Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity
TV Show · Documentary · History

Though once thought to be a form of magic, electricity is now essential to modern human society. In this series, professor and host Jim Al-Khalili tells the history of electricity and humans' pursuit to master it. Al-Khalili begins with the early achievements and breakthroughs and finishes with more modern achievements, including such milestones as the first commercial adaptation and the discovery that electricity is linked to magnetism, which allowed people to generate seemingly endless quantities of power.

2011 · 58m
Starring Jim Al-Khalili

Season 1

  • EPISODE 1
    Spark
    How the mysteries of electricity were unlocked by the very first natural philosophers.
    58m
  • EPISODE 2
    The Age of Invention
    Under 200 years ago, scientists discovered the link between electricity and magnetism.
    58m
  • EPISODE 3
    Revelations and Revolutions
    The discovery of electric fields and electromagnetic waves.
    50m

Related

Cast & Crew

  • Jim Al-Khalili
    Host

About

Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity

Documentary

Though once thought to be a form of magic, electricity is now essential to modern human society. In this series, professor and host Jim Al-Khalili tells the history of electricity and humans' pursuit to master it. Al-Khalili begins with the early achievements and breakthroughs and finishes with more modern achievements, including such milestones as the first commercial adaptation and the discovery that electricity is linked to magnetism, which allowed people to generate seemingly endless quantities of power.

Information

Studio
BBC Four
Released
2011
Rated
14+
Region of Origin
United Kingdom

Languages

Original Audio
English, English (United Kingdom)
Subtitles

English (United States) (CC)

Accessibility

Closed captions (CC) refer to subtitles in the available language with the addition of relevant non-dialogue information.
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Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Botswana
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Cape Verde
  • Egypt
  • Eswatini
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • India
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Lebanon
  • Mauritius
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Niger (English)
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • Tajikistan
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uganda
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Zimbabwe

Asia Pacific

  • Australia
  • Cambodia
  • Fiji
  • 香港 (廣東話–繁體)
  • Indonesia (English)
  • 日本
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • 澳門 (廣東話–繁體)
  • Malaysia (English)
  • Micronesia, Federated States of
  • Mongolia
  • New Zealand
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • 대한민국
  • 台灣
  • Thailand
  • Turkmenistan
  • Vietnam

Europe

  • Armenia
  • Österreich
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Cyprus
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France (Français)
  • Deutschland
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Ireland
  • Italia
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg (English)
  • Malta
  • Moldova, Republic Of
  • Nederland
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal (Português)
  • Россия
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • España
  • Sverige
  • Schweiz
  • Türkiye (English)
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Anguilla
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina (Español)
  • Bahamas
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • Bolivia (Español)
  • Brasil
  • Virgin Islands, British
  • Cayman Islands
  • Chile (Español)
  • Colombia (Español)
  • Costa Rica (Español)
  • Dominica
  • República Dominicana
  • Ecuador (Español)
  • El Salvador (Español)
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala (Español)
  • Honduras (Español)
  • México
  • Nicaragua (Español)
  • Panamá
  • Paraguay (Español)
  • Perú
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Venezuela (Español)

The United States and Canada

  • Canada (English)
  • Canada (Français)
  • United States
  • Estados Unidos (Español México)