Wonders of the Universe
Encyclopedia
Wonders of the Universe is a 2011 television series produced by the BBC
, Discovery Channel
, and Science Channel, hosted by physicist Professor Brian Cox. Wonders of the Universe was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC 2 from 6 March 2011. The series comprises four episodes, each of which focuses on an aspect of the universe and features a 'wonder' relevant to the theme. It follows on from Cox's previous series for the BBC, Wonders of the Solar System, which was first broadcast in 2010.
permits scientists to measure distance and time with a trip in a fighter jet that they use to break the sound barrier . The US broadcast originally aired on August 17, 2011 and was titled "On Beams of Light."
The four episodes were repeated as part of the BBC Learning Zone (intended for use in Secondary Schools) in an early morning slot (5.00 - 6.00 am) on Wednesdays from the end of September 2011 on BBC 2. Each one-hour programme carried a sub-title ("Learning Shorts") and was segmented into 3 continuous short films (of approximately 20 minutes' duration) with separate titles, making 12 in total. The original episode titles were not used.
chart.
The series received generally positive reviews. Chris Harvey of the Daily Telegraph said "Cox is different. Scientists who can capture the popular imagination come along extremely rarely ... These days, science programmes regularly provide some of the most striking images ever seen on the small screen", and Tom Sutcliffe of The Independent
commented "it's big on cosmic dazzlement and mind-boggling perspectives and full of epic orchestration and screen-saver graphics." Sam Wollaston of The Guardian
chose to focus on Cox's presenting style rather than the scientific content of the programme.
The DVD and Blu-Ray versions are released with the original sound mix as opposed to the broadcast versions.
The Region 1 DVD and Blu-ray discs were released on 30 August 2011.
The Region 4 DVD and Blu-ray discs were released on 1 September 2011.
The accompanying hardcover book was released on 3 March 2011:
A soundtrack album of music composed for Wonders of the Universe by Sheridan Tongue
(including selected music from Wonders of the Solar System) was released to coincide with the first airing of the show on BBC 2.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
, and Science Channel, hosted by physicist Professor Brian Cox. Wonders of the Universe was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC 2 from 6 March 2011. The series comprises four episodes, each of which focuses on an aspect of the universe and features a 'wonder' relevant to the theme. It follows on from Cox's previous series for the BBC, Wonders of the Solar System, which was first broadcast in 2010.
Episodes
1. "Destiny"
In the first episode, Cox considers the nature of time. He explores the cycles of time that define the lives of humans on the earth, and compares them to the cycles of time on a cosmic scale. Cox also discusses the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics and its effect on time, and the Heat Death theory concerning the end of the universe. The US broadcast was originally aired on August 3, 2011, and was titled "Cosmos Made Conscious."2. "Stardust"
In this episode, Cox discusses the elements of which all living things, including humans, are made. He explores the beginnings of the universe and the origins of humanity, going far back in time to look at the process of stellar evolution. He explains how these basic elements are related to the life cycles of the stars and the recycling of matter in the Universe, touching down in Katmandu and Rio de Janeiro. The US broadcast was originally aired on July 27, 2011, and was titled "Children of the Stars."3. "Falling"
This episode documents how gravity has an effect across the Universe, and how the relatively weak force creates an orbit. We also see how a neutron star's gravity works. Finally, there is a look back at how research on gravity has enabled us to better understand the cosmos. The US broadcast was originally aired on August 10, 2011 and was titled "The Known and the Unknown."4. "Messengers"
The final episode shows how the unique properties of light provide an insight into the origins and development of mankind and the Universe. Cox demonstrates how the speed of lightSpeed of light
The speed of light in vacuum, usually denoted by c, is a physical constant important in many areas of physics. Its value is 299,792,458 metres per second, a figure that is exact since the length of the metre is defined from this constant and the international standard for time...
permits scientists to measure distance and time with a trip in a fighter jet that they use to break the sound barrier . The US broadcast originally aired on August 17, 2011 and was titled "On Beams of Light."
The four episodes were repeated as part of the BBC Learning Zone (intended for use in Secondary Schools) in an early morning slot (5.00 - 6.00 am) on Wednesdays from the end of September 2011 on BBC 2. Each one-hour programme carried a sub-title ("Learning Shorts") and was segmented into 3 continuous short films (of approximately 20 minutes' duration) with separate titles, making 12 in total. The original episode titles were not used.
- Time & Entropy
- Discovering the Speed of Light
- Why are Black Holes Invisible?
Reception
The initial episode gained viewing figures of 6 million people when it was first shown on the BBC, and it was the first BBC factual show to top the iTunesITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
chart.
The series received generally positive reviews. Chris Harvey of the Daily Telegraph said "Cox is different. Scientists who can capture the popular imagination come along extremely rarely ... These days, science programmes regularly provide some of the most striking images ever seen on the small screen", and Tom Sutcliffe of The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
commented "it's big on cosmic dazzlement and mind-boggling perspectives and full of epic orchestration and screen-saver graphics." Sam Wollaston of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
chose to focus on Cox's presenting style rather than the scientific content of the programme.
Sound complaints
Following complaints from viewers that the background music was loud enough to make Cox's narration difficult to hear, the BBC agreed to remix the sound for all the episodes. Cox thought this was a mistake, as he believed the series should be a "cinematic experience".The DVD and Blu-Ray versions are released with the original sound mix as opposed to the broadcast versions.
Merchandise
The Region 2 DVD and Blu-ray discs were released on 4 April 2011.The Region 1 DVD and Blu-ray discs were released on 30 August 2011.
The Region 4 DVD and Blu-ray discs were released on 1 September 2011.
The accompanying hardcover book was released on 3 March 2011:
A soundtrack album of music composed for Wonders of the Universe by Sheridan Tongue
Sheridan Tongue
Sheridan Tongue is a BAFTA-nominated British television and film music composer. He has written and produced music for many television shows including the BBC's Wonders of the Universe and Wonders of the Solar System, Silent Witness and Spooks , the score for which achieved a BAFTA Television...
(including selected music from Wonders of the Solar System) was released to coincide with the first airing of the show on BBC 2.
International broadcast
- In the United States, this programme was aired by Science each Wednesday at 9pm E/P from 27 July 2011. The episodes were renamed and were not shown in order, instead broadcasting episode 2, 1, then 3 and 4.
- In Australia, this programme was aired by ABC1ABC1ABC1 was a United Kingdom based television channel from Disney using the branding of the Disney owned American network, ABC.The channel initially launched exclusively on the British digital terrestrial television platform Freeview on 27 September 2004. On 10 December 2004 it was launched on...
each Tuesday at 8:30pm from 19 July 2011.
- In New Zealand, this programme was aired by TVNZ 7 each Saturday at 7:05pm from 6 August 2011.