The Universe: The Complete Season 1 Review

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(More customer reviews)I am reviewing the Blu-ray version of The Universe Season One.
Let me first frame my review. I am a big astronomy buff. I have been interested and studied astronomy all my life. Although I dabled in aerospace engineering in college due to my love of space, I ultimately changed my major and have never really worked in the field. In fact I don't own a telescope. Most of my interest has been satisfied by books and wonderful TV shows like Cosmos and The Planets.
So, to me this series would have been perfect fit. A modern Cosmos with all the latest technology, computer graphics, and newest imagery. However, this series is dissapointing. I wanted this to be the outer space equivalent of the stunning Planet Earth series (or even walking with Dinosaurs), which it is not. It's not that it's horrible or even bad, just it left so much on the table.
So, I will outline what I find as flaws and then finish the review with the positives.
1) It's a little to cutesy. The narative style is a little too casual and relies on a lot of comparisons that are a little trite. For instance, they describe how Jupiter flings comets and asteriods out of their normal orbit (which protects the inner planets) by comparing it to a frisbee thower. So we have a lady on a field throwing a frisbee over and over. There are descriptions like, "I want to go ice fishing on Europa" from professional scientists, and using pool tables to make analogies of particles in the Sun colliding, but doing it over and over, or how the threats to the Earth are like an amusement park (except that they aren't at all!!!). Most of us get the point with the mere mention and don't need the extended display of terrestrial footage. It comes off as dumb and slightly insulting. Especially since most of the analogies are weak at best and very misleading at worse since they don't quite work. The narative comes off as trying to be hip and plays to a younger or naive crowd.
2) Animation quality is inconsistent. The computer animations can be quite good, but many are also quite bad. It's inconsistent. In fact some are high def and some are standard def or even blurry! That's unexceptable for computer animations. Even if rendered at lower rez they should be clear. My only guess is they couldn't get the originals. For instance on the rocket launch of the Mar rover missions the picture quality is very bad. However, I have Roving Mars on blu-ray and know it's quality is top notch. Why didn't they get the source? Some animations are really hokey too, like 10 years ago. Still some animations are quite good.
3) Constantly repeating a few graphics multiple times throughout the show. This one is really annoying and kills any desire to revist the show for another viewing. They constantly replay the same few computer animations throughout the episode too many times. This combined with the repeating of the people/earth shots, screams to me: We only had so much budget and we are stretching it as far as we can.
4) Lack of real images. It's amazing that we have soooo many good high rez images of many of the space topics they cover and they choose not to use them. Hubble has put out some great images as well as many other satellites. There are 1000's of photo's of Jupiter and the moons, Saturn, etc... and yet we get very few. When we do get some they are usually blurry low resolution and only shown for a few seconds (see mars episode). This would have been a great way to fill space and show the awe of the universe without repeating the same canned footage and computer animations over and over.
5) Lack of historical context or mission data. The show seems to find a couple things it focuses on in an episode and then avoids a lot of other stuff. for instance, when discussing Jupiter they show only one probe that visited, Voyager, but not a single mention of any other mission. There's no context into what we found out and when. No grander understanding to the journey of exploration and what it has uncovered over time. DOn't get me wrong, I don't want to see another show about how engineers built a satellite at NASA. But knowing that many other probes visited and what they found and how their data got better and answered questions from previous ones....
6) Misleading computer graphics. This one is probably my biggest beef with the show. In and attempt to dramaticize the show, much of the images are flat out misleading or wrong. For instance one animation has the moon (as in Earth's moon) revolving around Jupiter. Another has Europa in front of a star field that is zooming (like a ship going into hyperspace). Or when they show a Gamma burst from a star hitting Earth it looks like a huge glowing space ray. Or showing the asteroid field as heavily populated sea of rocks like a sci fi movie (I had to tell my wife, the asteriods are so far away from eachother that you wouldn't see another one if standing on one). These are plain turn offs if you ask me. It doesn't give the right imagery to those that don't know any better.
7) Formula of 4 or 5 concepts. It seems that each episode has at most 4 or five concepts it touches upon and no more. You can start to see and predict how the episodes will go and realize they aren't going to go in depth on a particular episode since they spend a lot of time on only the four or five areas. For instance, Jupiter they talk about How it Formed, the weather patterns, Europa, and Magnetosphere. There is so much more they could have gone over when discussing Jupiter and the moons.
I could go on. I had high hopes for the series but feel it's a pop culture cable television show with little BBC or PBS feel to it.
So is it good at all? Well, yes, it's still decent. This does fill a void in space documentaries. There are a few new nuggets of information that I am gleaning and some of the animations are still cool. If I were an average person without any knowledge of space, I might find it really neat. It might inspire some children to take up astronomy. Some episodes were more interesting than others (like the one on our Sun).
All in all, I give it a recomendation if you are curious. THere aren't that many astronomy documentaries and even Cosmos and The Planets are pretty dated. If you can get past the narrative and other flaws then you will probably find it was worth it.
I think if you have high def cable/satellite though, I would just watch it on TV as it airs. You probably won't find the need to buy it.
UPDATE: I hadn't viewed the bonus feature "The Big Bang" prior to my reivew. I have to say it was MUCH better quality than the regular episodes. It actually showed the history of astronomy including early scientists and theories of the universe but from a unique perspective. It showed only those people/theories connected to the eventual big bang theory. That was nicely done. It put a good wrapper around the whole big bang theory. Also the special was high def throughout the entire program (only rarely did this special drop in lower def material). So the consistency of the high def production was apparent. Even old phots were given the high def treatment and look excellent on screen even if they were only black and white. The show was a little light on CG. I could have enjoyed some more attention to dark matter and it's role in the universe's evolution. They also only showed one theory for the end of the universe, the Big RIP. They didn't cover the convergence or other theories. I guess the show is about the big bang and not the end. All in all, this bonus feature adds quality to the package. I would have given an extra half star to make my review 3 1/2 stars because of it.


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As the Earth grapples with the effects of global warming, science has increasingly looked to outer space for answers to the glaring threats facing our world. Are there other planets in the Universe with the unique ability to support life--or is there truly no place like home? HISTORY ventures into the uncharted territory of outer space through the visions, studies, and predictions of scientists and explorers, utilizing cutting-edge computer graphics and stunning footage to bring the universe down to Earth.Now available on Blu-Ray DVD for the first time, HISTORY presents all 13 visually arresting, awe-inspiring episodes from THE UNIVERSE: THE COMPLETE SEASON ONE plus the feature-length documentary Beyond the Big Bang . From the planets to the stars to the edge of the known universe, history and science collide in this epic exploration of space and its limitless potential.DISC 1: Secrets of the Sun / Mars: The Red Planet / The End of the Earth: Deep Space Threats To Our Planet / Jupiter: The Giant Planet / The MoonDISC 2: Spaceship Earth / The Inner Planets: Mercury & Venus / Saturn: Lord of the Rings / Alien Galaxies / Life and Death of a StarDISC 3: The Outer Planets / The Most Dangerous Place in the Universe / Search for ET / Beyond the Big Bang (2hr)

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When We Left Earth - The NASA Missions (Limited Edition) (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)Here's why I like this set:

The image quality is (mostly - see below) very good. Even with the 16mm film source the extra resolution of Blu-Ray is apparent and some of the film is staggeringly effective. As has been stated in another review, the modern interviews are pristine.
The variety and scope of the clips is excellent. The makers have sourced every possible movie from private hands (cine films) and NASA and there's a great deal I've not seen despite 40 years of interest in the subject.
The narration is well written and appropriate. This feels like a story with narrative rather than a straightforward documentary.
Here's why I dislike this set and think it's a wasted opportunity:
Despite the quality of the film clips there are some that have clear and very obvious visible and not just minor anomalies but persistent great big black blobs in the same place on the screen. This 'dirt' persists across clips taken at varied times, even months apart and in very different locations, so it wasn't on the original film. That means, logically, that it's a projection fault and that it wasn't spotted during the HD transfer to Blu-Ray. that's VERY disappointing.
More importantly there's the issue of the music. I'm British and (until recently) our TV documentaries used the original audio soundtrack alone rather than additional music. If music was used then it was sparingly and appropriate and it certainly didn't get in the way of the original audio. During this presentation the music is near permanent. It never stops except for a few seconds here and there. It drowns out narration and more importantly it all but removes the original audio. Subtitles are provided for capcom recordings (voices to and from the spacecraft) but they wouldn't be needed if the infernal music would just shut up! Not only that but the music isn't of good quality and is stupidly over-blown, false drama in every moment. The scenes are dramatic enough, leave them alone please. In the extras there are standalone clips of the astronauts training (etc) and I though at least with these there'd be the original audio but no, the music is even worse and there's NO original audio at all. Shameful. I realize that this is the norm for American TV documentaries (Nothing personal, you make the best TV in the world on the whole) but it ruins the experience and should be resisted.
So, a very very good set partially spoiled by the music and some transfer anomalies. If you can cope with the music then don't let the anomalies put you off. It's probably the best NASA footage on Blu-Ray so far but it could have been the best full stop.


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Since the dawn of mankind, we have stared up at the lights in the sky and wondered... Now join the heroic men and women who have dared the impossible on some of the greatest adventures ever undertaken - the quest to reach out beyond Earth and into the great unknown of space! To celebrate 50 years of incredible achievements, the Discovery Channel has partnered with NASA to reveal the epic struggles, tragedies and triumphs in a bold chapter of human history. Along with the candid interviews of the people who made it happen, hundreds of hours of never-before-seen film footage from the NASA archives - including sequences on board the actual spacecraft in flight - have been carefully restored, edited and compiled for this landmark collection.*Packaged in spectacular, limited-edition tin.*Original NASA footage digitally remastered in high-definition featuring exclusive ''never before seen'' footage*4 hours of bonus footage not seen in TV broadcast.

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I Dream of Jeannie - The Complete Fourth Season (1965) Review

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(More customer reviews)Nothing can beat classic entertainment.
I must say, so far, my favorite episodes of this show would be found in the fourth disc of this season, because Tony and Jeannie's relationship really seems to transform here, they become a little more affectionate towards each other (which is just so nice to watch), and it gives the show a little more umph.
I really cannot wait to see them get married, their chemistry is exquisite, which is a key factor to the shows success.

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Hold on tight as the fourth captivating season of I DREAM OF JEANNIE takes off! Join Jeannie (Barbara Eden)and her beloved master, Major Tony Nelson (Larry Hagman)as they find themselves in some of the most hysterical situations of the series. This season, Jeannie’s magical and invisible dog from over a thousand years ago returns to terrorize NASA and is later transformed into a porcelain statue mistaken as a priceless ancient artifact from the Ming Dynasty. In a two-part episode, Tony is replaced by a look-alike double agent who unwittingly becomes engaged to Jeannie. Jeannie’s wicked twin sister returns to take another go at Major Nelson, only this time in a crowded night club! The cast of "Laugh-In" race to cast Jeannie as Princess Armina in a special guest appearance on their show. Dr. Bellows is replaced by a younger and more aggresive phychiatrist who is dead set on exposing Major Nelsons secrets. With 26 hilarious episodes featuring such guest stars as Judy Carne, Arte Johnson, Gary Owens and Richard Mulligan, the complete fourth season is every fan’s "fourth wish!"

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Odyssey 5 - The Complete Series (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)An intelligent well written series that was cancelled too soon "Odyssey 5" only ran one season on Showtime before the network in its infinite wisdom (much as the Sci-Fi Channel did with "Farscape") to pull the plug before writer/creator/producer Manny Coto had a chance to resolve the story. Coto went on to revive "Star Trek: Enterprise" surprising the best two seasons of that show and providing one of the most compelling story arcs "Enterprise" had. He's since gone on to co-producer and writer "24". Even without its resolution "Odyssey 5" is a worthwhile show to watch. Working on a shoestring budget compared to most shows Coto managed to produce a number of intelligent episodes with some outstanding acting and effects work. Although the DVD set lacks the powerhouse extras we see on some releases it does include a terrific commentary track on the pilot episode with Manny Cotto and Peter Weller providing the play-by-play on the shooting of the show and unshot episodes.
While completing a routine mission to service a satellite the crew of the Space Shuttle Odyssey 5 Commander Chuck Taggart (Peter Well), biologist Kurt Mendel (Sebastian Roch?), Neil Taggart (Christopher Gorham), astronaut Angela Perry (Tamara Craig Thomas) and TV newscaster Sara Forbes witness the implosion of the Earth. Suddenly the human race with the exception of these five individuals has been wiped out. Running out of oxygen and with no options the crew wait for their end aboard the Space Shuttle. They're saved by an alien who calls himself the Seeker (John Neville "Baron Munchausen" and "The X-Files") whose own world was also wiped out by a mysterious force referred to as Leviathan. It seems the Seeker has been trying to contact other intelligent species for 300 years but each time he arrives it's the same-the world has been destroyed with all its inhabitants. The Odyssey 5 crew are the first survivors he's run into and he offers them the hope of averting Earth's destruction by sending their consciousness 5 years into the past so they can unravel who and what was behind the Earth's destruction.
While some episodes of the show could be a bit routine (for example the one where the crew begin losing their memory had a lot of potential but fails to deliver)the overall quality of the show was extremely high with intelligent scripts that dealt with difficult ethical and moral issues within a science fiction frame work. For example the series frequently deals with the impact when the crew tries to change tragic or difficult events in their own past and how things don't quite work out the way they had planned. Overall the show had much promise and I'm hoping that Coto returns to the show again either in a TV mini-series format (hopefully with the original cast) or film to resolve the cliffhanging conclusion of the show. Sony has provided us with "Odyssey 5" on five dual layered single sided discs. Although there's some minor digital artifacts overall the show looks splendid. With sharp, bold colors and a strong 5.1 mix. The dialogue is clear and crisp while direction effects are particularly nice during the pilot episode.
While short on special features the show is presented as it aired on Showtime not the version that was broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel. Manny Coto and Peter Weller provide an intelligent perceptive commentary track on the two hour pilot episode. It's a pity that Sony chose not to have them do a commentary track on any of the other episodes but I'm grateful that we got some extras with this set. I'm sure that Showtime probably had a behind-the-scenes featurette that they aired prior to the show's premiere but Sony would probably have to license that from Showtime. The price for the 19 episodes is a bit steep (but not out of line with other shows of its type) however given the excellent transfer, 5.1 mix and commentary track it's worth it. Coto doesn't share how the series was going to conclude in the commentary track as he has hopes that he might be able to revive the concept for a made for cable movie (Sci-Fi this is your chance to make up for screwing the pooch when you cancelled "Farscape") or a series of movies. I'm hoping that he can pull it all together as this series (and its fans) deserves to have a resolution worthy of its intriguing concept.
A terrific show that certainly deserved better treatment than it received from Showtime (hey if Showtime can keep on some of the trash they've committed to over the years they certainly should have lived up to the commitment to allow Coto to close out the series), "Odyssey 5" may frustrate a few fans because it doesn't have a resolution but the show's terrific writing and acting make this a worthwhile show to pick up for science fiction fans. I knew there was a good reason why I cancelled Showtime.
So why not 5 stars? The transfer is exceptional (5 stars) with great 5.1 audio. The show deserves it but without a resolution and only 1 extra (Manny Coto and Peter Weller's commentary track which is exceptional)the set gets four stars. Hopefully Coto can convince the Sci-Fi Channel (which ran the series recently) to spring for a six hour minin-series to tie up the loose ends much like "Farscape" (a show that Sci-Fi idiotically cancelled and then returned to for the concluding mini-series).


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ODYSSEY 5:COMPLETE SERIES - DVD Movie

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