GOOD TV

[Stanley]

Watched a recording of the Storyville film on BBC4, 'Particle Fever', the story of the hunt for the Higgs Boson. Fascinating and very impressive.

[Tizer]

We've watched Brian Cox's programmes too, very well presented by Cox and with superb filming. A joy to watch.

[Stanley]

'Trust Me, I'm a Doctor' was excellent again last night.

[Cathy]

Barlick was on my tele 'again' today - what's going on? Watched a show called Voyages of Construction, all about Rolls Royce and the different engines they produce. Barlicks part talked about 'titanium sandwich blades' , overall quite interesting. Quite an icon to work for I would imagine.

[Tizer]

We watched a recording of the last of Brian Cox's `Human Universe' series last night. Magnificent, the best TV programmes I've seen for some time. I liked his words at the end, something along the lines of "using the light of reason to drive away the darkness of superstition". Also the part on nuclear fusion to provide `clean' energy where he visited the National Ignition Facility (NIF)* in the USA where they are doing the work to fuse hydrogen atoms and form helium, what will eventually be our solution for providing vast amounts of energy free of bad side-products. All you get from the reaction is energy and helium, or as Cox puts it "You get your energy and your party balloons at the same time". He also pointed out how little money, in relative terms, is being spent on the fusion research by saying that people in the USA spend far more on pet grooming than they do on the fusion project, even though fusion could solve all our energy problems.
*http://www.wired.com/2014/02/fusion-power-not-yet/

[Stanley]

I watched that as well and like you was struck with the pet grooming comparison. I've been a fan of fusion ever since the 1980s when I saw the massive lasers they were using at a Caltech facility to make the containment field.... Over 30 years ago and they were working on it then at the same time the Apple computer was being developed. I saw my first word processor on the same trip. If only fusion had advanced at the same pace as the Apple.....

[Tizer]

Coincidentally, have a look at this report on a new approach at Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works that's smaller and wil possibly get us to commercial, practicable fusion faster:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29710811

[Stanley]

I like it Tiz. No matter how sceptical the critics are the Skunk Works has a pretty good track record. Of course it's difficult and high risk but we need multiple approaches to problems like this. Best of luck to them.....

[Tizer]

It was good to hear the wildlife expert who does sound recordings for TV programmes complaining bitterly about the programme producers who insist on playing music over wildlife films instead of leaving it to the natural sounds. He says he gets lots of viewers complaining to him about it. His view was that the producers have such short attention spans they think everyone else is the same and that we all need music to keep us interested. Grrrrh...

[Stanley]

It's not just wild life programmes, we've all seen good documentaries ruined by obtrusive lift music.....

[Stanley]

The Panorama programme last night on banks driving customers into liquidation.....

[Tripps]

I had a late night last night and stumbled into this -
All the fun of the fair

I hadn't realised there were so many professors of 'fairgroundology' in our universities.

I loved the story from 'the English Annie Oakley', whose grandfather was said to have come over with Buffalo Bill's tour in the 1880's. Nice story, but doubt was cast when they pointed out - they were both called Shufflebottom, which is not a common name amongst American cowboys.

I think we have mentioned that tour previously on the site.

Worth a watch - good social history.

[Tripps]

It's very late but I've just watched the best two frames of snooker I've ever seen. A lad called James Cahill (No 100 in the world), from Blackpool has just beaten Ding Junhui No 3 in the world in the last frame. He is only 19 years old.

He plucked defeat from the jaws of victory in the last but one, then amazingly won the last, having been well behind. He made some crucial shots left handed!

I thought I was getting bored with snooker recently, but this was seriously good. A star is born.

[Tripps]

Of course - as is the way of such matters - he was knocked out in the next round.
Since found out that Stephen Hendry is his uncle. That must help.

[Stanley]

Caught Ronnie doing what he does best last night. I don't know how the match finished but playing him must be a nightmare!

[Stanley]

Last night's Panorama which followed the supply chain of Apple products. This is good investigative TV.

[Stanley]

I was lucky enough last night at about 4PM to turn the TV on during the last frame of the match which Ronnie won and equalled Stephen Hendry's all time century break record. It included a wonderful semi-fluke that saved the century break when all seemed lost. I sat semi fluke because he said afterwards that he thought there was a chance of it going in but even he was surprised. Superb snooker and the audience loved it!

[chinatyke]

I was lucky enough last night at about 4PM to turn the TV on during the last frame of the match which Ronnie won and equalled Stephen Hendry's all time century break record. It included a wonderful semi-fluke that saved the century break when all seemed lost. I say semi fluke because he said afterwards that he thought there was a chance of it going in but even he was surprised. Superb snooker and the audience loved it!

Yes, I saw it also. The shot on the yellow made everyone laugh and applaud and no doubt this will be one of the shots that is shown again and again. It was a great shot. Wish I could play like that.

[Stanley]

Beautiful to watch.....

[Stanley]

Last night's BBC2 programme on the super rich. Hunt it down and watch it!

[Wendyf]

A very disturbing programme, as was the first one last week. Jacques Peretti has a way of making his interviewees feel comfortable enough to tell the truth about their excesses.

[Stanley]

Dead right Wendy. He's homing in on the most dangerous trend in the world today and the politicians are ignoring it. He dragged it together well and it was instructive to watch the bloke on £29million a year wriggling on the hook. He never said it but he quite obviously thinks it is a good thing. They all cling to the Great Lie, that wealth trickles down.....

[Stanley]

Looking forward to Wolf Hall. the first of Hilary Mantel's books on Thomas Cromwell to be shown on TV.

[Stanley]

Wolf Hall tonight! I hope it's as good as the book....

[Tripps]

Well - I've watched episode one. Not a lot of laughs were there? I kept thinking Cromwell was Paul Whitehouse, and Bernard Hill will always be Yosser Hughes to me.

The pace was very slow, and the acting a bit wooden. A bit 'Emmerdaleish' , as in when Cromwell overheard a conversation, and was the f word true to the period ? - I was quite shocked to hear it. I was almost disappointed that the rain machine was not wheeled out for extra drama.

I've only read the first few pages of the book - in which Cromwell is beaten badly by his father. It was the best piece of descriptive writing I've seen for a while, and quite riveting. The cinematography was great - many of the scenes would have made great oil paintings.

I'll have a go at the book before next week.