Great for the average person...
not much of a creative writer so i will give a blunt review of this dvd. i purely reccomend it. if youre a scientist or some astrophysicist then id say dont buy it. youre not going to learn anything new. if youre casually interested in astronomy then by all means grab it asap.

Good Visual Tour of the Solar System
This DVD set of "The Planets" has some fine technology with impressive graphics which take you on a life-like tour of the solar system. The narrator does a fine job, though she's no Carl Sagan. I had enjoyed it about as "The Astronomers" with Richard Chamberlain because, like that other series, you see first hand what the scientists have studied and discovered. The visuals add much realism to what they are explaining, something which the viewer will appreciate. Many of those techniques, unfortunately, were not available when Sagan made his "Cosmos" series. But Sagan, who was a much more lively teacher than any of the other astronomers on "The Planets", appears only briefly in a couple of clips made years before the series was made. And when the other scientists appear so often you sometimes wish that they would talk less about and show us more of the celestial wonders that they marvel at. Still, if can you look behind them, there is much to impress you on the screen.

I haven't seen the original BBC version, although that would require a different DVD player. It looks like the BBC tailored this version for American viewers, which is understandable since they wanted sell the series to A & E, an American cable network. However, as is true of more recent documentaries such as "Planet Earth" (the BBC version), the documentaries seem better because they aren't restricted to the format of the U.S. cable industry. The BBC's audience in Britain may be quite different in its tastes than those who watch the cable networks here in America. So perhaps to our disadvantage, there is less in the American edition about astronomy in other other parts of the world such as Russia and even Great Britain. I would have liked to have seen Patrick Moore from "The Sky at Night", one of Britain's leading astronomers, but I don't recall that he ever made an appearance. Perhaps he is on the original BBC version.

The Planets
An all inclusive look at our solar system. Perfect for upper elementary students. Presented in plain language with lots of graphics, it is a great tool to teach students about the solar system.

"The Planets" Bring the Solar System Alive
Most texts of Earth Science have chapters devoted to the Terrestrial and Gas Giants.... these texts are sterile and produce no memory recall in Freshman Students (or anyone else for that matter). I have experimented with this entire series regarding both recall and interest of students (Freshman). The theory of accretion as a means of forming our Moon as well as the planets of the solar system are clearly explained in a disovery format. The history of planet exploration is greeted with enthusiasm.

The fascination of the moons of the Gas Giants allow students to realize that IO is the most geologically active body in our solar system...Students are amazed at the ability of thermophiles to travel from planet to planet on meteorites, thus being able to populate other bodies in our solar system. They are also fascinated, but"sickened" by the disovery that someone's germs in the lens cap of one of the Moon rovers could be grown when back on earth.

Students are amazed at the concept that most of our solar system is geologically active.... not necessarily in the terms of what we know on earth, but in the presence of water, nitrogen, and sulfur as the active components.

Although it is not necessarily intended for this to suplant the text it certainly does accelerate recall and learning and stimulates student interest. I can easily say to my classes... "Do you remember the Volcanism on IO? or,... do you remember the theory of accretion that aided the formation of the solar system." They instantly say yes. Together with the Amazing Earth (review forthcoming)these multimedia gems complete a well rounded basis for Earth Science instruction. Combining this with hands-on activities, set's the stage for curiosity.

Excellent
This is THE best documentary on the history of space science. Good graphics, good fact checking, interviews with the top scientists, and a well-balanced look at both Soviet and American programs.