Title screen

The Planets is a 2019 BBC television documentary series (five episodes) about the solar system presented by Professor Brian Cox. The visually spectacular series looks at each planet in detail, using extensive computer-generated imagery and footage from space missions. Brian Cox links the segments with pieces from various desolate locations around planet Earth.

All on-screen text uses Gill Sans. It’s been the BBC’s house typeface for many years, and the association with Gill goes back to the 1930s.

But Gill Sans will soon be leaving the BBC’s orbit. While they’re continuing to use it for their logo, they’ve recently started introducing their own typefaces, Reith Sans and Reith Serif, that are now appearing across their extensive web site, including most of the Planets page. The starry header image manages to avoid using either font, using Gotham instead.

Audiobook cover

Mars caption

Venus caption

Web page for The Planets (2019)