Connections 2
Aha! The second of the Connections series is available. So is the third, Connections 3...

The entire Connections series is great for the young, inspiring them to intelligent inquiry into science, history and history of technology. Burke, ridiculed by many historians for his somewhat loose connections (historians are a crabby, selfish bunch) none-the-less explains interesting major inventions through a series of... well, connections in history, science and society. He makes much more sense than the historians who don't like him and is therefore correct in all his major points. Oh, by the way, I have a degree in history.

So, buy this if you've got a smart kid and want to stimulate him or her to the greater pursuits of the mind.

Good but not excellent.
Connections 2 is good but not excellent. It pales in comparison to the first series. How I wish the original BBC productions of "Connections" and "The Day the Universe Changed", another great program by the same author which aired on TV a few years ago, were available for purchase.

Connections 2 lacks the originality and entertainment value of Connections 1 which used actors to show how events occured. The original Connections entertained while it taught at the same time showing the viewer how great moments in history lead to the accidental discovery of many useful things which in turn led to other inventions. Somehow that joy of discovery that I got from the original is missing in Connections 2.

A huge letdown compared to the first series...
Of all the science and history programs I ever watched, Connections has to be the best program ever. So, when TLC announced a second series, I was excited. This series, however, falls far short of the original.

First, each episode is a half an hour instead of an hour. This rushes the stories a bit.

Second, there was a flow to the whole first series. It was one thread. This was very choppy, and the "connections" felt a lot more forced.

I never got a sense of flow from this edition of the series. I get the feeling James Burke was approached 10 years after the first series, and "couldn't refuse the money". The series, as a whole, didn't seem as well thought out as the first where EVERYTHING seemed to connect. This felt much more scattered.

Mind you, this is still a good series for those interested in science and history. It just isn't "your father's connections". I don't want to be a discouragement. I just want to be clear that if you saw the first series, the second is not the same.

Excellent, as always
James Burke is an incredibly talented, intelligent, gifted individual with an exceptionally clever, dry wit. He presents his facts in a clearly entertaining way. The world-wide production values are astounding.

Watch all "Connections" in the series and "The Day the Universe Changed" as many times as you can. You will be smarter, funnier, and a much better person for it.