Just what I expected

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

This 5-part BBC series examines the universe and humanity's place in it. The presenter Brian Cox seems like an amiable chap. He's energetic and personable in his explanations of dense material. It's a little uneven. The subject matter is so vast and the limits are so permeable that it's hard to define the premise. The episode titles do define the issues but the premise is so nebulous that one could go on forever on this subject. Brian is a professor at the School of Physics and Astronomy in the University of Manchester. He tends to skew towards the science of it all but he has a good amount of humanity. I like the third episode best mainly because he discusses the Drake equation with Drake. They're all fairly good with interesting takes. It's filmed well and it maintained my interest.

"From apeman to spaceman" is a quote from the first episode but it also describes the entire show. And for me personally it is an amazing quote I will be remembering for a long time.This series shows the viewer the journey our species made from its first steps to its permanent base in space. As a space enthusiast I really liked that it touched a lot of areas in that field even though it didn't feel like a documentary about space (exploration).As always Professor Brian Cox did a stellar job presenting this show, his enthusiasm and skill in explaining theories with ease is just amazing. Adding the stunning visuals (the satellite overview in episode #4 was such an amazing shot for me I actually paused the screen for several minutes) to the mix makes this a documentary a must watch for anybody who enjoys watching documentaries. I did find that I knew most of the theories that where explained but for me this didn't make this show any less good, because they where told from a different angle. This was done so well that I lost count of how many times my hair stood up straight on my arms, legs and neck.Hopefully, like Sir David Attenborough, Professor Brian Cox will continue making documentaries until he's physically unable to.

So, overall it's artistically done and contains a modicum of information about the subjects, but combined with the imagery and music it does convey what it intended, except... well, with regards to the title... how is it a human universe? First we attribute the universe to 'god' and now to 'humans'? I mean, this isn't just reserved for the title, of course...It's appropriately named that as the focus is on humanity, and particularly its achievements in science, but how could a species be so purely aspirational? The ironic thing is that if an alien species did end up watching Human Universe... well, they'd think every human must have surely been a scientist... Brian does actually mention some political problems in the world, but only very fleetingly. That, of course, is irrelevant in documentaries about science (except when it comes to lack of NASA funding etc... which is one disheartening thing he seemed to conveniently not discuss), but the thing is that his focus was very much about the potential of humanity... and with half of the world currently in conflict, thousands of daily murders, most governments essentially corrupt... I don't suppose if those were discussed for five hours humanity would seem so inspiring anymore.This, of course, is ultimately due to his optimism... and while science in isolation is a source of almost infinite inspiration, I really don't think most people are scientists, or the world would focus on at least funding it (one would assume)...Also, one thing I personally didn't like is a scene with a rodeo in it... while it was to illustrate precision and differences in variables etc. I really don't think that what is plainly animal abuse is at all inspirational in people. Then again, there could have been many other examples that could have been used that might have been slightly more relevant too... not that I don't think that most of his other scientific examples were great... the depressurized chamber was spectacular as it allowed the feathers and ball go at the same speed, without even slightly moving...Ultimately, though, why focus so much on how absolutely unique humans are? Science itself is inspirational, and focusing on it (not on pride) could actually reduce nationalism, which is arguably (along with religion), the cause of all conflicts.The only conflict should be of protons in a collider... if only.

It comes as no surprise that Brian Cox, once again, delivers an astonishing documentary, this time, about the human journey from ape-man to spaceman. The 5 episode series explores the vast collection of human knowledge of roughly 200 thousand year passed on through generations. Humble, inquisitive and charming as you would expect a true renowned scientist to be, Brian manages to makes us yearn for re-connection with our human roots and gaze upon the vast collective global human curiosity spread around many cultures. The respectful way on which Brian Cox manages to encompass all of us as a global species is once again what drove me some times to get emotional and marvel upon the sheer scale and velocity on which humanity has evolved. Although, I couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy about what is still being done wrong and mostly because of greed and the materialistic nature of men. Needless to say I recommend this for people all around the world of all ages and faiths. A true MASTERPIECE that unfortunately goes unnoticed and under appreciated. A delightful experience that will help you never stop questioning.