We live in a world where documentaries are abundant. It seems like any topic you might look up will have some sort of documentary on it (especially on YouTube). It’s a great way to learn, but there are a lot of crackpots out there with a camera and editing equipment forwarding their opinions as if they were undeniable fact. So tread carefully.
Professional documentaries are still risky. I would say that for every interesting one I watch (probably made by the matter-of-fact BBC), there are five that I have had to turn off because it is too absurd, flashy, or it does that thing where they actually repeat seven facts between every commercial break. Oh god, or have actors portraying events to “make it more interesting.” Please stop doing that.
Documentary: The ancient Egyptians had pharaohs. The pharaohs in ancient Egypt were the most important members of society. Ancient Egyptian society had pharaohs at the top. Pharaohs were very important in ancient Egypt. Please stay tuned through our fourteen minute commercial break!
the History Channel, in a rare documentary not about Hitler
My friend, Carrie, had told me last year that I should watch this great, amazing documentary that was on regular television, which I do not have. It’s the friend I go with to see the astronauts give talks, which actually I think the talks are often to endorse this show. I gave it an effort to find whole episodes of it online, but after about three of them, I fizzled out. Life is too tough to find full episodes online.
Well, now, Netflix has it!
In a bold move to offer a show that wasn’t made by themselves, they grabbed up this fine program from National Geographic. And it IS fine! It’s more than fine!
It’s a documentary that was made in America or possibly Canada that (so far at least, I guess I should mention that I’m only up to the fifth of ten episodes) has not mentioned: aliens, ghosts, or conspiracies. We’re giving those BBC documentaries a run for their money!
One Strange Rock is the story of the earth and how improbable it is that life has made it this far. They make it seem like it’s incredible that life started at all! In fact, the story of Earth seems to be a series of spectacularly fortunate accidents in an insane sequence that has created this whole-world interconnected web of symbiotic happenings. The show does a great job at revealing this interconnectedness. It’s very good.
This program is officially hosted by Will Smith, of all people. I’m guessing it is to attract people who wouldn’t immediately leap at the chance to watch something “”dull”” like a documentary? It’s actually narrated by a team of real astronauts, who are of course some of the best humans alive today. Their outside points of view are profound and wonderful, and then Will Smith is peppered in here and there to repeat what they just said, really slowly, in ways that some dope can relate to, I guess.
Astronaut: You see that the molecules of carbon adhere to blahbitty blah to make life and everything bloopbloop
evidence that I can’t retain any information at all
Will Smith: When I was in Philly writing rhymes, I realized that the word “can” rhymes with so many things — that’s kind of what carbon does
IT DOESN’T ALWAYS HAVE TO BE ABOUT YOU, FRESH PRINCE.
Anyway. Go to Netflix and search the title of this show, because otherwise you probably won’t find it in the front page with all of the in-house things they’re always featuring. But it’s so good. I love it. You’ll probably love it, too! ENDORSED.