Wonders of the Universe

2011 • BBC
4.6
242 reviews
Eligible
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Season 1 episodes (4)

1 Destiny
7/26/11
Season-only
Brian Cox seeks to understand the nature of time. From an extraordinary calendar built into the landscape of Peru to the beaches of Costa Rica, Brian explores the cycles of time which define our experience of life on Earth. But even the most epic cycles of life can't begin to compare to the vast expanse of cosmic time. Just as the Earth orbits the Sun, the Solar system orbits the entire Milky Way Galaxy in a cycle that takes a staggering 250 million years to complete.
2 Stardust
8/2/11
Season-only
In the second stop in his exploration of the wonders of the universe, Professor Brian Cox goes in search of humanity's very essence to answer the biggest questions of all: what are we? And where do we come from? This film is the story of matter - the stuff of which we are all made. Brian reveals how our origins are entwined with the life cycle of the stars. But he begins his journey here on Earth.
3 Falling
8/9/11
Season-only
Professor Brian Cox takes on the story of the force that sculpts the entire universe - gravity. It seems so familiar, and yet gravity is one of the strangest and most surprising forces in the universe. Starting with a zero gravity flight, Brian considers how much of an effect gravity has had on the world around us. But gravity also acts over much greater distances. It is the great orchestrator of the cosmos.
4 Messengers
8/16/11
Season-only
In the last episode of Professor Brian Cox's epic journey across the universe, he travels from the fossils of the Burgess Shale to the sands of the oldest desert in the world to show how light holds the key to our understanding of the whole universe, including our own deepest origins. But first we need to understand the peculiar properties of light itself.

About this show

The universe is almost impossible to comprehend - 13.7 billion years old, 93 billion light years across and filled with over 100 billion galaxies, each containing hundreds of billions of stars. This series explains the vast phenomena of deep space by re-examining the familiar on Earth. Taking science away from telescopes and labs, Wonders of the Universe travels into the natural world and across the planet. These journeys are combined with spectacular images of space. Using stunning high definition CGI, this program offers views of giant supernova, gamma ray bursts and recently discovered galaxies, and sheds light on the furthest reaches of the universe, just moments after its creation.

Ratings and reviews

4.6
242 reviews
Andrew Smith
April 20, 2014
I can only repeat here what I wrote about his Solar System series. This series is every bit as good, and possibly even better. This is an extraordinary set of programmes. The science is mind-blowing, the cinematography awe-inspiring. Prof Brian Cox is a master storyteller and inspiring and enthusiastic teacher who, with the help of the producers, makes often complex and somewhat esoteric scientific concepts totally understandable. This is science almost as a religious experience. You cannot watch this and not be changed in your outlook about the universe and your part within it. It is simply enlightening. Prepare to be amazed.
5 people found this review helpful
Tom Hyde
August 1, 2013
The pricing of so many BBC productions on here is nonsensical. For this if I pay for individual episodes I can get the lot in HD for £0.97 more than the full season package would be. In other words if I buy SD individually it will come to £7.56 which is less than buying the full season at £8.99. This is madness which is a shame because the series is awesome!
21 people found this review helpful
Stephen Barkby
September 28, 2013
Very accessible narrative of the ultimate mysteries of universe, extremely well presented. Didn't mind paying for it even though as a UK TV licence payer, some might as argue I am paying for it twice, personally I can't see how it differs from buying it on Blu-ray, accept I can watch this where ever I like.