Connections

I've watched every episode of the original series so many times I've worn out the tapes. I don't care. I still watch them and learn more every time. I love history and James Burke makes it even more fun and interesting to me. I am particularly enamored of the sequences that deal with military history and the advancements of weaponry. 'The Long Chain' and 'Thunder in the Skies' ranks as superb in my book I wish I knew more people that love this series as I do, to chat with them about it. The other series that ranks as a winner is 'The Day the Universe Changed' which carries on in the same genre but deals with social concepts and their origins. Watch them all, and have fun learning.

When I first saw this series on PBS it was mesmerizing. James Burke was (and still is) a dynamo of enthusiasm for forward thinking science and progress. In his series he does away with epochs and eras of revolutions, and shows us various butterfly effects and inspirations for a plethora of things that helped improve human society.

I have to admit that I was then, and am still now, awed and perplexed as to how one can make such linear connections without the human artifice of defining periods of when certain technological and social explosions and convulsions took place. I'm a throw back to the "it happened in this period" mindset. Burke says "No, it happened like this..." and shows us what invention or discovery did what and for whom, and how that changed human society as a whole (in particular Europe and the US).

We're shown vignettes that describe breakthroughs, inspirations, discoveries, and applications thereof. We're told and shown the social climate of the time, and how times changed and were altered by new innovations.

In short, Burke shows us the connections. He shows us minds of the elite and not-so-privileged making contributions, and how their ideas resonated with one another to create even newer inventions and so on.

Production Values; shot on 16mm, the props, costumes and demonstrations of various apparatus (old and new alike) are top notch, as are the locations. James Burke himself is very energetic and easy to listen to as he explains his logic and paths of reason. The only critique is that the material is dated, but in a good way. Being a product of its age, "Connections" shows us a slice of time I was involved in, when computers were still largely business and university electronic mechanisms, and high technology meant a pocket calculator to do your math homework. It shows us a time when social ignorance of a different sort because of lack of communication was very much prevalent because of the political polarization on an international scope; the US and its allies were 1st world countries, the Soviets and their sphere of influence were the 2nd world, and every other nation not aligned was "the third world", and how this fueled inspiration and connections. So it is that we can go with James Burke to Dubai, London, New York, and Berlin, but not Beijing nor Moscow.

If you're interested in how things got going, and how we in the 70s looked at tomorrow, then definitely give this series a look. You won't be disappointed.

Before Wikipedia, before the Internet, before the PC, there was James Burke, the original hypertext-liked encyclopedic brain.

Remember when you first surfed the Web, how much fun it was to go from link to link exploring connections around the world, staying up till 4 in the morning? That's what Connections does, but better, with James Burke as your guide, bouncing around 150 location shoots in 20 different countries in just 10 episodes. Fasten your seat belt! This series really should be shown on MTV, it moves so fast!

James Burke accomplishes in Connections what Jared Diamond promises in Guns, Germs and Steel, not only explaining the rise of the West's industrial, technological machine, but producing a work of true scholarly originality without being part of the academic establishment.

If you haven't seen Connections, you must give it a chance by watching just the first 10 minutes. Or just look at the astronomical IMDb rating. Connections was the most watched program on America's PBS up to that time, and it is just as important today. If you want to understand how the world you live in came to be, you need to watch Connections.

If still not convinced, read author: classicalsteve's review below; he nails it.

As to what universe James Burke dropped in from, see the one critic's review from tvcream for some background.

The Connections series I, II and III are the most delightful and accessible approach to the history of the world and its' sciences since the Cosmos series. Compelling and Addictive... something on television that's truly worth watching. Companion books to the series are also available. The Connections series' blend of humor and Zen are incredibly entertaining--- Call it Life As We Know It 101.

Also recommended: The Day The Universe Changed series.

When I was in a gifted and talented 7th/8th grade class, I had an incredible teacher named Mr Barnette (who I miss!) who showed us a lot of these episodes. They were fascinating then and they still fascinate me now. Its amazing how he ties things together with past and present. Much better than reading a history book. James Burke made history come alive.