Catastrophe Series One Presented by Tony Robinson and featuring scientific experts, this spectacular five-part series investigates the history of natural disasters, from the planet s beginnings to the present, putting a new perspective on our existence that we are the product of Catastrophe. From planetary collisions to the Ordovician Silurian Ice Age, from massive volcanic eruptions to asteroid impacts, Catastrophe pieces together the extraordinary events that gave birth to our unique and beautiful planet. 99% of all the creatures that have ever lived, no longer exist. They were wiped-out in a series of global catastrophes. Each disaster changed the course of evolution on earth. Without them mankind, nor any of the life we see around us, would be here today. For out of catastrophe comes rebirth. Since the earth was created 4.5 billion years ago the planet has been struck by a series of catastrophes. Each one pushed life to the edge of extinction but from disaster comes new life. While the dominant species on the planet were wiped out hardier creatures survived and moved into the vacuum left by the extinction. These creatures then themselves took over the planet until they themselves fell to another mass extinction. Evolution is a savage, imperfect and violent process. It s survive or perish. The earth s history of catastrophes has both moulded the planet and determined evolution. For each disaster led to another leap forward on the evolutionary trail form single celled bacteria to humankind itself.

Birth of the Planet
Tony Robinson investigates the cataclysmic events that profoundly changed planet Earth and allowed life to appear in such abundance and variety. Using the expertise of astronomers, biologists and scientists, he explores the hypothesis that the collision of a Mars-sized planet with Earth four-and-a-half-billion years ago was the most defining event in history because it created the moon

Snowball Earth
Tony Robinson and his team of scientists investigate the effects of Earth's cataclysmic ice age 650 million years ago, a theory that remains one of the most controversial in modern science. Expecting to find evidence that the envelopment of the planet in snow was hugely destructive, their visits to Australia, Nevada and Alaska reveal that life may have actually flourished

Planet of Fire
Tony Robinson and his team of experts travel to South Africa, California and Iceland searching for evidence of a massive volcanic eruption that destroyed 95 per cent of life on Earth 250 million years ago. Believed to have originated in Siberia, it emitted a lava field the size of Europe, accelerated global warming and left only tiny burrowing cynodonts alive - creatures that evolved into mammals

Asteroid Strike
Tony Robinson visits Mexico, alleged location of a massive asteroid strike said to have wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago - which may also have accelerated the process of evolution. He and his team of scientists examine the sudden and prolonged effects such an impact would have had, including roasting many creatures alive and shrouding the planet in darkness for years

Survival Earth
Tony Robinson investigates the key disasters during man's rise to dominance. Among the events are a volcanic eruption thought to have triggered the last ice age and which buried Europe beneath kilometres of ice, and an asteroid strike on North America which is believed to have wiped out the continent's 'mega mammals'. He concludes by looking at potential threats for the future