Brian Cox review in the Guardian...
Discussion
If you want technical details, you watch Horizon, Brian Cox's Horizon shows are excellent. I have also watched several of his live talks.
These are technical details for technical people, not a prime time slot in which you present a certain amount of facts that he breaks down his way to educate the general public that is topped up with some fancy photography to keep people watching.
These are technical details for technical people, not a prime time slot in which you present a certain amount of facts that he breaks down his way to educate the general public that is topped up with some fancy photography to keep people watching.
How much of the presentation style is down to Cox and how much is it BBC execs telling him what to do so it looks good on Blu Ray or whatever? It can be a bit overblown, but it is nice to see someone with such enthusiasm for the subject. At least he's not dancing on ice or "I'm a cosmologist, get me out of here!".
I don't think you understand what the show is and why it's done like that.
If you want technical detail you won't get it here but perhaps it's meant to be more inspiring and interesting than technically informative.
He's certainly telegenic and has an infectious enthusiasm. What's wrong with that?
I didn't find the piece quoted as being funny, pretty trite and mundane actually, but then I don't get Harry Hill either...
If you want technical detail you won't get it here but perhaps it's meant to be more inspiring and interesting than technically informative.
He's certainly telegenic and has an infectious enthusiasm. What's wrong with that?
I didn't find the piece quoted as being funny, pretty trite and mundane actually, but then I don't get Harry Hill either...
paulwd said:
Given that the BBC's ethos is" To Educate, Entertain and Inform" I would suggest that Brian Cox has got it dead right on all three counts.
Indeed. This is the kind of show that can appeal to both children and adults alike. Entertaining, educational and inspiring. It asks as many questions as it answers and stimulates the mind which imo can only be a good thing.I'd rather a hundred shows like this than another Eastenders s
t fest or celebrity dancing on ice in the jungle.In the middle of reading 'Parallel Worlds' by Michiu Kaku. It's bascially exactly what Coxy was talking about but in much more detail. In fact, I'd be surprised if Coxy didn't use it as a base for his last episode, it's so similar even down to the examples he used (e.g. Betelgeuse). Very accessible writing, I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to read up more on the subject.
Whilst the programme is plainly about inspiring and entertaining rather than giving technical details I do find his style to be a bit too much about how wonderful something or somewhere is, rather than laying out some digestible facts and concepts. I found the quote in the OP to be highly entertaining as a result.
andy_s said:
I don't think you understand what the show is and why it's done like that
Regardless of whether this was aimed at me or not, don't think we're divided neatly into like and don't like (and that they're synonyms for understand / don't understand): On balance, it is of course very good telly, but not so perfect as to be beyond criticism (nor do I see how celebrity jesus dancing on ice guff is relevant to such); thought the review was an amusing counterpoint to the (justifiably) positive reception to WOTSS / WOTU (maybe because I am so bitter & twisted that I'm missing that; last paragraph's bit bleak, but scientifically accurate
). The mash up's a bit puerile - but funny as 'fook'; bits in chopper get me every time.Many of the visual tics are common to the modern documentary in general, but do seem to be taken to nth degree here (how long before the first comic parody on Harry & Paul?). Sometimes it seems Brian's in shot 'cos, well, it's Brian: having sent a crew all that way, I'd rather have seen the ancient South American art referred to, rather than an extraneous shot of him looking all windblown; seen more of the Northern Lights, rather than how and who he made camp with in Norway (last series), etc., etc.
Maybe they could use him as a 'gateway' presenter. After WOTU, get him to wean us onto something a little 'stronger': a Horizon on his day job...
PS when I went to search for Parallel Worlds (thanks for the tip) on bookdepository.co.uk, lo and behold default recommendation on front page was.... WOTU! There is no escape
seansverige said:
andy_s said:
I don't think you understand what the show is and why it's done like that
Regardless of whether this was aimed at me or not, don't think we're divided neatly into like and don't like (and that they're synonyms for understand / don't understand): On balance, it is of course very good telly, but not so perfect as to be beyond criticism (nor do I see how celebrity jesus dancing on ice guff is relevant to such); thought the review was an amusing counterpoint to the (justifiably) positive reception to WOTSS / WOTU (maybe because I am so bitter & twisted that I'm missing that; last paragraph's bit bleak, but scientifically accurate
). The mash up's a bit puerile - but funny as 'fook'; bits in chopper get me every time.Many of the visual tics are common to the modern documentary in general, but do seem to be taken to nth degree here (how long before the first comic parody on Harry & Paul?). Sometimes it seems Brian's in shot 'cos, well, it's Brian: having sent a crew all that way, I'd rather have seen the ancient South American art referred to, rather than an extraneous shot of him looking all windblown; seen more of the Northern Lights, rather than how and who he made camp with in Norway (last series), etc., etc.
Maybe they could use him as a 'gateway' presenter. After WOTU, get him to wean us onto something a little 'stronger': a Horizon on his day job...
PS when I went to search for Parallel Worlds (thanks for the tip) on bookdepository.co.uk, lo and behold default recommendation on front page was.... WOTU! There is no escape
I suppose he stands on the shoulders of, er, other 'celebscientists', such as Bellamy, Cousteau, Ball, Baxter, Burke, Moore etc and over time, entropy allowing, he'll become as famous and as fondly remembered, quirks (quarks?) and all.
I've got a couple of young boys and they relate to Cox quite well, even if what much of what he says goes over their heads. As for my wife, well, I think she enjoys it too but doesn't seem to remember much afterwards...
Or maybe he'll just become a lampooned buffoon, time will tell I suppose...
(And yes, good tip on the book - I'll look that up
)Damn. You mean I'm not the centre of the universe? Thought this science malarkey was just a nice story, not for real 
Clearly stating my appreciation for WOTSS / WOTU in OP might have framed the subsequent debate a little
better (also just noticed typo - that should be 'my' science TV
), and in fairness although it's him being criticised, unless he's also producing, directing & editing, it's not strictly down to him.
Guess I'm making seamless transition between angry young man and grumpy old one; next I'll be complaining about the music, which has been uncommonly good in WOTSS / WOTU, did wonder if that's more than a coincidence (probably not, Top Gear also use a lot of good music and I can't imagine they've heard of stuff like Amon Tobin)
Nice to hear some traditions persist: as a kid, remember watching Life on Earth, etc. between bath and bedtime.
ETA: does anyone know if Neil deGrasse Tyson has fronted any shows? Not sure you'd call him the American Brian Cox, but eminently watchable; really enjoyed his appearances on Horizon and interviews on Daily Show, Colbert, etc.
Clearly stating my appreciation for WOTSS / WOTU in OP might have framed the subsequent debate a little
better (also just noticed typo - that should be 'my' science TV
), and in fairness although it's him being criticised, unless he's also producing, directing & editing, it's not strictly down to him.Guess I'm making seamless transition between angry young man and grumpy old one; next I'll be complaining about the music, which has been uncommonly good in WOTSS / WOTU, did wonder if that's more than a coincidence (probably not, Top Gear also use a lot of good music and I can't imagine they've heard of stuff like Amon Tobin)
Nice to hear some traditions persist: as a kid, remember watching Life on Earth, etc. between bath and bedtime.
ETA: does anyone know if Neil deGrasse Tyson has fronted any shows? Not sure you'd call him the American Brian Cox, but eminently watchable; really enjoyed his appearances on Horizon and interviews on Daily Show, Colbert, etc.
Edited by seansverige on Sunday 20th March 17:34
seansverige said:
Damn. You mean I'm not the centre of the universe? Thought this science malarkey was just a nice story, not for real
Clearly stating my appreciation for WOTSS / WOTU in OP might have framed the subsequent debate a little
better (also just noticed typo - that should be 'my' science TV), and in fairness although it's him being criticised, unless he's also producing, directing & editing, it's not strictly down to him.
Guess I'm making seamless transition between angry young man and grumpy old one; next I'll be complaining about the music, which has been uncommonly good in WOTSS / WOTU, did wonder if that's more than a coincidence (probably not, Top Gear also use a lot of good music and I can't imagine they've heard of stuff like Amon Tobin)
Nice to hear some traditions persist: as a kid, remember watching Life on Earth, etc. between bath and bedtime.
Just on the music, I was listening to him discuss the program on Radio 4, (Angry Young Man -> Grumpy Old Man -> Radio 4 is the normal state of entropy), and he'd asked the producers to keep the music volume up whilst they wanted to tone it down, he said that it added to the 'feelings' and wanted it to have an enveloping emotional impact as much as anything. The producers won unfortunately.Clearly stating my appreciation for WOTSS / WOTU in OP might have framed the subsequent debate a little
better (also just noticed typo - that should be 'my' science TV
), and in fairness although it's him being criticised, unless he's also producing, directing & editing, it's not strictly down to him.Guess I'm making seamless transition between angry young man and grumpy old one; next I'll be complaining about the music, which has been uncommonly good in WOTSS / WOTU, did wonder if that's more than a coincidence (probably not, Top Gear also use a lot of good music and I can't imagine they've heard of stuff like Amon Tobin)
Nice to hear some traditions persist: as a kid, remember watching Life on Earth, etc. between bath and bedtime.
(I'd be interested in a Tobin/Yorke project, but that would probably be too spacey...)
andy_s said:
(I'd be interested in a Tobin/Yorke project, but that would probably be too spacey...)
You utter barsteward.All that registered was Tobin/Yorke and I was over to google like a rat up a drain pipe. It's only when no permutations of such a collaboration yielded any meaningful results that I re-read your sentence in properly. Oh well, one can but dream...
(btw: too spacey? Thom's ethereal vocals over Amon at his most 'industrial' - either work brilliantly or not at all; don't think 'meh' is an option)
Does amuse me that - thanks to the Beeb - my retired parents are probably fans of Amon, Thom and many others, by osmosis. Was even more amused when they became Goldie converts off the back of Maestro...
Edited by seansverige on Sunday 20th March 23:58
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