As posted elsewhere...

I can't get through an episode of Horizon without leaving the room muttering under my breath about Pseudo Science, Stupid camera angles and Sensationalism.

Is it just me?

Nick
(Grumpy old man )

Nick:

Yes - once it was a 'must watch' whatever the topic, but no longer. I have a suspicion that the bulk of it is Nova or Discovery channel remoulds these days, just with UK voiceovers.

Bob Shaw

So what do you think of NOVA? I downl^H^H^H^H^H uhhh saw somewhere...an episode of Horizon on bubblefusion and I thought it was actually pretty good. On the other hand, since I get NOVA free on PBS over here and I get to see most of them, I really think ITS gone downhill. ScienceNOW with the ever annoying Robert Krulwitch is just insulting and when NOVA actually does decide to cover hard science its pointless (with the exception of the rover specials which were very good). The last example of which that I recall was watching Brian Greene sit in a CG set called the "quantum cafe" where ice cubes demonstrate Heisenberg uncertainty. gag. It seems like most of the shows done now are on archaeology and the animal world. Which is fine to a point but if I watch one more mummy/shark/pyramids/aligator/iceman special I think I'm gonna friggin loose it.

The one that's gone too far over on this side of the pond is a series on The History Channel entitled "Modern Marvels." When that series started, you had some very nice looks at fascinating elements of our modern-day infrastructures -- but they seem to have run out of truly "marvelous" topics, and now they're just reaching.

For example, a few of their latest topics have been cement, gasoline and basements. I wouldn't be surprised if their next topic turned out to be cow dung.

It was a good show, but I think they need to retire the show and move on...

-the other Doug

Well, if we're talking BBC documentaries of the HORIZON series, I have to say those are great, remember:

1. Destination Mars
2. Saturn - lord of the rings
3. Titan - a place like home ?

I have those on VHS and will transfer to DVD soon as those were 'superb' documentaries !

I recently watched a tape I have of a Nova episode from 1988, "Death of a Star", about the famous Supernova 1987A. Even then the narration and information presentation was much more straightforward and far less flashy than it is now. There was far less music and more talking by the various scientists themselves. It was almost a surprise compared to what we've been given since then.

I am of two minds on the way science programs are presented these days. Of course the public has to be enticed to watch, a public that has been indoctrinated since roughly the birth of MTV with fast cuts, sound bites, and increasingly flashier graphics. Sometimes this can be put to good use and enhance a program in terms of making the material comprehensive. Then again, it has the drawback of making education "have to be" entertaining, otherwise it is not considered worth watching. I see this in my two young sons, who have to be "entertained" to learn anywhere outside of school. Video games and Yu-Gi-Oh! rule their worlds. Or is this normal for kids their age?

Of course the frightening alternative is no educational science program at all. And don't expect the networks to try and fill in such gaps on their own without a public outcry from folks like us.

One semi-relevant tidbit I remember from an early 1976 Nova program on the planets: At the very end, they added the "recently" released image of the surface of Venus from Venera 9 as an addendum, because it happened after the main program was made. I had seen the image before in the New York Times, but it was still a very cool surprise to see and has stuck with me more than the rest of that program ever since. This was months before the Viking landings on Mars.

I think British documentary making for our subject peaked with 'The Planets' - it's gone very downhill ever sicne. 'Space' was terrible, and the recent 'Voyage..' was more drama and documentary.

Doug

SCIENCE ON TELEVISION (Science Show: 28/01/2006)

Veteran science producer Dick Gilling, who worked for many years at the BBC
and with the ABC in the early days of our science broadcasting, asks why the
quality of science programs on television has declined.

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/ss/stories/s1555286.htm

ljk4-1 - Good find!
PhilCo126 - Yes they can still do it sometimes.


I think the dumbing down of Science Documentary in the search of viewing figures is inevitable in the commercial world that IS most of the media.

*But*

The BBC is (and SHOULD) be different because it is a mandatory subscription service. In the UK we each pay £126 per year for its output.
It has at its core a "Public Service Charter" which defines its public service role.
It should therefore be able to make "Quality" Science programs that are not crippled by the need to attract an audience with no interest in science.
It shouldn't be about viewing figures, well not totally anyhoo.

It has come to the point where the "show" is so watered down, that yes, it's is nice eye-candy for the masses but carries no scientific message, just a sensational "Oh my god the world is gonna blow up", or "There's a asteroid out there with my name on it"



Nick

The best BBC science reporting, IMHO, is now on the wireless. 'Material World', for example, on the Home Service (well, that's what it says on *my* radio). The pictures are much better, too!

Bob Shaw

Well Doug is certainly right on what he said on ' The Planets ' ... Pardon me saying but BBC made that documentary in a good period ... for instance they managed to interview Dr Gerry SOFFEN, one of my childhood 'heroes' of unmanned spaceflight ( as a 10-year old I managed to write to and get photos of Dr Charlie HALL, Dr Carl SAGAN, Dr Gerry SOFFEN, Dr Gentry LEE and others and unfortunately most have deceased ... )
The 2 'HORIZON' docus on Cassini were superb ( see my post above )

This Thursday 09 Feb 2006 evening another space-related Horizon about Black Matter in space ...

Well I guess the comments were correct as the latest HORIZON was filmed in a completely ' new style ' ... really prefered the earlier style

FYI to other yanks on the board Nova is actually running what looks like a NON-fluff science show tonight at 8 EST on neutrino oscillation etc. from the blurb it really looks quite good.

Yes, see here:

http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.p...indpost&p=42141