Product Details

• Actors: James Burke
• Directors: Richard Reisz
• Format: NTSC
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 5
• Rated: G (General Audience)
• Studio: Ambrose Video Publishing Inc
• DVD Release Date: January 31, 2009
• Run Time: 550 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001RCL5SQ
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,619 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally on DVD, March 28, 2009

By 

John Robertson (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Day The Universe Changed (DVD)

If you're reading this, chances are you already know about James Burke masterworks of Connections 1 and The Day The Universe Changed, and are finally looking to own this magnificent collection on DVD, but I will try to help those not familiar with the series to understand what all the fuss is about. I will also try to update the review with a description of the product's video and sound quality once I've watched a few episodes, but I know the content well enough to review it now, having watched it on old video tapes twice within the last few years.

If you haven't watched TDTUC yet, I envy you. To see this series for the first time is a treat. Television production values have changed since this was filmed in the early 1980's, but in case you are not used to watching 26 year old British documentaries, please do not quickly judge this material based on the music, costumes or James' classic green outfit, as some reviews for Connections have done. This isn't going to be high-def, back-and-forth action, nor does it need to be. In fact, if you're like most who watch this, it will draw you in slowly. You will initially think you are learning about science and inventions, but by the closing credits of final episode World's Without End, you will probably have become a somewhat-changed person, learning about history, culture, as well as why things were invented, or often just stumbled upon. The series defies any existing class or style of documentary -- it is unique.

To be sure, both Connections and TDTUC are "a personal view by James Burke", but if you want to debate his research and the fascinating, sometimes humorous nature of the stories and demonstrations, you will have to come well prepared. James' most controversial idea might be technological development has run amok, and that we depend upon it too much, but I see this balanced by the rest of the series' emphasis on what amazing and useful things that inventions have done. In the end, I don't think he offers a clear answer, as there can be none.

I also found it interesting all of the places they were allowed to film -- I doubt a similar documentary crew today would be given the same access to various military or research premises, for example.

Though one might think the list price of $150 USD (current Amazon list is $135) is expensive, I don't think you can value this set as you might with most movies. You will almost certainly want -- perhaps need -- to watch it a couple of times as it is one of those series where you won't catch it all on the first pass. And as indicated in many reviews, it is highly educational, but also highly entertaining. I am not purchasing a lot of DVD's today, anticipating the upcoming dominance of BluRay format movies and documentaries, but I am not waiting to own this on DVD.

UPDATE: Video quality and sound are very good, and seemed to have been mastered from broadcast tape. Episode 1's opening has the slight bit of video noise, and the rising sun seems slightly blurry, but seconds later as the program gets going, the video is sharp. I've always been able to see a slight difference between DVD's 450 lines of resolution, and super-VHS 420 lines in other recorded media, and I'd estimate the quality of TDTUC to be the latter. If that worries some, believe me it's far better than any VHS copy you would have. Sound is also very clear. In some of the vignettes, I can now understand for the first time some of the mumbling or quiet talking as the characters interact behind James' voice. Absolutely worth the money, which as of this update, just went down to $119 per copy.

There are no extras, and perhaps not surprisingly, no subtitles or really any other kind of DVD features you'd expect to see with movies. The publisher Ambrose DVD seems to have obtained the rights from BBC to make these DVD's, and I am guessing they did not have the budget for extras?? Still, a nice intro from James would have been appreciated. But I cannot lower the product's score because of any of this. 5/5 stars.

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gad!! They finally made it affordable!, February 27, 2009

By 

Stephanie Sullivan - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Day The Universe Changed (DVD)

I have adored this work for a couple of decades. I, of course, remember it when it aired originally on Public Broadcasting. I have had to make do with the companion book for many years until a VERY costly version came out on video cassette and was available at my local library for me to eagerly watch.

I think I'm so crazy about the series because I believe 'The Day the Universe Change' is the reason I can call myself marginally intelligent about both history and science. James Burke's creations (this and his earlier work 'Connections' have made me love both subjects equally because of his marvelous documentaries.

The genius of this program is that it draws you into the story and makes you start to think about how a people's (a society's) perspective come about. Among all the deep thinking is a roller coaster ride (literally) of all kinds of objects and people and events that have you laughing and, occasionally, saddened, by the curious behaviors that humans are capable of.

I mightily recommend this program, and only wish I could have gotten my hands on it earlier.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great series by James Burke, March 1, 2009

By 

W. Mckinney (Portland, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Day The Universe Changed (DVD)

I swear that James Burke could make watching paint dry interesting. I never thought I would see this series on DVD. When I first found it on an education web site for $900 I was very tempted to buy it. (But knew the wife would kill me if I did)
I don't know why it takes 3 weeks to get from Amazon, but it was well worth the wait.
I really enjoyes the historical recreations and felt like I was walking through time seeing how things we take for granted today really did change the way we see the world and the universe.