About the 2005 Series
Coast on DVD
The first two series of Coast - complete with extra Open University material - is available on DVD from most video retailers.
Get closer to the coast
A voyage round our nation
Carving the nation's coastline into stretches for this fantastic journey - explore what's in store with our programme guides.
Weathering the storms
Melting ice caps and warmer oceans - how will our coastline cope with a climate of change?
Across 13 programmes Coast celebrates the unique character of the UK's coastal communities, exploring a wealth of fascinating human stories through a mixture of expert comment, contemporary storytelling and computer-generated images. This is the coast as never seen before.
The series comes at a time when the edges of the nation are taking place centre stage; Coast forms part of the celebrations for Sea Britain 2005 and the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar.
A team of history and geography experts will investigate everything from life on a nuclear submarine; rebuilding the Titanic using computer images; the story behind the first Butlins holiday camp; and the birth of the Severn Bore.
The experts presenting this series are Nicholas Crane, geographer, writer and presenter of BBC TWO's Map Man series; Neil Oliver, a journalist and historian who co-presented Two Men in a Trench; Dr Alice Roberts, a qualified medical doctor and an expert in anatomy and human bones; Miranda Krestovnikoff, a zoologist and presenter on BBC, Channel 4 and UKTV History series covering subjects as diverse as metal detecting, local history and marine conservation; and Mark Horton, an archaeologist and presenter of Time Flyers.
"Coast is a series that will matter to everyone in the UK - we all have a stake in our coastline, whether our holidays or jobs depend on it," says the programme's OU academic consultant Joe Smith. "The series breaks new ground by bringing together social and natural history, ecology, technology, science of environmental change and more. If you want to make sense of the coast you've got to take this kind of rounded view, which is why the OU has a large multi-disciplinary team of advisors working on this series."
"The OU has chosen to be involved with Coast because it reflects our broad, open and engaging approach to learning. The series is a treasure trove of learning opportunities. It will trigger people's interest, and the OU can provide a way for them to go much deeper into the issues that have captured their imagination."
Content last updated: 08/07/2005
