This series was a surprise hit for the BBC, demonstrating yet again that there really is a huge appetite for all things astronomical among the general public, and its success led to the follow-up series Wonders of the Universe, also now available on DVD.

Whether or not you think that Professor Cox's globetrotting in search of features to compare other planets to actually works as a method of getting science across, it cannot be denied that he does end up in some amazing places and the photography is often stunning. The final episode, in which the toothy professor descends into caves in search of organisms which might have a parallel elsewhere in the Universe - such as the charming snottites - is particularly interesting. But for me, Professor Cox is at his best when simply talking and communicating his passion for science. When he explains a surprisingly simple method for measuring the power output of the Sun, his enthusiasm is so infectious that you cannot help get carried along with his passion for finding things out. Letting the experts communicate their passion straight to camera is worth a thousand foreign jaunts, in my opinion. I really liked this series but wish it had been longer - there are only five episodes. Mind you, the bill for Professor Cox's air travel must have accounted for 80% of the programme's budget, so it's hardly surprising there were not more episodes!

This series demonstrates how the Earth is just one tiny part of a cosmic whole, that the same themes of energy, life, death and rebirth we are familiar with here manifest themselves again and again on other worlds, in an amazing variety of ways. It gives our world so many things in common with alien planets, while at the same time being unique. There is something comforting in that.

The DVD, at £6.99 from Amazon, does not come with any extras, like a lot of BBC DVDs, but is such a fantastic price that it represents a real bargain for anybody interested in how our planet compares to other worlds in the solar system.