Highlights | August 2011
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August 2011 Highlights
Richard Hammond’s Invisible Worlds From Monday 1 August at 21:30 Series continues every Monday at 21:30
Just beyond the perception of our naked eyes lies an invisible world of secret forces that touches every aspect of life on Earth and shapes it in unseen ways. Now, for the first time, this hidden world is revealed.
The human eye is a remarkable piece of precision engineering, but all around us is an astonishing and beautiful world we cannot see. Some wonders are outside the visible spectrum, others are too fast, too slow, too small or too remote for our eyes and brains to interpret.
From lightning sprites and shockwaves to heater bees and the crystalline structure of a spider‟s web, Invisible Worlds uses cutting- edge camera technology – some specially adapted for this series – to reveal the full glory of these secret forces and hidden powers. Combining bold ideas with lucid scientific insights and stunning footage, Richard Hammond’s Invisible Worlds is packed with surprising facts as well as phenomena never seen before on TV.
See the deadly discharge leaking from high-voltage power lines as repairmen risk their lives to fix it, the intense heat and energy of a forest fire, the hidden patterns and colours of a flower garden as an insect sees them, how German scientists have unlocked the secrets of animal movement, and a black hole at the centre of our universe.
What the press says about Richard Hammond’s Invisible Worlds:
“Extraordinary... amazing footage... some truly incredible sights.” Times
“Visually stunning... a perfect balance of beauty and science... amazing.” Daily Mail
“Great facts... visually absolutely sensational.” Radio 5 Live
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August 2011 Highlights
Amazon With Bruce Parry From Wednesday 3 August at 21:30 Series continues every Wednesday at 21:30
Bruce Parry makes a breathtaking journey from the Amazon's source deep in the Peruvian Andes to its vast mouth on Brazil's Atlantic coast.
The Amazon is a complex, shifting environment. The deforestation ruthlessly driven by the profits of logging and soya bean plantations has seen one fifth of the Amazon destroyed already - the lands of the indigenous tribes are disappearing and their traditional way of life is seriously threatened.
Travelling over 10,000km, by foot, light aircraft and boat, Bruce travels far and wide to meet the tribes that live beneath the rainforest canopy.
What the press says about Amazon With Bruce Parry:
© Zubin Sarosh, Pete Eason, Indus “A fascinating, colourful dispatch from the frontline of an environmental war … this is television at its most rewarding.” Observer
"It was informative and educational but also funny and uplifting … I didn't think it would be possible for Bruce Parry to improve upon his Tribe series … [but] Amazon is even better." Sun
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August 2011 Highlights
Ray Mears’ Northern Wilderness From Thursday 18 August at 21:30 Series continues every Thursday at 21:30
Popular survival expert Ray Mears dons his rucksack and heads out into the wilds of Canada – one of the greatest wildernesses on the planet.
High on adventure and incident, Ray follows in the footsteps of the explorers who first entered Canada‟s tough and unforgiving environments. Part history, part survival guide, each episode sees Ray venture
© BBC Ben Southwell into a different area of Canada‟s beautiful interior.
On his journey, Ray visits the Forgotten Forest in the heart of Canada, tells the story behind Hudson‟s Bay Company and follows in the footsteps of The Ancient Mariner. He also undertakes an expedition to recreate the epic mountain journey across the Rockies made by David Thompson and makes a tough trip to the far north of the country as he brings to life the story of the first great arctic explorer John Rae.
He also visits the Far West where the first Europeans finally made it to Canada‟s West coast. There they found a culture that relied on salmon for food and used cedar for everything from homes to fish hooks. Today it‟s still a stunning place where Ray encounters a land of totem poles and grizzly bears as he completes his journey of exploration.
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August 2011 Highlights
The Tropic Of Capricorn From Tuesday 2 August at 21:30 Series continues every Tuesday at 21:30
Following his journey along the Equator, Simon Reeve embarks on an epic odyssey along the Tropic of Capricorn. Through Africa, Australia and South America he unearths human stories of history, culture and politics that will fascinate and enthral.
In Botswana, Simon crosses the Kalahari Desert to visit the last remaining bushmen trying to lead a traditional life, © BBC as well as the world's largest diamond mine which has made the country into one of the world's fastest growing economies.
The exotic charms of Madagascar hide an impending environmental catastrophe, while the white farmers of South Africa are launching their own response to the Zimbabwean refugee crisis. Across the globe to Australia, Simon investigates the government crackdown on Aboriginal communities, and in South America, he travels from Chile to Brazil, crossing the Andes on horseback and braving the anarchic tri-border region in Paraguay.
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August 2011 Highlights
Hannibal: Rome’s Worst Nightmare From Thursday 4 August at 21:30 Series continues every Thursday at 21:30
There are few individuals who have changed the course of history. Hannibal is one of those few. In a series of epic battles, he brought Rome to the brink of destruction, but in the end it was Hannibal‟s army that was obliterated. Where did it all go wrong for one of history‟s most famous figures?
Hannibal brings to life the motivations and events of Hannibal‟s world through a combination of immersive drama, the latest historical research, and CGI. From the daily challenges faced by the army on their journey across the river Rhone and the mountainous Alps, to Hannibal‟s own fierce personal, and ultimately destructive rivalry with Scipio Africanus – the only man ever to be victorious over the Carthaginian hero.
The public and private, awesome and gritty story of one of the most brilliant military strategists that ever lived is brought to life here on a grand scale. © BBC
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August 2011 Highlights
Genius From Friday 5 August at 21:30 Series continues every Friday at 21:30
Extraordinary stories of human endeavour told by Britain‟s greatest living scientists.
Britain‟s great inventors and scientists have taken mankind to places and into worlds that were previously only dreamed of. The steam engine, evolution, the atom, the computer and the World Wide Web – in many ways British science has quite literally created the modern world. With the help of some of Britain‟s greatest scientists, naturalists and surgeons, including Stephen Hawking, Richard Dawkins and Robert Winston, this series tells the stories of the men and women who overcame all obstacles to find out the truth.
These tales range from accounts of pure genius, when the apple fell and the secrets of the universe were unlocked, to dark tales of obsession, deception and bodysnatching. There are stories of perilous voyages across vast oceans, and ruthless competition to solve the mystery first. In every one of these stories there is a cry of „Eureka!‟; a moment of truth, when all becomes clear.
But at the heart of this series are the human stories behind the inventions, gadgets and remarkable scientific truths that we now take for granted.
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