An absolutely brilliant mini-series which the BBC has bizarrely chosen not to release as a region 2 DVD in Europe. A friend gave me my Asian copy as a present, having located it only after doing a fair amount of online searching. As the previous reviewer said, this is the presenter's own voyage of discovery as well as our own. The programmes have been exceptionally well put together, the series is logically structured, and the subject matter is never dry or dull. I have an 8-year old nephew who asks to see this each time he comes to visit, in preference to Harry Potter or a cartoon. This should be compulsory viewing for everyone, particularly children with enquiring minds. I only have 2 small complaints: the series is too short, and at the same time it is easy to watch too much of it at once and end up with square eyes! Congratulations to the BBC: programmes like this really justify the license fee.