Connections (British TV series)
Connections is a science education television series created, written, and presented by British science historian James Burke. The series was produced and directed by Mick Jackson of the BBC Science and Features Department and first aired in 1978 (UK) and 1979 (US). It took an interdisciplinary approach to the history of science and invention, and demonstrated how various discoveries, scientific achievements, and historical world events were built from one another successively in an interconnected way to bring about particular aspects of modern technology. The series was noted for Burke's crisp and enthusiastic presentation (and dry humour), historical re-enactments, and intricate working models.
This article is about the British science education series. For the British game show, see Connections (game show).Connections
Mick Jackson
Mike Slee
Charles Mapleston
Anthony Willis
Luke Bellis
United Kingdom
English
4
46
50 minutes
(22 min, Series 2)
17 October –
19 December 1978
The popular success of the series led to the production of The Day the Universe Changed (1985), a similar program, but showing a more linear history of several important scientific developments.
Years later, the success in syndication led to three sequels. Connections2 (1994) and Connections3 (1997) were made for TLC. In November 2023, the six-episode series Connections with James Burke, premiered on Curiosity Stream, again with Burke as the on-screen presenter. [1]
In 2004, KCSM-TV produced a program called Re-Connections, consisting of an interview of Burke and highlights of the original series, for the 25th anniversary of the first broadcast in the US on PBS.[2]
Episodes[edit]
Series 1 (1978)[edit]
The original 1978 Connections 10-episode documentary television series was created, written, and presented by science historian James Burke and had a companion book (Connections, based on the series). The 1978 Connections companion book was published about the time the middle of the series was airing, so likely was written in parallel to the series and had a postproduction editing release.[3] The very popular book was re-released as a work in a 1995 edition, in 1998 (relations to sections below is unknown), and again in 2007 as both hardcover or softcover editions. Since the television series varied in content with each corresponding production run and release, the companion volumes (as is suggested by the plethora of ISBN codes) are also likely to be different works. This 1978 work's coverage deviates in some topics and details being both more in depth and a bit broader, from the lighter coverage of the episodes.
