The Planets (2017– ) User Reviews

Great, but almost ruined by narration

[bwdude · 7/10 · 23 September 2017]

I like every kind of documentary, especially science. By means of content and information, "The Planets" are really great. Most of it is up to date and a lot of the stuff was also new to me. So far so good.

In another review, somebody mentioned the narrator. I could tell what he meant right from the beginning, but it did not bother me that much to be honest. That drastically changed with the "Saturn" episode. Suddenly it seems that the narrator is totally in love with hearing his own voice. Sometimes his narration felt like he was singing.

He has a good and pleasant voice, have to give him that. But that pretentious way of over-pronouncing words just to sound sonorous has reached a point where it is distracting and actually unbearable.

So far, so good

[kevindemara · 8/10 · 12 September 2017]

After watching 3 episodes, I give this show a solid 8/10. The science is interesting and the narrator is Michael Massimino, a former NASA astronaut. Each episode focuses on a single planet and dives deep into its unique qualities and characteristics. Those with an interest in space and specifically our own solar system will likely enjoy this show.

Mike Massimino is terrible

[rjmcmullen · 8/10 · 19 December 2018]

Thank goodness I watch on the app and can fast forward past him.

Narrator spoils the entire series.

[raymondtjackson · 19 October 2017]

The narrator spoils the entire series for me. I really don't know what it is, he just sounds so smug or something. He has a tone in his voice that is very irritating and a phoniness that makes listening to him almost unbearable. Can't define it, but it sucks and makes watching the series painful. Would rather have the Massimino or Mike Rowe than this guy.

Excellent series

[samreeter · 10/10 · 23 August 2018]

Can't get enough of this series. I particularly like narrator Dellums. His voice has such a mystic quality in such a mystical series.

Can't Get Enough of Mike Massimino

[careycher · 10/10 · 5 November 2017]

I guess the scientific content of this series is good - not really smart enough to say one way or the other, but I just can't get enough of that Mike Massimino guy! He needed a lot more screen time than he is given. I use my TiVo to watch his way too short scenes over and over again.

On a side note, has anyone called Hollywood to tell them about this guy? Seems he would be a natural for a leading man on many Hollywood blockbuster films! I'm just sayin'!

Déjà vu

[harrypauledwards · 8/10 · 9 February 2024]

Its basically How The Universe Works but with an added and completely unnecessary 'here's your host Astronaut Mike Massimino' section.

I'm guessing it was to add something to the show in a similar way to the British series 'Secrets of Our Universe with Tim Peake', but it just makes it all look amateurish.

If you want a good series about space instead go with 'Space's Deepest Secrets' or 'How the Universe Works' or even that strange Noir one featuring the brilliant Irish actor Aidan Gillen called 'Killers of the Cosmos'

Failing that any of The British ones with Brain Cox as long as you can put up with all those weird creepy camera shots where the camera is revolving around him whilst he is looking at nothing at all by the looks of it.

As for those reviewers moaning about the narration, it's Erik Dellums who actually was one of the narrators for the 'How The Universe Works' series (24 Episodes of it) along with Mike Rowe. In fact outside the US it was mainly Brit Richard Lintern who did the shows narration for the first 8 seasons.

In case you didn't hear the words first 20 times, no worries they will be repeated over and over again

[maxscorpius · 1/10 · 25 September 2017]

This review is mostly for The Venus episode, hope it doesn't follow the pattern. Yeah, spoiler alerts.

So 20 minutes in and I've heard:

"The Earth and Venus used to be the same, but in the future, this will be the Earth's destiny"... like 20 or so times. In case you haven't heard the narrator say it with a dramatic tone, don't worry, the scientists will repeat it a few times and the host of the show as well.

I understand there are commercial breaks and that most documentaries want you to recap on what you saw so far or to grab your attention in case you just tuned in, bit this is taking it too far. It's like watching 30 seconds trailer for the episode that is running in a loop for 40 minutes. The whole content of the episode could be summed up to 7 sentences.

Total Rip-off of 'How The Universe Works'

[rosemaryfarr · 1/10 · 3 October 2017]

They replaced the terrific narration of Mike Rowe with a boring, annoying don't know who, slapped on a 30 second intro after each commercial by Mike Massimino, and used the very same (I mean exactly the same) video of the shows regarding the planets broadcast in the excellent series How The Universe Works. I suggest you rent the original and pass by this 2nd rate rip-off. It's pathetic, if they are going to re-broadcast the same shows under different names, the least they could do is update the original with new findings, new graphics, SOMETHING.

"Hell" get used to hearing them repeat that in S2 like every 5 damn seconds

[m_lineham1 · 5/10 · 12 April 2018]

Seriously this show has perfectly fine facts and the universe and planets are interesting enough in themselves without having to hear that damn narrator repeat the words "From hell....to hell and back....from hell" like OVER and OVER again.

Was this show made for the religious right or something? Seriously it sounds borderline religious the sheer volume of times they reference "hell" this or that to refer to a hot planet, a cold planet, basically anything unpleasant.

Its complete off putting and frankly makes this series seem like it was for mentally challenged children. I'm 2 episodes of Season 2 in and I've heard "hell" mentioned some 50+ times now its ridiculous.

The script and narrator is completely C grade worthy

Planet porn

[spikeneil-84-836952 · 5/10 · 5 June 2018]

It's a very interesting series I'll give it that BUT....Narrator Erik Dellums' voice makes it sound like a cheap porn flick and host Michael J. Massimino (yes, the astronaut who floated around the Hubble telescope as he frequently reminds us) would be better suited to a bit role on The Big Bang theory being ridiculed by Sheldon Cooper!! Definitely more believable than Neil Armstrong's one small step onto Universal studios though ;-)

Where did you get this NARRATOR?

[dajerryguy · 15 April 2021]

I suspect the producer decided to hire his uncle to narrate this otherwise good series. The graphics are superb! The music track seems perfect! The contributions of the guests are great, and the script is clear and very informative. THEN along come Erik Dellums - or Williams - and JUST RUINS the entire episode! This poor man grunts and stumbles along as if he has never seen a script IN HIS LIFE! He is THE WORST! I often just can't take him and tune out.