Connections with James Burke

As someone who has watched hundreds of documentaries, few moments have been as satisfying as seeing James Burke return in Connections (2023) - a long-awaited third act to his legendary series from 1978 and 1994. Against all odds, Burke not only picks up where he left off - he elevates the entire format.

Each episode is a brilliant, mind-bending journey across centuries of human ingenuity. In his trademark style, Burke connects seemingly unrelated inventions, events, and ideas - from 18th-century coffee to the discovery of DNA to the ethics of genetic engineering - and he makes it all feel effortless, even inevitable.

At age 86, Burke's clarity, wit, and intellectual agility are still unmatched. He's not just a historian; he is, without exaggeration, the king of explaining how technology and society shape one another through "accidental connections." Watching him trace the web of causality between tools, culture, and power is as entertaining as it is profound.

This third series may be the best yet. Not because it's flashier - but because it distills 45 years of thinking into six beautifully structured episodes. A true masterclass in systems thinking, historical narrative, and human curiosity.

10/10 - Required viewing for anyone interested in how we got here and where we might be going.

This series follows on the seminal "Connections" series' that James Burke wrote and presented in the 70s - 90s. Linking historic discoveries, personalities and events, he draws seemingly unconnected moments into a seemless transit to a modern day or future phenomenon. His infinitely curious mind, and great narrative style meant that his programmes received record audiences around the globe. This latest series, in collaboration with Curiosity Stream, deserves to have a similar audience, though with the fragmented nature of TV/Online productions today, that is probably wishful thinking. That said, it is a great piece of work, and is the only reason I remain on a Curiosity Stream subscription!