The BEST episodes directed by Philip Smith
#1 - Europe
The Incredible Human Journey - Season 1 - Episode 3
When our species first arrived in Europe, the peak of the Ice Age was approaching and the continent was already crawling with a rival: stronger, at home in the cold and even (contrary to their popular image) brainier than us. So how did the European pioneers survive first the Neanderthals and then the deep freeze as they pushed across the continent? Alice Roberts reconstructs the head of the 'first European' to come face to face with one of our ancestors; she discovers how art became crucial for survival in the face of Neanderthal competition; and what happened to change the skin colour of these European pioneers from black to white. Finally, spectacular new finds on the edge of Europe suggest that the first known temples may have been a spark for a huge revolution in our ancestors' way of life - agriculture.
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#2 - Superfly
BBC Documentaries - Season 2009 - Episode 176
Documentary using specialist photography and 3D animation to show how the common fruit fly has been crucial to a hundred years of genetic research.
#3 - The Great San Francisco Earthquake
Channel 4 (UK) Documentaries - Season 2006 - Episode 23
In April 1906, San Francisco was destroyed by earthquake and fire. Thousands were killed, and tens of thousands were left homeless. But three years later the city had been rebuilt. This film looks at the destruction and rebirth of San Francisco, and how this great natural disaster became a part of American folklore. Here is a spectacular and highly emotional account of this unforgettable event.