- Network: National Geographic
- Series Premiere Date: Nov 1, 2015
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Critic Reviews
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Much of this sounds grim, but Breakthrough is anything but depressing in its overall tone. After putting towering problems into chilling perspective, the series humanizes the issues, keeping the focus on individual stories.
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Prominent entertainment figures direct programs on six scientific challenges facing the world, and the results are interesting enough. They’re just not especially revolutionary, unlike some of the work they document.
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The breakthroughs described in National Geographic Channel’s ambitious six-part series aren’t all equal in promise or tone.
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As the introductory hour demonstrates, there’s only so much a director can do with this kind of material, and certain efforts to make it more accessible risk becoming risible. Simply put, it’s hard to make some of this stuff exciting, no matter how beautiful the animation is, or how artfully one shoots the drips of blood generated by an outbreak of Ebola.... Judged strictly on its merits, the hours are perfectly respectable.
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When the filmmakers get to showcase a true personal investment in the subject matter, the episodes really shine. When the directors approach the subject from a distance, what you get is a by-the-numbers NatGeo special, which isn't a bad thing, but plays as really disappointing given the names involved here. From this batch, examples of the latter outnumber the former, with only one installment that's truly worth seeking out.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 3 out of 4
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Mixed: 1 out of 4
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Negative: 0 out of 4
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Apr 17, 2016
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Nov 12, 2015