300 The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau

First watched : Uncertain

I'd  have  placed  this  a  bit  earlier  but  it  turns  out  it  didn't  occupy  the  Sunday  teatime  slot  I  recall  until  1977.

The  Undersea  World  of  Jacques  Cousteau  was  a  documentary  series  highlighting   marine  biodiversity  through  the  explorations  of  French  diver  and  film-maker  Jacques   Cousteau  from  his  boat  the  Calypso. Though  the  grizzled  ex-naval  officer  spoke excellent  English  he  was  not  particularly  gregarious  and  the  series  employed   a  voiceover  narration  by  actor  Richard  Johnson.

Though  I  was  interested  in  the  subject  matter  I  never  found  the  programme  particularly  illuminating  but  it  was  clearly  popular  as  it  ran  for  seven  years  between  1968  and  1975  and  made  Cousteau's  name  synonymous  with  scuba  diving. You  do  suspect  that  the  series'  appeal  had  as  much  to  do  with  the  exotic  locations  as  the  issues  covered.

Cousteau's  work  continued  unabated  after  the  series  finished. In  1996  he  sued  his  own  son  for  using  the  Cousteau  name  for  a  holiday  resort  in  Fiji. He  died  the  following  year  aged  87.