Sarah Lagan
Published Dec 14, 2016 at 12:01 am (Updated Dec 14, 2016 at 10:49 am)

The Ocean Vet crew including the late Neil Burnie who starred in the series
before his death in November 2014 (Photograph by Chris Burville)

Bermuda and its marine species are to be thrust on to the global stage as the long awaited Ocean Vet TV series launches on demand.

The series starring the late Neil Burnie and Choy Aming, and narrated by Hollywood star Michael Douglas, is today released on Vimeo On Demand – a platform that has been compared to Netflix and Amazon Instant video.

The show is expected to reach millions through the relatively new broadcast platform, which can be accessed by a simple Google search or by downloading the Vimeo On Demand app.

A shark goes for the bait in a still from the newly launched Ocean Vet
series, set in Bermuda (Photograph by Choy Aming)

The series has already sold to major networks in Finland, Ukraine, Spain, Portugal, France, Thailand and Greece and is under review in other countries, including the USA.

The release of the Ocean Vet TV series — exploring Bermuda’s ecosystems and marine species — comes just after the second anniversary of Neil Burnie’s passing and marks an “important and emotional milestone” for the Ocean Vet team.

Mr Burnie, known for his larger-than-life character and can-do attitude towards ocean conservation, died in an accident in November 2014, but the series was completed by Gass Productions.

A whale breaches in a still from the newly launched Ocean Vet
series set in Bermuda (Photograph by John Manderson)    

The entire series is available to rent for $9.99 or can be bought for $16.50, while individual episodes can be rented for $0.99 or bought for $1.50. The series was released in Bermuda at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, exclusively, prior to today’s release.

Choy Aming, Mr Burnie’s right-hand man and the series’ marine biologist, said: “Neil wanted everyone to watch Ocean Vet, it was his dream to provide a window into the underwater world. Neil believed wholeheartedly that experiencing and learning about the ocean develops an appreciation for it, an appreciation that often leads to an increased desire to protect it and conserve it.

The Ocean Vet promotional logo.    

“Ocean Vet is a unique TV series all about Bermuda’s marine ecosystems and its fascinating marine species. It’s also a wonderful keepsake to remember a man who dedicated so much of his life to the protection of many animals and creatures on our island. Since we’ve shown the series at BUEI, I’ve actually witnessed children playing on a beach pretending to be Neil and myself. The kids were pretending to be on the Ocean Vet boat working with the whales.

“Witnessing those special moments makes the entire journey worthwhile. Neil would love to know that Ocean Vet is having such an impact on our children’s imaginations, I’m also really pleased to see the positive impact it’s having on our country’s next generation.”

Andrew Smith, managing director of Gass Productions and series producer, added: “The future of broadcasting has already been proven by the likes of Netflix. We all like to watch content at a time that suits our busy lives, so choosing the Vimeo On Demand platform to host Ocean Vet globally was an easy decision.”

International sales efforts were hampered after Mr Burnie passed away. The incident removed the option for the producers to create a second or a third series that had been part of a long-term plan. Continuing production is often a key element that networks look for when considering acquiring a third-party TV series.

The original Ocean Vet team, the late Neil Burnie, front,
and Choy Aming. (Photograph by John Manderson)

Daniel Radford, creative director of Gass Productions and co-producer of the series, said: “Millions of people have already seen the series across the active sales territories and now it’s time for everyone else to have that opportunity. We are encouraged by the recent revitalisation of the natural history genre thanks to the recent Planet Earth II series narrated by David Attenborough and expect further sales to networks globally.

Mr Smith added: “Don’t forget to help the series by sharing any posts you see on Facebook. Lastly we would like to say a huge thank you to all our sponsors, Hiscox, PartnerRe, The Atlantic Conservation Partnership, David and James Gibbons, SeaCrest and Butterflied & Vallis for all the support we’ve received through this very special journey. And also thank you to the people of Bermuda, who have supported us so much; enjoy Ocean Vet everyone and we look forward to bringing you all Ocean Tech in the near future.”

• The Ocean Vet Vimeo On Demand series is available via:  https://vimeo.com/ondemand/oceanvet