Earth: The power of the planet 1

This is a series of five hour-long documentaries, hosted by vigorous vulcanologist Dr Iain Stewart, who examines how the Earth works and how it has developed over 4.6 billion years.
Examining the great forces that shape the earth - volcanoes, the ocean, the atmosphere and ice - the programme explores their central roles in our planet's story. How do these forces affect the earth's landscape, its climate, and its history? CGI gives the audience a ringside seat at these great events, while the final episode brings together all the themes of the series and argues that earth is an exceptionally rare kind of planet - giving us a special responsibility to look after our unique world.

This is a series that shows the earth in new and surprising ways. Extensive use of satellite imagery reveals new views of our planet, while time-lapse filmed over many months brings the planet to life.

Offering a balance between dramatic visuals and illuminating facts, specialized imaging and gripping narrative, this ground-breaking series makes global science truly compelling.



Synopsis
Innovative programme that utilises specialist imaging and a compulsive narrative to illustrate the workings of our planet and goes some way into highlighting the reasons why Earth is so special.

Stewart starts with the effect that volcanos have had on the planet, then its atmosphere (storms and so on), then the effect of ice (which also covers the melting of the glaciers), then water (the action of the oceans and their all important currents), and finally the earth's place in the universe and how it's been shaped by extra terrestrial events.

Each programme is packed with dramatic filming, plenty of detailed geological / meteorological information, and masses of enthusiasm from Stewart who scampers across the landscape, doing his best to bring a sense of drama and majesty to these (literally) earth shattering (and forming) events. For instance, did you know that earth once had a twin planet, and the destruction of that planet went a long way towards making Earth inhabitable?

The series makes for enjoyable viewing, and explains in reasonable depth the forces at play and how they have affected human evolution and geography. The looming presence of the current world situation is inescapable -- which makes the episode about glaciers especially relevant. But each programme contains a few gems, like scuba diving between two continents, or going inside a glaciers to watch it grinding away at the bedrock, or exploring a six-foot tall pocket of salt crystals.