husky dog lunged at the burly bear and engaged it in “battle,” even if it was 20 times its size!

Another survivor, a surfer, was attacked by a similarly monstrous shark, which bit into his back and would have dragged him down to a horrible death—were it not for a “pod” of dolphins who, like the pet husky in the first story, fought off the attacking shark!

The show made a key point to underscore the surfer’s belief that the dolphins “knew” he was in dire danger, and chose to risk their own lives to save him.

Many people share the surfer’s conviction that dolphins have exceptional intelligence and are capable of “emotional understanding” and empathy, hence his aquatic rescuers’ decision to rush to his assistance at exactly the point in time when he needed it most!

When the stricken surfer was rushed to the hospital, his gashes were so severe that it took over 500 stitches and 200 metal clips to “patch him up!”

But, thanks to the heroic dolphins, the victim was able to regain his strength months later, enough for him to return to the scene of his attack and rescue, and express his deep gratitude to his newfound friends and defenders in the briny deep.

Such features on “An Animal Saved My Life” go a long way in making more viewers realize that all creatures in the animal kingdom are linked together in their shared need to survive.

So, humans should not take animals for granted, and treat them with the appreciation and respect they and all of God’s creatures deserve.

Different source

Another unusual attraction on TV last week came from a completely different source, the local teleserye, “Dolce Amore”:

We found it fresh and beguiling that the drama series has taken the small but “radical” step of giving its male lead character, Tenten (Enrique Gil), a lisp or vocal tic that makes him mispronounce certain words and sounds, like “Meron akong torpreta para ta ’yo.”

This is a disarming touch that Enrique pulls off well, and it isn’t just a “cute” touch, but also says a lot about his character’s back story as an orphan who grew up lonely and relatively uncared for, thus limiting his verbal acuity and communicative skills.

Nothing very big and profound, you understand, but a disarming and insightful touch that’s most welcome in the otherwise too perfect and idealized world of local TV melodramatics!