TV Review : ‘Great Lakes’: Ecosystem in a Sea of Trouble

“Great Lakes, Fragile Seas,” a “National Geographic” special airing tonight (at 8 on Channels 28, 15 and 24, at 9 on Channel 50), is a measured look at an area that often acts as a environmental barometer for North America.

Measured is the key word: “Great Lakes” is steady and deliberate--and slow viewing. Though writer-producer-cinematographer Joe Seamans does a good job of conveying the vastness--and vast problems--of the five lakes that make up the world’s largest inland system of surface fresh water, the show is hard-pressed to capture and keep viewers’ attention. The mix of science, history and culture--a mix that usually serves “National Geographic” well--just doesn’t jell.

Part of the problem is Seamans’ attempt to cover all the bases. “Great Lakes” is at its best when it examines the region as a delicate ecosystem, but all too often the science segments seem to be pulling in one direction while the culture segments go another. The links are not always established; for example, a look at the problems that the people on a small island in Lake Superior have coping with winter is cute but not really connected to the greater environmental story.

The environment is the story here and the segments that concentrate on it fare the best. The Great Lakes have been damaged by decades of industrial development; the story of the effort to save the fragile ecosystem is compelling. It is a tale of large triumphs and large setbacks. Even as researchers find solutions to longstanding problems, they are inundated with new dangers.