SnoopyStyle This 5-part BBC series examines the universe and humanity's place in it. The presenter Brian Cox seems like an amiable chap. He's energetic and personable in his explanations of dense material. It's a little uneven. The subject matter is so vast and the limits are so permeable that it's hard to define the premise. The episode titles do define the issues but the premise is so nebulous that one could go on forever on this subject. Brian is a professor at the School of Physics and Astronomy in the University of Manchester. He tends to skew towards the science of it all but he has a good amount of humanity. I like the third episode best mainly because he discusses the Drake equation with Drake. They're all fairly good with interesting takes. It's filmed well and it maintained my interest.

juhazzz In the sea of sensationalized and overly-dramatized "documentaries", here's finally a good change of pace. Brian delivers a proper thought provoking 5 episodes documentary. Very good and easy to follow for the casual document consumers and just as good for the more knowledge-hungry people.

Christian Brian Cox is the new face of science along with Neil deGrasse Tyson who's Carl Sagan Cosmos update is out of this world. Cox's Wonders of… Trilogy made us wonder about life (5 episodes). the universe (4 episodes).and the solar system (5 episodes). Here Cox makes us think and is a bit more pragmatic and culturally sensitive to present the human perspective of the universe. The series starts strong with a link to our adaptive ancestors all the way to our impressive space achievements. Cox awaits a Soyuz reentry and rendezvous in Kazakhstan to greet cosmonauts. We have permanent presence in space (ISS) and here are humans coming back from this home…The second episode asks the tough philosophical question and proposes some answers, while the third episode asks about the likelihood of aliens, interviewing famous Dr. Frank Drake who's equation has been the base of scientific speculation since the 1960s. The episode however talks about some of its variables and implications, yet the conclusion reached at the end of the narrative is hasty and ill-explained. If that was the direction intended then the episode could have been longer, better researched or better edited. After this still interesting chapter, the two last episodes are simply brilliant. The last one is the crown achievement of the series and perhaps also is the conclusion for the Wonders of… Trilogy as well as it is extremely well-written and delivered by Brian Cox. From the initial cave in Spain to the penultimate revelation of potential Neanderthal culture & intelligence that were extinct as alternate theory, thinking and warning, the script is science and philosophy at its best. The final shot in the Space Station window is priceless and says it all. Bravo!Americans spend 10 times more on their pet grooming than in fusion energy research which could change humanity's future… We haven't put another human on the moon since 1972, 45 years ago… We can do better! Thanks Brian and BBC teamEducation (and entertainment) is keyEpisodes 1 "Apeman - Spaceman" 10/10 2 . "Why Are We Here?" 9/10 3 . "Are We Alone?" 8/10 4 . "A Place in Space and Time" 10/10 5 . "What is Our Future?" 10/10

scottyxl "From apeman to spaceman" is a quote from the first episode but it also describes the entire show. And for me personally it is an amazing quote I will be remembering for a long time.This series shows the viewer the journey our species made from its first steps to its permanent base in space. As a space enthusiast I really liked that it touched a lot of areas in that field even though it didn't feel like a documentary about space (exploration).As always Professor Brian Cox did a stellar job presenting this show, his enthusiasm and skill in explaining theories with ease is just amazing. Adding the stunning visuals (the satellite overview in episode #4 was such an amazing shot for me I actually paused the screen for several minutes) to the mix makes this a documentary a must watch for anybody who enjoys watching documentaries. I did find that I knew most of the theories that where explained but for me this didn't make this show any less good, because they where told from a different angle. This was done so well that I lost count of how many times my hair stood up straight on my arms, legs and neck.Hopefully, like Sir David Attenborough, Professor Brian Cox will continue making documentaries until he's physically unable to.