Mars the series

[ghostdance]

Anyone else catch the new Nat Geo drama/doc series 'Mars' Sunday night? 

Could be grand, could be bland. We'll see.....

 

 

[Davey-T]

Saw the trailer so many times it put me off the program, looked like being totally unrealistic as "we" don't even have the capability to send a person to the Moon at the present time going to Mars seems a bit premature.

Given the challenges involved ( the radiation would kill us stone dead in short order ) it will probably be another 50 years before we make it if at all.

Dave

[bejay1957]

Interesting mix of current/future tech and drama, will persevere...  I did see one comment elsewhere that it did come across as a promo for SpaceX

[Dave In Vermont]

It looked like an advertisement for SpaceX and Elon Musk.

Dave

[Droogie 2001]

I watched the first episode last night.
As others have mentioned it combines actual present day interviews with some of the big hitters in the industry such as Elon Musk, Neil Degrasse Tyson and the current NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. It was also good to see author Andy Weir (author of The Martian) on there too.

I enjoyed the combined present day real life discussions and the dramatized 2033 scenes.
It does take a bit of getting use but at least it tries to do something different and just a bog standard let’s just make a lazy dramatization of a Mars series.

As for being an advert for Space X. Whilst there is quite a bit of them in the episode they are there because they are aiming for a Mars landing. Apparently, Musk’s main reason for setting up Space X in the first place was to land on Mars. The fact that they are a commercial company that is changing the face of the space industry should not be lost on people either, so it’s a little unfair to say it’s just an advert for Space X.
One point which underlines this was footage of actual Space X launches. Rather than show boating the successfully landings they show the failed landings and the mid-flight detonations, this tells us that launching and landing rockets is hard.

For me the series will hopefully take away the usual drudgery of cookery and celebrity programs that plague other channels. Though top marks have to go to the BBC for showing Planet Earth 2 on prime time Sunday night.

[Droogie 2001]

9 hours ago, Davey-T said:

Saw the trailer so many times it put me off the program, looked like being totally unrealistic as "we" don't even have the capability to send a person to the Moon at the present time going to Mars seems a bit premature.

Given the challenges involved ( the radiation would kill us stone dead in short order ) it will probably be another 50 years before we make it if at all.

Dave

The characters mention that they will receive 200 times the amount of radiation that they would have received on Earth, before they even arrive at Mars. The dramatization part is set in 2033 which is around the same time NASA wants send people to Mars.
Whether we do actually ever send anyone to Mars (alive) is a valid point.

Give it a watch you may enjoy it..!

[barkis]

I was delighted to watch the first episode,  and although  it's a bit iffy on the Mars expedition part,  it still delivered some good science too.               It made a nice change from the plethora of damned cooking,  quiz,  other boring progs .  Infesting  TV  nowadays. 

[ghostdance]

Have to agree with the 'yays' I admit...I found the mix of reportage/fiction extrapolation interesting, and the science based tech welcome ( much as I enjoy a good teleport or warp-drive or two...!)

I'm hoping character development is not stereotypical ( tho the already ailing-but-gritty commander could be a bit hackneyed), and will be  recording the next few.....

I think it was the same evening, but NG also had a mission to Pluto ( or was it Titan) programme made by US TV - I was so grateful we have presenters like Brian Cox and Jim Al Kalili by the end of it! Lawd- luv -a -duck,  the US presenter was tiring...and actually got in the way of the topic I thought. 

Where are the likes of Sagan, very sadly missed...

[LukeSkywatcher]

I recorded it. Like most stuff i record, i leave it sitting on the DVR for so long that i lose interest in ever deciding to watch, so i delete.

[barkis]

2 hours ago, LukeSkywatcher said:

I recorded it. Like most stuff i record, i leave it sitting on the DVR for so long that i lose interest in ever deciding to watch, so i delete.

You really must shake yourself into adopting a more positive attitude Paul, otherwise  you will drift into the murky world of complete boredom,
and all the negative by products of such a mind state .

[LukeSkywatcher]

20 minutes ago, barkis said:

You really must shake yourself into adopting a more positive attitude Paul, otherwise  you will drift into the murky world of complete boredom,
and all the negative by products of such a mind state .

OK........i'll give it a go. I did see a clip of it where Sir Trevor MacDonald was interviewing the astronauts who were about to go to Mars. If Sir Trevor is in it........it cant be all that bad.