For two-and-a-half years, investigative journalist Donal MacIntyre set out to locations around the world for a new BBC documentary titled, simply, The Weather (in the UK it was released as Wild Weather). C'mon on now, folks, I can hear you yawning. Trust me: four hours about weather can be interesting, especially when the host puts himself through some grueling tests of weather's most extreme conditions.

In the "Wind" episode, MacIntyre attempts to survive jet stream-strength winds of 200mph in a wind tunnel (he gives in at a breezy 136). I watched this only a few days after Hurricane Isabel hit the east coast and gained a newfound respect for exactly how powerful a hurricane can be. In "Wet," he shows the power of a mere two feet of water by trying to walk against flood waters. Things get particularly interesting for our host in "Cold," where he strips down to his boxers in a -18 degree environment for 30 minutes. After ten minutes, he's gotten so cold that he has trouble counting back from 100 by sevens. In addition, he spends 24 hours with the Sirius Sledge Patrol in the icy cold of Greenland. Finally, in "Heat," he spends 24 hours in the jungles of Belize, battling extreme heat and rain all while getting called a "loser" by his guide for wanting to take a breather. He also heads to the Sahara to participate in the Marathon Des Sables, a grueling race in a desert that once reached a record 136 degrees.

As a host, MacIntyre is engaging. His presentation tends towards hyperbole, but after watching some of the positions he put himself in to make this documentary so interesting, it's easily forgiven. He's a likable, yet strong personality who has a remarkable knack for remembering his lines and making a coherent point, even when his brain is shutting down because his body temperature has dropped several degrees. A self-proclaimed outdoorsman and unapologetic environmentalist, MacIntrye has a respect and wonder for nature's alternating beauty and fury. A lesser man couldn't have pulled off a four-hour documentary about weather.

But watching MacIntyre fullfill his masochistic desires to get pummelled by extreme weather isn't the only reason The Weather is a fascinating DVD set. It's actually quite informative and blends education with gorgeous cinematography, computer graphics, and well-voiced narratives. After watching "Wind," I told a number of people about my new-learned knowledge that the Japanese first discovered the jet stream during World War II and used it to send a hundred unmanned paper balloons holding bombs to the west coast of the United States (six people, including several children, were killed). And who knew that where the Sahara—a desert almost the size of the United States—now lies, once existed rivers and lush greenery? Or that if you're laying down in the desert, the temperature is 20 degrees warmer than if you're standing? I could go on, but I'll spare you.

This two-DVD set is presented in a 1.85:1 ratio (though I'm not sure if the video is anamorphic or not) and is clear and crisp throughout, with only a few visible artifacts. The sound quality is fine, with strong musical elements and field recordings. The somewhat slim extras include the isolated original score by Deborah Mollison and the BBC Concert Orchestra, a short interview with host Donal MacIntyre, weather facts, and MacIntyre's bio. The set retails for $29.98.

The Weather is an entrancing look at the interconnectedness of weather phenomena presented in a well-produced package by the BBC. You will be surprised at just how interesting and engrossing the weather outside your window can be.

If only they had showed videos like this in my high school science classes... I might have become a weatherman.

http://www.uajournal.com/?mov=12