Oddie versus Packham

Now that BBC's Autumnwatch is into its second series, I reckon the right time has come to ask the question that needs to be addressed - who is the better presenter - the original, Bill Oddie, or his replacement, Chris Packham? Using a series of highly scientific experiments I believe that this can be sorted once and for all.

Birding know how
CP exhibits a good knowledge of ornithological matters. His strengths may lay in those areas away from pure identification. WEO is a hoary old time birder through and through, scarred from various campaigns on many distant northern islands and sojourns on Scilly. His find rate will be higher. But if you ask them to write an essay on 'The Life of a Spotted Flycatcher' then CP may shade it. If you ask them both to sift through a fall of migrants on Blakeney Point then WEO should burn CP up. Hard to call but...
WEO wins

All-round natural history knowledge
WEO is a bit of a one-trick pony here. It's birds, birds, birds all the way. CP can probably outdo WEO on an all-taxa list, and know most of what he was looking at without using 'other experts' for confirmation.
CP wins

Fighting
CP may have youth on his side, and look fairly athletic, but WEO has extra weight and does come over as someone that can blow a fuse. When driven to anger I reckon WEO would be a flurry of fists and boots that CP could not respond to.
WEO wins

Drinking
Hard one to call this. It's easy to assume that CP might be a bit lightweight, but I reckon his alcohol tolerance would be better than WEO's. The latter may well fall asleep after a couple of pints. If it was the last man standing who wins, then the point goes to youth.
CP wins

Pulling power
Deciding category. Kate Humble has the casting vote on this one. A source close to the programme has said: "Bill was never interested in Kate. He found her a bit annoying and girlish. There again, Kate wasn't interested in short dumpy men with beards. Chris pays Kate Humble far more attention, which she likes. He's younger and better looking, although Kate thinks that his haircut is a bit wimpish and too young for him. Truth is, Chris is far more interested in the spider crawling through her poodle-like hair than in her. However, she wouldn't climb over him in a bed to get to Bill'.
CP wins

So, there we have it, Chris Packham is the undisputed better presenter. However, if he ever comes up against that muscle-bound Steve who appeared on the Bhutan tiger documentaries, he'd get his arse well and truly spanked.


Comments

Stewart said…
He made a bigger faux pas than me last night. Rough legged and LONG LEGGED Buzzards on Sheppey! I think not...

I agree, I think Oddie's nervous breakdowns make him a bit of a loose cannon on TV. We should stick with Packham.
15 October 2010 at 19:11
seppy said…
I atill reckon an Oddie v Packham celebrity death-match is the only way we're really going to know, though!
17 October 2010 at 23:22
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