Posted by Grant Privett at 09:24 on 2013 Sep 07
I watched the latest episode today. It was the first time I had seen the programme in a few years. I got put off a while back for 2 main reasons:1, The subject matter was often too familiar – the disadvantage of being an astronomer for 40+ years. 2, Some of the presenters/reporters were so bad that I had to turn off to reduce my blood pressure.So, when I tried it again today I was surprised. They tried hard, and while I thought some of the content fairly superficial it was, overall, a reasonable watch for someone who has been in the hobby only a few years. The presentation is still a bit weak the original selection criteria was always bizarre but at least the standard has improved. Having watched half the Ages of Stars programme a year or so ago, its obvious that selecting good speakers who know what they are talking about is clearly a problem the BBC still has.Personally, I didnt find much of the music intrusive and had fun working out who they were spotted Tangerine Dream and Philip Glass.I cant see it surviving much longer, not because of its weaknesses (minor compared to some programmes), but because of a hostility within the media to anyone not obsessed with Facebook, celebrity, dancing, cooking or soaps. I am mildly surprised to see its still going. No doubt the BBC will announce a major restructuring of their educational science output and drop it. But at least the current team are trying.