The Year of the Wildebeest (1974), Safari by Balloon (1975), Mysterious Castles of Clay (1978), Two in the Bush (1980) and A Season in the Sun (1983) African films shot through the lens of Kenya-based film-maker Alan Root, working with his then wife, Joan. The Roots' strong narrative style characterised much of "Survival’s" output. "The Year of the Wildebeest" was the epic story of the thundering migration of wildebeest herds across the plains and rivers of the Serengeti. "Mysterious Castles of Clay", by contrast, showed wildlife in intricate detail in and around termite mounds, revealing the insects' highly organised society and skills of construction. It received a nomination for an Academy Award. The Roots used a hot-air balloon to film sequences for the wildebeest film, and further explored its usefulness to film animals on the mountains and plains of East Africa in "Safari by Balloon". Highlight of their journey was the first hot-air balloon flight over Mount Kilimanjaro. "Two in the Bush" (re-titled "Lights, Action, Africa!" in the US) included footage of a spitting cobra directing its venom at Joan's face positioned just a few feet from the snake while Alan filmed. "A Season in the Sun", an account of wildlife's struggle to survive the heat and drought of the dry season, won an Emmy and a Peabody Award after it was aired by PBS in 1987. Alan and Joan Root were responsible for many of "Survival's" most successful films for almost 20 years from the mid-1960s. After their partnership ended, Alan Root continued his association with "Survival" as a cinematographer, producing his own films and guiding the early African work of camera team Mark Deeble and Victoria Stone, while latterly also acting as adviser to the series. The Enchanted Isles (1967) Alan and Joan Root went to the Galapagos Islands to make a film that retraced the voyage of Charles Darwin, whose observations of the islands’ unique wildlife famously helped formulate his theories on evolution. Aubrey Buxton, in his role as an equerry to Prince Philip, had accompanied the Prince on a visit to the islands in 1964 and both were struck by the urgent need for scientific research and preservation. As the then chairman of the British Appeal of the WWF, Prince Philip agreed to present and narrate "Survival’s" one-hour documentary as a means of drawing attention to the importance of protecting the islands’ ecology.