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The Planets [DVD] [1999]

DVD ~ Samuel West

4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (38 customer reviews)

RRP:	�34.99
Price:	�11.57 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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The Complete Cosmos - The Solar System / Discovery Into Deep Space [DVD] [2000]

Total RRP: �79.97
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This item: The Planets [DVD] [1999] DVD ~ Samuel West
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
The Complete Cosmos - The Solar System / Discovery Into Deep Space [DVD] [2000] DVD ~ Jon Snow
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Space [DVD] [2001] DVD ~ Sam Neill
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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	68% buy the item featured on this page: The Planets [DVD] [1999] 4.7 out of 5 stars (38) �11.57
	10% buy The Complete Cosmos - The Solar System / Discovery Into Deep Space [DVD] [2000] 4.3 out of 5 stars (6) �15.88
	9% buy The Universe - Series 1 - Complete [DVD] 3.0 out of 5 stars (6) �7.98
	7% buy Earth : The Power of the Planet - Complete BBC Series [DVD] 4.8 out of 5 stars (31) �7.77

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Product details

Actors: Samuel West, Sergei Khrushchev, Hal Levison, David Levy, Professor Bruce Murray
Directors: David McNab
Writers: David McNab, Becky Jones, Jacqueline Smith, James Younger
Producers: Becky Jones, Jacqueline Smith, James Younger
Format: PAL, Widescreen
Language English
Subtitles: English, Swedish, Portuguese, Finnish, Danish, Dutch
Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number of discs: 2
Classification: Exempt
Studio: 2 Entertain Video
DVD Release Date: 24 Jan 2000
Run Time: 400 minutes

Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (38 customer reviews)

ASIN: B00004CZSH
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 3,219 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)
Popular in this category:
#43 in DVD > Documentary > Natural World

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Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

While watching The Planets, be prepared to fight your way past all kinds of computer animation which makes Walking with Dinosaurs seem like the last word in realism. It seems that no solar or planetary event which ever happened (or which may or may not have happened) is worthy of mention here without recourse to lovingly detailed shots of implausible-looking collisions and explosions. These come complete with sound effects, despite the fact that there is no sound in the vacuum of space, and are enhanced by a range of colours, some of which are visible only to bees. Somehow Patrick Moore's The Sky at Night manages to convey just as much excitement with little more than a couple of diagrams and the presenter's hyperactive enthusiasm.

Fortunately, this two-DVD set is redeemed by both its subject matter and its sheer scope, offering all eight 50-minute episodes of the 1999 documentary series covering the history of the solar system and humanity's age-old desire to learn its secrets. Detailed indexing and scene access makes this a convenient reference source too, so amateur astronomers everywhere can finally bin those off-air VHS copies. --Roger Thomas

Special Features

16:9 Wide Screen
DVD 9
English
Region 2
Dolby Surround English
Dolby Surround
Danish\Dutch\English\Finnish\Norwegian\Portuguese\Swedish

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Customer Reviews

38 Reviews

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.7 out of 5 stars (38 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First Step into Astronomy, 5 May 2004

By	"shrymini" - See all my reviews

This is an excellently made series of documentaries, that GRIPPED my attention, imagination AND interest from the moment i saw it. I have watched the series over and over again and now read whatever i can about astronomy. It has launched me on a personal voyage to understand the universe and it's planets.

What's beautiful, is that the space age and recent trips to space which are presently out there are history in the making... this series will set you up with the knowledge to accompany what is happening right now, and when the latest probes will be landing on their targets.
Who knows what we will discover beyond Titans atmosphere?

Apart from the information included, the esthetics of the film making is worth noting. Samuel Wests voice narrates each episode perfectly, and all scientists interviewed transmit genuine excitement and awe towards what they have decided to dedicate their lives to - the universe and it's mysteries.

If you have the slightest interest in our universe, and like to ask yourself important questions, then i recommend these films for you.

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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The "Blue Planet" among the Space Documentaries - Terrific!, 7 Jan 2005

By	Norbert Raetz "nraetz" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Most important things about this BBC space documentary have been said already by the other reviewers. Therefore, I just want to second the common notion here that this is an extraordinary well done DVD documentary that is literally worth its price bit by bit. For just 28 Euro (incl. shipping and taxes in Europe) you get approx. 390 minutes of finest documentation (eight 50-minute episodes) on 2 DVDs in a nice, silver DVD-case with an 8-page booklet. Picture and sound quality are great, as are the narrative voice (Samuel West) and the beautiful background music (composed by Jim Meacock). Of course, the series can image-wise not be on par with the #1 BBC documentary "Blue Planet", but then this is not the ocean on earth but SPACE, where observation is limited by the actual technology. Comparing the two documentaries in this regard would be like comparing apples with oranges. Nevertheless, the nice mix of archive materials, original space photography and computer generated imagery is well done and similarly jaw-dropping as "Blue Planet". My wish for the future would be that BBC continues this series with the latest facts, inlcuding anything beyond our planetary system like "black holes" and theoretical information like Einstein's "relativity theory", "string theories" etc. I didn't like the "Hollywood-style" space series with Sam Neill very much, which deals with these actual themes. A new series in the fashion of this "The Planets" documentary would be highly preferred.
I also have another wish: I'm from Germany, and while I have no problems at all to follow the series in its original English version, German subtitles are missing in this edition. Dutch, Portuguese, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian and English subtitles are there, but not German nor French. I know that BBC licenses their series to German publishers, and a completely German version of this DVD series is - after 4(!) years - finally available from Komplett-Media, but it costs about 150(!) Euro SRP. This huge price difference is hardly justified, and it would therefore by nice if the BBC includes at least German subtitles in their next European editions. Otherwise, this is one of the best 30 Euro I have ever spent - 5 stars!

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32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic journey, 23 Aug 2003

By	Prof Whiteside "aia197027" (London) - See all my reviews

Having diligently sat through the series, I placed my order for the DVD as soon as it was available.
This has been the best documentary series of its type ever produced for national television and it makes the licence fee worth it.
Any disparaging comments refer to it being a little bit technical and historical but that is the beauty of it. It wont be enjoyed by young kids (please see SPACE - also from the BBC) but it is fantastic for adults. I have watched this DVD over twenty times and each time I cannot resist being transfixed. The graphics are fantastic, the music is superb and the facts are correct.
This is a must buy for anyone who thinks TV should be about informing us and stimulating our minds. I highly recommend it.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The Planets [DVD] [1999]
Despite not being completely up-to-date, this DVD provided an informative introduction to the planets for myself and my 4 year old daughter!

Published 27 days ago by John Lynam

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
Very informative and goes into quite alot of detail about the planets including earth and the moon. The only thing i found disappointing was there was no detailed information... Read more

Published 2 months ago by Louise Hickerman

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing universe
This DVD tells all about solar system and explored planets with amazing photos of those planets. The only thing it lacks is update of new explorations of Titan moon of Saturn and... Read more

Published 3 months ago by D. Giediminas

4.0 out of 5 stars Very informative

An interesting and informative series, which makes great use of computer animation to illustrate the points being made. Read more

Published 7 months ago by Lee Mcandrew

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional Music
If I were a movie director looking for a British composer who can capture the drama of the outer worlds of the universe, I'd feel pretty confident choosing this composer, Jim... Read more

Published 7 months ago by Nic Penrake

5.0 out of 5 stars A must watch for everyone interested in Astronomy
I have watched many DVDs about space and the planets. This is the best one about the planets of our Solar System among the ones I watched so far. Read more

Published 8 months ago by Rasih Bensan

5.0 out of 5 stars regarding Roger Thomas review above
Now like most people I like the facts, and yes, there is no sound in space, but one of the few films to play it this way (2001: A Space Odyssey) has been one of the most... Read more

Published on 30 Aug 2007 by Harry Nicholas

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent series
I recently did a short Open University course on the Planets and was looking for a TV documentary to complement my learning. Read more

Published on 16 Jul 2007 by J. Fitzgerald

5.0 out of 5 stars To boldly go!
And boldly did they go!

'The Planets' is a delightful journey through our Solar System which leaves the viewer quite breathless at the mind-boggling scale of the... Read more

Published on 7 Dec 2006 by G. Wylie

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Informative without needless flash
I got this DVD set for christmas one year and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I found the programs very informative and interesting to watch - up to the usual high standards... Read more

Published on 25 Nov 2006 by brainleek007

› See all 38 customer reviews...

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