BBC Four's documentary Light Fantastic explores the phenomenon that surrounds and affects nearly every aspect of our lives but one which we take for granted - light. What did you think of the first programme?

There are no plans to release the series on DVD, but we have passed on the many requests for it to be made available commercially to BBC Worldwide.

Send us your thoughts using the form on the right and we'll publish a selection below.

What a fantastic series. Congratulations to the producers and BBC to pick up the idea. It couldn’t have been better. Science and societies as such can only be understood in a historical context, just like biology only makes sense in the light of evolution. Many of the historical figures are mispresented wrongfully in today’s world as scientists of their time when in reality they were very religious and sought for a deeper religious understanding. It wasn’t until the early 20th century that a world without god became thinkable because of the answers we acquired with light technology. This is what this series tries to portray and does so excellently!
Lorence, Vienna, Austria

I have just watched the final programme of this series with awe. Quite possibly this is has been the finest series on the history of science ever shown on British television. It was inspiring and moving and should be required viewing in schools, at it would doubtless inspire a new generation of children to pursue science. The series brought home what an amazing, beautiful world in which we live. Simon Schaffer should be given a knighthood. Please repeat on terrestrial TV and commission more!
Philip Gooch, Enfield

What an excellent series! At last a science based programme on the BBC which hasn't been dumbed down like recent series of Horizon. Whatever happened to the Horizon and QED of old? Programmes like this should make it to BBC One or Two for a wider audience, instead of those terrible sitcoms and endless repeats. Well done BBC Four.
Kevin Morgan, Andover, Hants

I have never written in like this before, but Light Fantastic is so terrible, so simplistic, so inaccurate, so distortive, so incorrect (in interpretations) and with such a displeasing manner of bombast, hyperbole, distracting gesticulation, patronising backgrounds - it is really, really bad for the public understanding of science. Please take it off as soon as possible.
Ian Flintoff, London

In a word; wonderful. I believe that this series even surpasses David Attenborough's Life on Earth and Life in the Freezer. It is an interesting and thought-provoking series. We never think of the extent that light has affected our political and religious history. I congratulate the BBC and Simon Schaffer for this superb documentary.
Gary Mullenger, Ipswich, Suffolk

I just watched this wonderful documentary. The narration, script and especially the photography were just awesome. I loved the music - where can I find it and who created it?
Peter, Maidenhead, Berks

BBC Four: The music in the programme and trailer was composed specially by Ty Unwin. It is not available commercially.

The range of websites connected to this series is remarkable. In particular I would pick out the Newton project which is an education in itself. Only problem - one needs an extra lifetime to work through and absorb all the material.
Patricia Graham, Tonbridge, Kent

Thought-provoking programme; informative and extremely entertaining. May I however make one comment? The argument that Protestant England was right (Newton) and Catholic France (Descartes) was wrong is flawed. I expect your program to be less nationalistic and more fact based.
Kaveh Manavi, Edinburgh

Magic! I was lost in the sky, but now have the chance to find my way. I can't remember all that I saw and will need some notes or DVD.
C H Gardner, Newcastle upon Tyne

The film that followed Light Fantastic on 2 December was excellent. Is there any way of accessing this on the web? I would like to show it to my son because the explanations were so clear and engaging.
Geoff Smith, Cambridge

BBC Four: The first part of the Night Fantastic interactive service is now being streamed on the website.

This brilliant illustrated lecture was illuminating in so many ways. Intelligent, informative and superbly filmed it showed BBC Four at its best - and worst. We have had many examples of beautiful BBC Four programmes ruined by the onscreen logo but this was the crassest example for a long time. To illustrate the imprisonment of the great Muslim scholar Alhazen the screen went completely black for a few seconds except, of course, for the white BBC Four logo. Then Al-Hazen stared into the sun or presumably this is what was intended. In fact he stared up at the logo. Brilliant? I don't think so.
Colin Price, Glasgow

Great programme, well presented, wide-reaching and informative. But it's a shame about two things. For the most part there was so much costume drama cleverness that I feel you missed an opportunity to inspire people to try experiments - Al Hazen's incredible camera obscura or even Newton's experiment.

There were also lots of really clumsy bits of digital cheating. The colours of the rainbows in the sky and even worse in the eyes of Bacon were hopelessly off. While I accept them as rhetorical devices, it is still irritating that you had to resort to sleight of hand when a real shot would have been so much more powerful! Keep up the (mostly) fantastic work and thanks for a very thought-provoking programme.
Andrea Sella, London

Fantastic! Informative, entertaining, excellently presented and narrated.
Lesley Stevens, Hinckley

The BBCi programme accompanying Light Fantastic referred to the Great Orion Nebula but showed a picture of the Horse Head Nebulae IC434. As I understand, The Great Orion Nebula is in fact M42.
Phil Alner, Fleet, UK

BBC Four: Yes you're right. Please accept our apologies - we're updating the reference. Unfortunately this may not be in time for the transmission on Thursday 2 December.

Describing the night sky it was said that the zodiac was defined by the twelve constellation crossed by the ecliptic. Why was Ophiuchus excluded? It is the thirteenth such constellation.
Angus Idle, High Wycombe, Bucks UK

BBC Four: We decided to use the more familiar 12 constellations of the zodiac because to mention 13 (without explanation) would have raised more queries. The programme isn't long enough to explain why Ophiuchus is not commonly listed in the zodiac.