IT is rare these days for a TV programme to be so compelling that you positively look forward to it coming round to its time of the week.

But BBC1’s Frozen Planet is one such offering.

Everyone knows that the Beeb is the master of wildlife documentaries — how can they fail when Sir David Attenborough is doing the voiceovers?

But, even for the best in the business, Frozen Planet is exceptional. It looks fabulous. The panoramic shots of the polar regions are nothing short of breathtaking and some of the extreme close-ups reveal things which have never been seen before. The stars of the series so far have been the penguins, and once again this week they didn’t let us down.

But Frozen Planet is there to record the natural world for what it is. So the fate of the baby penguins will no doubt have shocked younger viewers and the sight of a Minky whale being bullied by killer whales was also quite brutal.

The team behind the series deserve every award which will no doubt come their way. The patience and skill required to make something so breathtakingly beautiful is difficult to comprehend.

Frozen Planet is the kind of series which restores your faith in programme makers and maintains the Reithian principles of educating and entertaining the viewer.

If you’re looking for a reality show, then this has to be the ultimate.