Season 1
Examining the rocky planets at the centre of the Solar System, Professor Cox examines new evidence about the violent creation of Mercury and the hostile atmosphere of Venus, contrasting them with the life-giving planet Earth and the barren Mars.
01. A Moment in the Sun - The Terrestrial Planets
The rocky planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars were born at the same time from the same material - yet have lived radically different lives. What immense forces are at play?
02. The Two Sisters - Earth & Mars
Professor Brian Cox continues his tour of the solar system revealing that it was once home to not one, but two blue planets.
03. The Godfather: Jupiter
Brian Cox continues his exploration of the solar system with a visit to a planet that dwarfs all the others: Jupiter. Its size gives it a great power that it has used to manipulate the other planets.
04. Life Beyond the Sun: Saturn
Professor Brian Cox reveals the history of Saturn. Saturn began life as a strange planet of rock and ice and in time transformed into a gas giant, ring-less and similar looking to its rival, Jupiter.
05. Into the Darkness: Ice Worlds
In the final episode, Professor Brian Cox journeys to the remotest part of the solar system, a place that the most mysterious planets call home.