Atmosphere
Documentary series. Dr Iain Stewart reveals the crucial natural forces that have shaped the earth's development. A flight in a jet plane, a trip to the Andes and a trip to Shark Bay in Australia are expensive but necessary to discuss atmosphere.
You can't see it, you can't taste it, you can't smell it and you can't touch it, yet without it almost all life on Earth would die instantly. The atmosphere is Earth's protective layer, warding off damaging cosmic rays and providing the life-giving oxygen which people depend on for life. Air is a fluid which shapes our world, from eroding rocks to building sand dunes. It also controls the world's weather and climate: Iain takes a trip to Argentina to one of the stormiest places on Earth, to watch a storm build up through the day.
The Earth's atmosphere is completely different to any other planets, and according to the normal laws of chemistry it shouldn't exist. What is extraordinary about our atmosphere is the way that it was created by life. When the planet was first born its atmosphere was made up of noxious volcanic gases - there was no sign of the oxygen humans depend on today.
Iain visits Shark Bay in Australia, home to some of the most ancient forms of life on the planet: stromatolites. These simple bacteria were responsible for transforming the atmosphere because they were the first organisms on the planet to photosynthesise, and in doing so pump oxygen into the air. It led to a revolution. An ozone layer formed which protected the planet from UV rays. Most crucially of all, it enabled the development of a new type of life, something that could burn oxygen to sustain a far more high-energy lifestyle.
Trailer
Recently Updated Shows
Holmes Family Rescue
Mike Holmes has been making it right for years, and now it's a family affair. Mike's daughter Sherry and son Michael share their own dedication and expertise as they join forces to rescue homeowners from botched construction jobs and renovation fatigue.
Beyond the Gates
Beyond the Gates is set in a leafy Maryland suburb just outside of Washington D.C., and in one the most affluent African American counties in the United States. Here you'll find a posh gated community with winding tree-lined streets and luxurious mansions to call home. At the center of this community are the Duprees, a powerful and prestigious multi-generational family that is the very definition of Black royalty. But behind these pristine walls and lush, manicured gardens are juicy secrets and scandals waiting to be uncovered. And those that live outside these gates are watching closely. These are the places where our characters live, love, work and play. Those who have "made it" and those who haven't are all trying to navigate life … and some with more grace than others.
The Pitt
The Pitt is a realistic examination of the challenges facing healthcare workers in today's America as seen through the lens of the frontline heroes working in a modern-day hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Each episode follows an hour of Dr. Robby's 15-hour shift as the chief attendant in Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital's emergency room.
The Ark
The Ark takes place 100 years in the future when planetary colonization missions have begun as a necessity to help secure the survival of the human race. The first of these missions on a spacecraft known as Ark One encounters a catastrophic event causing massive destruction and loss of life. With more than a year left to go before reaching their target planet, a lack of life-sustaining supplies and loss of leadership, the remaining crew must become the best versions of themselves to stay on course and survive.