All Rise...

Since we're re-naming things Judge Dawn Hunt wants to call the piece of space material formerly known as Pluto, Planet Dawn.

The Charge

Ancient Egypt. For over 3000 years one of the world's most vibrant and puzzling civilizations flourished through war and peace. The Egyptians built great cities and enduring monuments, and they advanced mathematics and technology. Their astonishing legacy survives to this day.

The Case

Planet Egypt is History Channel at its best, hock full of historical recreations, peppered with interviews and footage of ongoing excavations. If this ancient civilization interests you at all, this four-part mini-series will be right up your alley.

• "Birth of an Empire"
The Narmer Tablet definitely exists, but what is up for discussion is how much of its subject matter is fact or fiction, namely Pharaoh Narmer, purported ruler of Dynasty Zero. Was he truly the one who united Egypt into the world's first empire?

• "Pharaohs at War"
With a reign lasting over five decades, Thutmose III is regarded as one of Egypt's most successful generals.

• "Temples of Power"
Amenhotep III begins to pull away from the idea of the Pharaoh as a mere mortal, elevating him to a god. His son Akhenaten would take the concept one step further and introduce early Monotheism, wiping out all Egyptian gods, replacing them with Aton the sun disc, and proclaiming he and his wife as the god's children on earth.

• "Quest for Eternity"
Couched in a discussion of Ramses the Great (who lived well into his 90s) is talk of the Egyptians' quest for knowledge of and inclusion in the afterlife.

Presented in standard definition 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with a Dolby 2.0 Stereo mix, I detected no problems with the audio or video. Thankfully footage recycling (often a problem with these shows) was kept to a minimum. There are no extras.

I tend to get easily sucked into programs such as this. If you feel the same, don't hesitate to pick it up. Though I'm not sure why they called it Planet Egypt, when no mention of this phrase is ever made.

The Verdict

Not Guilty.

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