Coast

The BBC-aired Coast offers a stirring, epic circumnavigation of the British Isles, with ever-enthusiastic host Neil Oliver and his team of co-presenters visiting all the shoreline regions of England, Cornwall, Wales, and Scotland, with trips to adjacent Ireland, as well as Norway, Denmark, and France, plus a double-back shortcut through Scotland via the Caledonian Canal. The 20-episode series spans a rich pageant of arts, science, history, economics, industry, engineering feats and follies, marine wildlife and fishing, warfare, and marvels of transportation in this part of the world, where water meets land. Highlights include segments on a seaside outdoor amphitheater renowned for al fresco performances of The Tempest (often in actual tempests); the discovery of fractal geometry in the formation of craggy coastlines; heroic anti-Nazi resistance pockets in Denmark, Norway, and Brittany; the 16th-century female pirate Grace O'Malley; and lighthouses and shipbuilding centers. A final journey up the Thames Estuary takes viewers to the capital city of London. Some knowledge of British history is helpful but not absolutely necessary. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: C, P. (C. Cassady)