Human: The World Within

Really? A multi part series that could have blown us away with all of the modern advances we have made in technology that give us the ability to dig deeper into the inner workings of the human body and instead we get this. A woman that walks around barefoot in the dessert. A Hindu woman that is obviously a strict vegan, and a native american ultra marathon runner that we are only lead to believe survives on blue corn mush and herbal tea?? No agenda here folks. I had to tap out on this one. Netflix... You have to step your game up on these documentaries because this kind of stuff is lazy at best.

There's a repetition of the same images, especially the brain connectors over and over, as well as an overdramatization of some events to "make it" more interesting. Some of the cool stuff to learn end up getting blurred by the editing of this show. It could have been an hour documentary rather than a whole series.

"Human: The World Within" (2021 release; 6 episodes of about 53 min. Each) is a new documentary series that looks at what makes us who we are as humans. As Episode 1 "Birth" opens, we are in "Los Angeles, California", and we get to know Alex and Ali, as the voice-over explains to us what "attraction" is all about from a medical perspective. Alex and Ali are professional tango dancers, and have been married for 14 years. Turns out that lust and attraction are fueled by hormones (but not the same kind). We are then introduced to Jacqueline, a 31 yr. Old immigrant from China and expecting for the first time. At this point, we are 10 min. Into Episode 1.

Couple of comments: this is a new documentary series airing on PBS, taking a look at the wonders that are our bodies. As one commentator puts it with amazement: "From one cell to a human being". The first episode "Birth" at times feels like Sex Education 101 but that's okay. It's not a bad thing to get a reminder course on things that many of us take for granted. Yet it also goes much deeper than that: the episode also looks at things like infertility (which occurs a lot more frequently that you might think), miscarriages, and other challenges. And of course also at the pregnancy process itself. Did you know, for example, that the placenta is the only temporary organ that we humans get (only during the pregnancy)? Episode 2 "Pulse" looks at the central role played by the heart, in every possible sense. Future episodes will look at how we "Fuel" our bodies, how we "Defend" our bodies against pain and suffering, etc. The camera work is top-notch, and the initial 2 episodes are well-paced and flew by in no time. I can't wait to see the remaining episodes.

Episodes 1 and2 of "Human: The World Within" premiered this week on PBS and are now available on PBS On Demand and other streaming platforms. New episodes air on Wednesday evenings at 9 pm Eastern. If you have any interest in how the human body functions or simply are in the mood for a good documentary, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

All I can say about this documentary series, is just watch it already. It's incredibly interesting and everything is explained very well and clear. Makes you look at your body in a different way and makes you realize how connected everything in this universe is.

Filled with facts I learned well over 10 years ago. Sprinkled in some very rare new information, along with some director's idea of cool shots of people walking and totally unnecessary B footage.

It's like they took 1 episodes worth of info, and spread it out over a series. Then they sprinkled in some agendas, and bewildering choices of footage.

I was very excited to watch this, but ended up tapping out, and skipping ahead for most it in search of anything interesting.