The Shape of the World (mini-series) - 6-Part Documentary with Patrick Stewart Announced for DVD this Summer

The epic tale of mapping the globe, as seen on PBS. Produced in consultation with the British Library and Royal Geographical Society-the world's largest scholarly organization dedicated to the science of geography. "Explores the history of mapmaking with elegance and intelligence" - The New York Times.

How do we see the world? Some ancients believed it rode on the back of a turtle. The Greeks viewed it as a sphere and measured it with astonishing accuracy. Today, scientists monitor it from space, detecting complex climate patterns that threaten our survival.

Narrated by Patrick Stewart (X-Men, Star Trek: The Next Generation), this fascinating six-part series traces the history of mapmaking, from crude clay tablets to sophisticated electronic screens. Internationally respected historians, NASA scientists, and other experts explain how humans rely on imagination, observation, and mathematics to create pictures that make sense of our world. Throughout history, maps have served as symbols of wealth and power, tools of conquest and subjugation, and instruments for saving lives. They once held information worth killing for, and now they offer clues that might avert global destruction.

Athena, a label of Acorn Media, has announced that the 6-part mini-series The Shape of the World, with host Patrick Stewart, si coming to DVD on August 4th. This 3-disc set running 306 minutes is presented in full screen video, English Stereo sound and with English subtitles. Cost is $59.99 SRP in the USA and CA$74.99 SRP in Canada. Here's a list of the contents, including bonus material, followed by a look at the package art:

• Episode 1: Heaven and Earth
• Episode 2: Secrets of the Sea
• Episode 3: Staking a Claim
• Episode 4: Empire!
• Episode 5: Pictures of the Invisible
• Episode 6: The Writing on the Screen
• BONUS FEATURES
  • 20-page viewer's guide includes highlights, questions to consider, avenues for further learning, "Tools of the Mapmaker's Trade," "The Math Behind a Map," and "Myths on Maps."
  • "The Chartbusters": pioneers in cartography
  • Text interview with Patrick Stewart and biographies of Stewart and series editor Simon Berthon
  • Exclusive web extras