I am an Anthropologist, and when I saw this show it got my hopes up.
Pros: It does touch on some things that are instrumental to human survival (fire), and briefly talks about some characteristics that make us human (large birthing canals, cooking, using fire, metallurgy, etc.) . This would be a good show to watch for people that know nothing about human history, or are in junior high to high school.
Cons: #1 Humans have been using fire for 300,000-400,000+ years (maybe even longer, it's not my specialty), but the program estimates ~14,000 years. Along with other nit-picky issues I had (elaborate "nomadic" houses surrounded by bones that no group of people could transport long distances).
#2 The show is a flashy and VERY dramatic depiction of early homo sapiens with an over-the-top style narration. This is fine if you forget what fire is every 5-10 seconds. I found myself skipping ahead to forego repetitive talking points.
#3 I would have rather preferred more in-depth information about the various reasons why fire was beneficial, instead I got 300+ statements about how cool fire is. For Example: Fire and heat breaks down the proteins in food to aid in the digestion process, which results in a more efficient absorption of calories. Or: If you look at many indigenous cultures around the world, you can see many (if not all) have some form of rituals surrounding fires, which reflects the importance of fire to social interactions.
Summary: This show is a mild attempt at education, which focuses primarily on the delivery instead of the content. It might be good as an introductory lesson in human history for those who know little about it.
Pros: It does touch on some things that are instrumental to human survival (fire), and briefly talks about some characteristics that make us human (large birthing canals, cooking, using fire, metallurgy, etc.) . This would be a good show to watch for people that know nothing about human history, or are in junior high to high school.
Cons: #1 Humans have been using fire for 300,000-400,000+ years (maybe even longer, it's not my specialty), but the program estimates ~14,000 years. Along with other nit-picky issues I had (elaborate "nomadic" houses surrounded by bones that no group of people could transport long distances).
#2 The show is a flashy and VERY dramatic depiction of early homo sapiens with an over-the-top style narration. This is fine if you forget what fire is every 5-10 seconds. I found myself skipping ahead to forego repetitive talking points.
#3 I would have rather preferred more in-depth information about the various reasons why fire was beneficial, instead I got 300+ statements about how cool fire is. For Example: Fire and heat breaks down the proteins in food to aid in the digestion process, which results in a more efficient absorption of calories. Or: If you look at many indigenous cultures around the world, you can see many (if not all) have some form of rituals surrounding fires, which reflects the importance of fire to social interactions.
Summary: This show is a mild attempt at education, which focuses primarily on the delivery instead of the content. It might be good as an introductory lesson in human history for those who know little about it.