Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

The original radio series which sparked the new Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two series Last Chance To See with Stephen Fry has been released online.

The TV series, which sees Stephen and zoologist Mark Carwardine go in search of endangered species across the world, echoes the original radio series and book in which Mark joined acclaimed author Douglas Adams to travel in search of species such as the Amazonian Manatee, Komodo Dragon and the Rodriquez fruit bat.

Now for the first time in 20 years bbc.co.uk/lastchancetosee gives the audience an unique opportunity to hear Douglas and Mark's search to find the world's rarest, weirdest, and most endangered species.

The six-part radio series documents the exploits of the intrepid pair and their encounters with the Kakapo – a flightless parrot – the southern fur seal and the now-extinct Yangtze river dolphin.

Also available is the 1985 pilot programme about the Aye Aye recorded in Madagascar. This trip is said to have changed Douglas Adams' life forever, inspiring the year-long expedition that would become the Last Chance To See radio series and book.

According to Mark: "We put a big map of the world on a wall, Douglas stuck a pin in everywhere he fancied going, I stuck a pin in where all the endangered animals were, and we made a journey out of every place that had two pins."

Recreating the original series for TV 20 years later wasn't quite as straightforward.

Tim Green, series producer, said: "We wanted to revisit the animals from the radio series but some of the species have become extinct. Making an hour-long film about two men hunting for an extinct animal is tough, even when one of them is Stephen Fry."

The new website also tracks Stephen and Mark Carwardine's journey as it happened with exclusive video diaries and pictures from Stephen and his travelling companion, with Mark's own take on the animals they are looking for.

The website was commissioned by Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Knowledge Multiplatform.

Nick Cohen, multiplatform commissioner, said: "Providing the original radio series from our archive alongside Stephen and Mark's latest updates gives the audience a unique way of comparing how things have changed for these critically-endangered species over the past 20 years."

Last Chance To See is a Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Wales/West Park Pictures production for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two. The next episode is on Sunday 20 September at 8.00pm.

JW