"The wonders of our world often defy precise description.

When words alone are inadequate, Britannica's Phenomenal World turns to images.  Each episode offers a close-up look at the wonders of our world."


Phenomenal World was filmed in 16mm for rental distribution to schools in 1977. The series was also available on U-matic video format, a 3/4" inch tape format was the fore-runner to all home video formats that was quickly overshadowed by Beta and VHS.

First VHS Video release: July 1983 (institutional sale to public libraries and college only)
General VHS release: 1988.
Syndicated to cable: 1990 (Discovery Channel)

Produced and distributed by Encyclopedia Britannica Educational Corporation.

Phenomenal World - 22 episodes, 21 minutes each.
video releases were two per cassette.
01 East African Safari
01 The Vanishing Marshlands

02 The Restless Sea
02 The Trembling Earth

03 Voyage to the Galapagos
03 The Mystery of Mesa Verde

04 The Big Cats
04 Seasons of Survival

05 Of All the Nerves
05 The Time Factor

06 The People Places
06 The Robot Revolution

07 Circle of Life
07 The Great Balancing Act

08 When the Earth Explodes
08 The Seas Beneath the Earth

09 Flowers are Forever
09 Yellowstone: The Silent Season

10 Furnace in the Sky
10 Winds of Change

11 River of Life
11 Our Living Shield