The Octopus in My House – BBC2

A professor invites an octopus to stay to see just how intelligent it is in this fascinating BBC2 Natural World documentary The Octopus in My House

Octopus superfan David Scheel is a professor of marine biology at the University of Anchorage in Alaska and in BBC2’s remarkable Natural World documentary The Octopus in My House, he puts a huge saltwater tank into his living room and moves Heidi the octopus in.

He wants to know how intelligent an octopus can be.

Will Heidi (pictured above) learn to recognise his face and be able to play?

Does she have a personality?

David Scheel in The Octopus in my House — Professor David Scheel has an octopus come to stay in BBC2’s The Octopus in My House

Anyone who’s seen YouTube footage of an octopus unscrewing a jar from the inside will have half an idea how those questions are answered.

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This gentle documentary is also full of the latest research into these alien-like creatures who are clearly more intelligent and social than we’ve ever given them credit for.

TV Times rating: ****