New 'Universe' Series on BBC2 Tonight

[Ags]

Agreed but you can build a sense of awe by eloquently deploying information, or you can just pump up the music and CGI. I think "Universe" does the latter. 

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

1 hour ago, Ags said:

Just gave the first episode a try.

Its. So. Slow.

More facts please!

It's probably just me, however after my weekly episode of Foundation followed by Invasion, on went a rather late episode one for another try. I fell asleep again! Athough on this occasion I valiantly battled on for approximately forty minutes, I could not resist Cox's hypnotic commentary...

 

[Andy ES]

2 minutes ago, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

I fell asleep again! Athough on this occasion I valiantly battled on for approximately forty minutes, I could not resist Cox's hypnotic commentary...

Yes, my Mrs was asleep in about 10 mins. Not sure if was his soothing tones or the content ! 😁

[Astro Noodles]

4 hours ago, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

It's probably just me, however after my weekly episode of Foundation followed by Invasion, on went a rather late episode one for another try. I fell asleep again! Athough on this occasion I valiantly battled on for approximately forty minutes, I could not resist Cox's hypnotic commentary...

 

I think you should skip ahead, episodes 4 and 5 are the best. 😄

[Franklin]

In the lyrics of D Ream, "Things can only get better" 🙂.

[JamesF]

22 minutes ago, Franklin said:

In the lyrics of D Ream, "Things can only get better" 🙂.

I think that might have been after he left the band though

James

[Astro Noodles]

Oh, I get it now - very clever. 🤣

[Carbon Brush]

Well I tried watching the first episode on BBC iplayer. Gave up part way through.
I won't be watching the rest. Unless I suffer insomnia.

Does anyone have the technology to play the video at perhaps 120% or even 150%
of standard speed? That would help with the many long pauses in narration.

Or perhaps an automatic skip forward on silences longer than say 3 seconds.

Sir Patrick. Your ability to fill a programme is very much missed.

I'm sure some must like the BC programmes, but I don't.

OK grumble over.

[Ags]

If you play Cox at 150% speed, you get Patrick Moore.

[andrew s]

9 minutes ago, Ags said:

If you play Cox at 150% speed, you get Patrick Moore.

And at 1000% the Gabblerdictum bird from Space Patrol!

It's an age thing.

Regards Andrew 

[PeterCPC]

I thought that I would give the second one a go on I Player. No subtitles and the music completely drowns out Brian Cox. Turned off after a few minutes.

[tomato]

2 hours ago, Ags said:

If you play Cox at 150% speed, you get Patrick Moore.

I don’t think Patrick could have done the laconic pose on the rocky  outcrop staring out into the sunset, Brian Cox has mastered that one.

[Ags]

I don't get the random landscapes he teleports between. The landscapes used to be analogs for alien worlds, but in this series they just seem to be very expensive Zoom backgrounds.

[Alfian]

On 28/10/2021 at 20:17, Stephenstargazer said:

Well at least they gave the last word to Sandy Denny........................so that's OK by me🙂

Any Sandy Denny is great by me - her voice is just magical but yes, and it pains me to say it as a bit of fan of Prof. Cox, it was by far the best thing about the program. Very disappointing.

[wulfrun]

I've just finished watching them all. It's slow going, light on content but thought-provoking in places. I can't see it being aimed at anyone beyond the lay-person with a passing interest in astronomy but it's tolerable. The CGI is good but there's the usual re-cycling and over-loud music and I did wonder why so many piles of rocks, valleys, caves and derelict buildings quite bring meaning to any of it. Conclusion: watchable but "meh". Easily surpassed by his previous stuff.

Edited October 31, 2021 by wulfrun
typo

[DaveS]

There have been complaints about the background music in Radio Times.

But what's worse is that it looks like next week's episode has been bumped off the schedule bu bloody FOOTBALl . Argh, it's enough to make one spit  . Just shows the beeb's bloody priorities.

[Ouroboros]

It’s touch and go which would be more boring - football or Universe.  I watched last weeks and it was sooooooooooo slooooowwww.  They could have condensed it all into 15-20 minutes.  I just don’t get it. Who do they think are their target audience? OK, it’s got to be in terms non-specialists understand. But it’s an insult to interested non-specialists to assume they can’t follow a narrative at a reasonable pace. And if people aren’t interested, they won’t be watching anyway. I’m sorry I just think it’s dire! Dire in concept, and dire in execution. 

[Zermelo]

26 minutes ago, Ouroboros said:

I watched last weeks and it was sooooooooooo slooooowwww.  They could have condensed it all into 15-20 minutes.

I caught the tail end of The Museum of Curiosity the other day (S16Ep3), with one of the guests being impressionist and part-time astronomer Jon Culshaw. The subject of Universe came up and he morphed into a (perfect) Brian Cox, saying that one advantage of his (Cox's) slow delivery style was that it spun episodes out to an hour, whereas ...

On 31/10/2021 at 07:51, Ags said:

If you play Cox at 150% speed, you get Patrick Moore

... [Culshaw switching to a much faster Patrick Moore voice] The Sky at Night was only half as long.

[StarWomble]

I'm incredibly dissapointed in the series - too dumbed-down and VERY slow. 

But FAB to see the BBC spending taxpayers (NOT a license fee IMO🤬) wisely in sending the prof all over the place in a massive overpowered Rib where he was the only passenger to a remote place to 'muse' and ponder about things, and then give me his thoughts like he would to a 5 year old. What a massive waste of resource and dull as dishwater.

Rant over 🤣

in contrast, I watched an old Horizon programme straight after 'farceiverse' about dark energy and dark matter and it was very good indeed.

I fear Brian Cox is more about making entertainment than delivering anything educational.

 

[estwing]

Have to say not bothered about this...

[JamesF]

Perhaps we're all expecting a bit too much.  My daughter tells me that Brian Cox and cosmology featured heavily in her Ethics and Philosophy A Level class today.  Most of the students are not studying physics as far as I'm aware.  I feel it's probably a good thing that they're being exposed to the ideas.

Meanwhile, I'm still trying to get my head around Kant, Descartes, St. Anselm and the Ontological Argument for the Existence of God because my daughter is confused by it.  Perhaps the BBC could find some other presenter to do a series on philosophy that philosophers might think is rubbish, but I might be able to cope with.  It could even involve lingering shots gazing off into the distance from a mountain top because I feel that's the sort of thing that philosophers should probably do.  Is Helen Czerski free?

James

[Zermelo]

14 hours ago, JamesF said:

St. Anselm and the Ontological Argument for the Existence of God because my daughter is confused by it

She's not alone.

14 hours ago, JamesF said:

the BBC could find some other presenter to do a series on philosophy

that's long overdue, unless I missed it. Perhaps a serialization of Sophie's World? (I know there's been a film)

14 hours ago, JamesF said:

Is Helen Czerski free?

... or Alice Roberts ... I think they're both booked up for the next twenty years

[powerlord]

TV (and the BBC specifically) just doesn't get it. Most folk watch more youtube than tv nowadays, but TV still chugs along like a dinosaur - reminds me of the record companies 20 years ago. Unable to comprehend that there is a point in making TV for small groups of educated viewers.

Here it's just dumbed down to the level of idiocy. Even the guardian complained:

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/oct/27/universe-review-brian-coxs-trip-to-the-stars-is-sheer-cosmic-cowardice

If you want proper cosmology, watch PBS space time https://www.youtube.com/c/pbsspacetime

Cox can be ok on the proper medium (infinity monkey cage podcast is great)

I've not had a tv signal (terrestrial, satellite or cable) for 15 years. Still forced into a TV licence by the threats of louts knocking on my door right enough. Surely, as the older generation disappears tv will finally die ? - it's such an anachronistic form of entertainment - born from the days when the only way to getting moving pictures was to broadcast the same thing to everyone. It makes as much sense in 2021 to the generation under 40 as a horse and cart.

[powerlord]

14 hours ago, JamesF said:

Perhaps we're all expecting a bit too much.  My daughter tells me that Brian Cox and cosmology featured heavily in her Ethics and Philosophy A Level class today.  Most of the students are not studying physics as far as I'm aware.  I feel it's probably a good thing that they're being exposed to the ideas.

Meanwhile, I'm still trying to get my head around Kant, Descartes, St. Anselm and the Ontological Argument for the Existence of God because my daughter is confused by it.  Perhaps the BBC could find some other presenter to do a series on philosophy that philosophers might think is rubbish, but I might be able to cope with.  It could even involve lingering shots gazing off into the distance from a mountain top because I feel that's the sort of thing that philosophers should probably do.  Is Helen Czerski free?

James

Just get Cox on, he's some up Philosophy quite succinctly as a load of codswallop. one step up from alternative medicine and religion. 🤐

 

[Ian McCallum]

8 minutes ago, powerlord said:

codswallop

 

Isn't that a form of piscine abuse?🤔😂