Series synopsis
Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the World is a British documentary television series that premiered on PBS on April 21, 2019. It ended on May 26, 2019. It stars Jim Al-Khalili and Patrick Stewart.
Take a mind-blowing journey through human history, told through six iconic objects that modern people take for granted, and see how science, invention and technology built on one another to change everything.
Premise
Take a mind-blowing journey through human history, told through six iconic objects that modern people take for granted, and see how science, invention and technology built on one another to change everything.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Jim Al-Khalili as Self - Presenter
- Patrick Stewart as Narrator (voice)
Guest cast
- Robert Ryan as Louis Daguerre
Episodes
This series spans 1 season with 6 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 6 | April 21, 2019 | May 26, 2019 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Telescope Meet the brilliant minds throughout history, from Galileo to Edwin Hubble, responsible for creating the telescope. Today, their invention allows humanity to reach the furthest limits of seeing 13 billion light-years out. |
April 21, 2019 |
| 2 |
The Airplane Take to the sky with the dreamers whose work gave humans the ability to fly. From Leonardo da Vinci's "flying machines" to the modern commercial plane, without these inventions, we may have never left the ground. |
April 28, 2019 |
| 3 |
The Robot Learn how robots were first conceptualized in ancient Rome and see how their use has evolved over the centuries, from the calculator to the Roomba. Then, take a sneak peek at what future robots will be able to do. |
May 5, 2019 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | PBS |
|---|---|
| First aired | April 21, 2019 |
| Last aired | May 26, 2019 |
| Runtime | 60 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Wednesday at 22:00:00 |