Storyville: Pablo's Hippos, BBC Four | reviews, news & interviews
Storyville: Pablo's Hippos, BBC Four
Storyville: Pablo's Hippos, BBC Four
Odd, original documentary about the infamous drug baron's private zoo
Monday, 17 January 2011
Colombian security forces hunted down Pepe, the hippo who once belonged to drug baron Pablo Escobar
It’s not so much the children of mad celebs I feel sorry for as their animals. The private zoo stuffed with exotic, non-indigenous wildlife is a sure sign of money, power and hubris run riot. The tigers and chimps at the Neverland ranch became powerful symbols of Michael Jackson’s dislocation. Similarly, last night's Storyville told how an abandoned brood of pet hippos have come to define the worst excesses of the late Colombian drug baron Pablo Escobar.
It’s not so much the children of mad celebs I feel sorry for as their animals. The private zoo stuffed with exotic, non-indigenous wildlife is a sure sign of money, power and hubris run riot. The tigers and chimps at the Neverland ranch became powerful symbols of Michael Jackson’s dislocation. Similarly, last night's Storyville told how an abandoned brood of pet hippos have come to define the worst excesses of the late Colombian drug baron Pablo Escobar.
The future of Arts Journalism
You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!
We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d
And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.
Subscribe to theartsdesk.com
Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.
To take a subscription now simply click here.
And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?
more TV
Paris Has Fallen, Prime Video review - Afghan war veteran wreaks a terrible vengeance
Cynical politicians and amoral arms dealers feel the heat
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, BBC One review - handsome finale for Hilary Mantel adaptation
Mark Rylance is on top form as his Thomas Cromwell re-emerges after nine years
The Day of the Jackal, Sky Atlantic review - Frederick Forsyth's assassin gets a modern-day makeover
Eddie Redmayne shoots to kill in lavish 10-part drama
Until I Kill You, ITV1 review - superb performances in a frustrating true-crime story
Anna Maxwell Martin and Shaun Evans are compelling, but the script needs more ballast
Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Disney+ review - the Boss grows older defiantly
Thom Zimny's film reels in 50 years of New Jersey's most famous export
Industry, BBC One review - bold, addictive saga about corporate culture now
Third season of the tale of investment bankers reaches a satisfying climax
Rivals, Disney+ review - adultery, skulduggery and political incorrectness
Back to the Eighties with Jilly Cooper's tales of the rich and infamous
Disclaimer, Apple TV+ review - a misfiring revenge saga from Alfonso Cuarón
Odd casting and weak scripting aren't a temptation to keep watching
Ludwig, BBC One review - entertaining spin on the brainy detective formula
David Mitchell is a perfect fit for this super-sleuth
The Hardacres, Channel 5 review - a fishy tale of upward mobility
Will everyday saga of Yorkshire folk strike a popular note?
Joan, ITV1 review - the roller-coaster career of a 1980s jewel thief
Brilliant performance by Sophie Turner as 'The Godmother'
The Penguin, Sky Atlantic review - power, corruption, lies and prosthetics
Colin Farrell makes a beast of himself in Batman spin-off
Add comment