# Connections (1978)

> Presenter James Burke traces surprising chains of cause and effect from an ancient invention to the modern world.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/139303

## Facts

- Seasons: 3
- Episodes: 40
- Episode runtime: 52 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: documentary, history
- Created by: James Burke
- Network: BBC One, TLC
- Cast: James Burke
- TMDB rating: 9.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078588/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: dense
- Violence: none
- Tone: curious, wondrous, conversational, warm, intellectual

## What critics say

Critics widely praise Connections for its original, erudite approach to the history of technology and James Burke's charismatic, curious presenting, though its dated production look is noted.

## Synopsis

Connections (1978-1997) is a British-American documentary series created by James Burke for BBC One and TLC. Presenter James Burke appears in every one of its forty episodes, serving as the on-screen guide who leads viewers through a deliberately winding investigation of how modern life was built. Each episode opens with a single invention or event from the distant past, usually ancient or medieval, and then follows a sequence of unexpected links across centuries, moving from a humble tool or idea to the foundations of contemporary society. Rather than presenting history as a tidy march of progress, the series argues for an alternative view of change in which accidents, trade, war, and social pressures combine to produce outcomes nobody planned. The structure across its three seasons is episodic, with each installment self-contained yet building a shared argument about interconnection. The tone is curious, warm, and conversational, with an emphasis on wonder at how ordinary discoveries ripple outward. Fans of Cosmos, The Ascent of Man, and Civilisation will find resonance in its blend of intellectual storytelling and accessible, presenter-driven exposition.

## Shows like Connections

- [How Do They Do It? (2006)](https://ember.film/tv/1212)
- [The Universe (2007)](https://ember.film/tv/2491)
- [Seconds From Disaster (2005)](https://ember.film/tv/8631)
- [History 101 (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/86185)
- [Wallace & Gromit's World of Invention (2010)](https://ember.film/tv/28463)
- [Guns Germs & Steel (2005)](https://ember.film/tv/61611)
- [Our Universe (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/134572)
- [James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/68089)
- [All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/40061)
- [How Stuff Works (2008)](https://ember.film/tv/62637)

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