A ground-breaking nature tv series by the Bristol-based production company Ammonite, is to get a daily airing on BBC2 later this month as part of the channel’s contribution to National Insect Week.

Smalltalk Diaries, originally developed with the help of an award from South West Screen in 2006, was commissioned by CBBC as a way to introduce children to the mini-beasts that can be found in most back gardens and playgrounds. But its pioneering blend of macro-photography, computer graphics, animation and humour has proved such a hit with tv critics and viewers of all ages that BBC2 plans to screen a different 15 minute episode every weekday at 7.30am from Monday 23 June to Friday 4 July.

To help with identification and characterisation, the Ammonite team worked with Bristol computer graphics and television special effects company, Big Squid, to animate the faces of the mini-beasts. Ammonite and Big Squid also introduced an imaginary ‘translation lens’ that allows the animals to explain the highly-detailed and often hitherto-unfilmed shots of their behaviour.

Producer Martin Dohrn says: “We’ve been thrilled by the critical reaction and the audience response. It turns out that very many people are fascinated by the nature they see all around them, and that they really like the use of humour to illustrate why mini-beasts are so important.”

The innovative qualities of the series have already been recognised with commendations from the Missoula International Film Wildlife Festival and earlier this week Ammonite also heard this that Small Talk Diaries has been shortlisted for this year’s Wildscreen which takes place in Bristol in October.

To see all 10 episodes of Small Talk Diaries tune to BBC2 every weekday at 7.30am from Monday 23 June to Friday 4 July. For find out more about the episodes and characters, see: www.smalltalkdiaries.com or view an excerpt at You Tube

National Insect Week runs from Monday 23 June to Sunday 29 June.