Brian Cox's New Series

[Headfry]

hmmmmm - jury is out on this series. I am a huge BC fan and always will be (he is rather lovely too )....however..... there seemed to be many shots of him 'standing' in front of things/places! yes fantastic view and a nice pose but this kind of shot just seems to be getting more and more frequent and lasting longer with fancy camera work added. I want the knowledge not the pose. I hope they are not destroying all the good work Brian has done in re-vamping the sciences as a young and cool thing to get into. Please BBC dont dumb down the program with lots of poses and the sort of thing that is a costly norm in all sorts of programs these days......
See me in the fighter jet
See me being winched up by the RNLI
See me ride my skido
See me of the edge of the grand canyon
See me in expensive places, coldest mountain tops, driest desserts - these clips last but a few minutes - they must cost the BBC a fortune but do they really make the program more informative?
Have to say I am starting to enjoy just hearing him on the radio or in a tv show more than watching this series.....
You are great just being Brian, you dont need the gimmicks and camera trickery.
Dont over egg the cake!

[Florian]

You are great just being Brian, you dont need the gimmicks and camera trickery.
Dont over egg the cake!

This is very true. I think it's fairly typical of the TV companies - they have a successful show and then make the follow up all about what they perceive as the successful aspects rather than focussing on what was actually good about it.

I like his enthusiasm and he'll (poor man) always be associated with recovering from a hospital stay in my mind as my dad (who stayed looking after me) suggested we watch while I was recovering

[Capsid]

The programme is co-produced by the BBC and National Geographic, so I fear there is a bit of dumbing down for the American audience.

It's getting the right balance, if it just showed the facts then it becomes a physics lecture.

[Headfry]

The programme is co-produced by the BBC and National Geographic, so I fear there is a bit of dumbing down for the American audience.

It's getting the right balance, if it just showed the facts then it becomes a physics lecture.

I had not thought of it like that... Thanks Capsid.

[HotStuff]

There seems like a lot of 'greater being' connotations to me when he's summing up.

I think it's just a sense of wonderment and fascination at how beautiful and complex our Universe is.

[Capsid]

I think you'll find Brian Cox is an atheist.

[HeyWayne]

I think you'll find Brian Cox is an atheist.

I thought he considered himself a physicist...

[SueA]

Boom boom! Back on form Wayne!
The whole series has apparently been re-edited as there have been complaints about the 'background' music being too loud. Brian Cox is quite upset about this, as he says it's not a lecture it's meant to be a 'filmic' experience & the music adds to the atmosphere. It's true it has been 'simplified' a little to appeal to an American audience but it's 'complicated' enough for me as well as being fascinating.

[HeyWayne]

Boom boom! Back on form Wayne!
The whole series has apparently been re-edited as there have been complaints about the 'background' music being too loud. Brian Cox is quite upset about this, as he says it's not a lecture it's meant to be a 'filmic' experience & the music adds to the atmosphere. It's true it has been 'simplified' a little to appeal to an American audience but it's 'complicated' enough for me as well as being fascinating.

Interesting, as @ProfBrianCox was promoting the score on Twitter yesterday - telling all it is available to buy....

Given his musical background I can't say I'm wholly surprised though.

I still find the programmes fascinating, and for me they generate more questions than answers.

He's a dude as far as I'm concerned.

[Headfry]

I think Mr Brian Cox has just won a TV award....Royal Television Society Award
Excellent news, well done Brian first of many I hope

[HeyWayne]

He's just had a big old rant at Sarah Vine about something she's written in The Times. He's not a happy boy. In fact, he's gone off to have a walk.

[Sylvan]

what did she write?

[HeyWayne]

what did she write?

Dunno - something about science. You have to pay to read The Times Online.

Here's the public reaction (for those not on Twitter, or following him)
sarah vine - Google Search

Type in "Sarah Vine" and then select "realtime" from the search options if the above doesn't work.

Sorry to veer off topic.

[SueA]

I've just read the Sarah Vine piece in the Times & I think she's wrong although I'm sure lots of people will agree with her. Basically she's saying that 'Wonders' is just a big ego trip for Prof. Cox with lots of lingering shots of him gazing into the distance & science should be presented by 'nutty dishevelled old duffers' - her words not mine. I know it seems extravagant to send Prof. Cox to stand in front of a beautiful sunset to explain something to us & fair enough he could have explained the entropy theory by playing with sand on Blackpool beach instead of a remote desert somewhere but I enjoy having my senses stimulated whilst trying to learn something & I think he gets the message across very well.

[HotStuff]

I don't know how accurate it is, but there is what seems to be a copy of her article you can read for free here.

Whenever I've seen him interviewed he always seems very natural & down-to-earth, not a bit egotistical.