Catastrophe (Complete Series - Tony Robinson)

Presented by Tony Robinson and featuring scientific experts, this spectacular five-part series investigates the history of natural disasters, from the planets beginnings to the present, putting a new perspective on our existence that we are the product of Catastrophe. From planetary collisions to the Ordovician Silurian Ice Age, from massive volcanic eruptions to asteroid impacts, Catastrophe pieces together the extraordinary events that gave birth to our unique and beautiful planet. 99% of all the creatures that have ever lived, no longer exist. They were wiped-out in a series of global catastrophes. Each disaster changed the course of evolution on earth. Without them mankind, nor any of the life we see around us, would be here today. For out of catastrophe comes rebirth. Since the earth was created 4.5 billion years ago the planet has been struck by a series of catastrophes. Each one pushed life to the edge of extinction but from disaster comes new life. While the dominant species on the planet were wiped out hardier creatures survived and moved into the vacuum left by the extinction. These creatures then themselves took over the planet until they themselves fell to another mass extinction. Evolution is a savage, imperfect and violent process. It's survive or perish. The earth's history of catastrophes has both moulded the planet and determined evolution. For each disaster led to another leap forward on the evolutionary trail form single celled bacteria to humankind itself.

1 "Birth of the Planet"
The first episode explores the most violent event in the history of the Earth when, four and half billion years ago, it collided with another planet, Thea, helping create the unique circumstances for life on Earth. It includes contributions from Bill K. Hartmann who first convinced the scientific mainstream that the Giant impact created both the moon and the Earth's 23° tilt.
The programme also covers the last continuing Lunar Surface experiment from the Apollo program. NASA engineer Jerry Wiant's Lunar Laser Ranging measures the increasing distance between the moon and the McDonald Observatory on Earth.

2 "Snowball Earth"
An exploration of the evidence behind the controversial theory of Snowball Earth. Tony Robinson opens the episode with "... temperatures plummeted, ice spread down from the poles. It encased the planet in a layer thousands of metres thick. A snowball earth." Tony speaks of proof that "meant only one thing" and one of the experts who speaks on the program (around 18 minutes) says "proven that glaciers were on the equator" and "if you have ice at the equator then the whole of the globe must have been covered by ice, a wholly white planet".

3 "Planet of Fire"
An exploration of the Permian extinction, the largest ever when, 250 million years ago, 95% of life was destroyed. The evidence points to an eruption of the Siberian Traps in Eastern Russia.

4 "Asteroid Strike"
This programme follows the trail of clues leading to the extinction of dinosaurs, 65 million years ago. Iridium and shocked quartz found at the K