BBC's Sky at Night.

[Grump Martian]

Forgive me if this topic has been covered recently. I have set my television to automatically record the Sky at Nigh. But have just realised that I cannot remember seeing it for quite some time. What has happened to it's once regular monthly spot? Has it been quietly dropped? 

[globular]

The last tweet on their twitter account was on 13th March 2023 and said:

[Grump Martian]

Thanks for that.

[billhinge]

would never of happed in the old days

[DaveS]

I think they are filming in Oz for their Stargazing Live which we don't get to see. Typical way the Beeb shortchange and stuff UK stargazers.

[Space Hopper]

I bet they are loving it out in Australia. And they might actually get to see the night sky !

Rather than clouds / rain here like we've had for the last few weeks.

[John]

49 minutes ago, Space Hopper said:

I bet they are loving it out in Australia. And they might actually get to see the night sky !

Rather than clouds / rain here like we've had for the last few weeks.

Oh, I don't know - we visited the eastern side of Australia for a month in November 2018 and only had 3 clear nights. The days were wonderful but lots of cloud at night. Luckily I had my 8x56 binoculars with me so that I could grab any clear time that did occur but if I had gone to the bother of packing a scope, it would not have got much use !

 

[icpn]

time for Sky at Night to be put to bed I think and replaced with a half decent program

[azrabella]

...and rename it "The Clouds at Night".

[Macavity]

Balkans! 🤣

Or rather Balkanisation of TV (media)? (There are just too many channels!) 😏
How would YOU make S@N better? Astronomy is just too niche / unexciting?

But Thanks for reminding me, that I might be *notified* via TWITTER! Though
I currently have a running battle with the latter, to reduce the "babble" (qv) 😅

 

[Alan White]

I had wondered if it had been quietly put away as a show.
Clearly we are a very small niche hobby and to have a monthly televison programme is quite a luxury.
Perhaps a luxury the BBC can no longer afford.
Perhaps one of the pay to view channels might pick it up if it were cancelled.

I do agree with @Macavity on too many channels, my dear old Dad said when channel 4 arrived it was 1 too many,
well he would have been shocked by the never ending deluge of channels and repeats we can can while our lives away watching.

Perhaps the S@N has become too broad with all the trips to Oz etc. and should focus back onngrass roots UK Astronomy?

[Cjg]

I miss Stargazing Live, but understand why a program in Feb based in the North West might struggle to find clear skies…The Sky at Night though, not so much, think the format was in need of a complete revamp. I stopped watching that years ago.

How to improve / replace it though? 
Chris

[Stu1smartcookie]

On 20/03/2023 at 22:02, Space Hopper said:

I bet they are loving it out in Australia. And they might actually get to see the night sky !

Great ...for them ! But , no disrespect , whats the point of a program being made for a British audience , being filmed in Australia . Its a complete waste of our money . Far better to concentrate on  northern hemisphere skies, clear or not . Also they could revamp the program to include things that actually matter to ametuer astromomy enthusiasts . Thats why i like their monthly video on YouTube which gives us a guide to most of the interesting celestial events happening in the night sky . A very interesting 25 minutes . Its far better than the Sky At Night program , incorporating that into the SAN would be a worthwhile addition ., imo . 

Edited March 22, 2023 by Stu1smartcookie

[woldsman]

44 minutes ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

Great ...for them ! But , no disrespect , whats the point of a program being made for a British audience , being filmed in Australia . Its a complete waste of our money . Far better to concentrate on  northern hemisphere skies, clear or not . Also they could revamp the program to include things that actually matter to ametuer astromomy enthusiasts . Thats why i like their monthly video on YouTube which gives us a guide to most of the interesting celestial events happening in the night sky . A very interesting 25 minutes . Its far better than the Sky At Night program , incorporating that into the SAT would be a worthwhile addition ., imo . 

The programme has its pros & cons but going to the Southern Hemisphere seems reasonable once in a while to view the constellations there! The news story about the black hole may be a specific reason for this trip. Hard to say until the programme has been broadcast. Agree the YouTube video is good though.

Edited March 22, 2023 by woldsman

[mikeDnight]

48 minutes ago, Cjg said:

I miss Stargazing Live, but understand why a program in Feb based in the North West might struggle to find clear skies…The Sky at Night though, not so much, think the format was in need of a complete revamp. I stopped watching that years ago.

How to improve / replace it though? 
Chris

I'd start by getting rid of the presenter's, followed by the entire behind the scenes crew, and finally the BBC.  Professional astronomers should be interviewees not interviewers, and The Sky at Night should return to its original purpose and format. One amateur astronomer with dynamism and personality (could be a challenge to find), speaking to like minded enthusiasts and encouraging newcomers to this wonderful hobby.   I stopped watching The Sky at Night years ago after listening to Chris L and a female presenter feigning fake enthusiasm, bat comments between themselves. He'd say a few words, she'd say a few words he'd say a few words, she'd say a few words, and so it went on - forever. One person talking into the camera would do, but no - have money will squander - that's the BBC. By the end of it I was suffering from whip-lash as it was like watching a fast shooting tennis match - a really boring one!  But the truth is, that even if a good presenter was found, no one could come close to matching good old Patrick. 

[markse68]

they should commission @rorymultistorey to do it- imagine what he’d get up to with a bit of a budget

[Carbon Brush]

I missed the early S@N programmes because they were past my bedtime and video recorders had not yet been invented.
As the years passed I could stay up later then I had the Sony Betamax machine for the programmes that I missed.

Unfortunately in the past couple of years the show, in my view has gone downhill. Despite the ease of BBC iplayer to catch up I find myself looking only if there is nothing else to watch.
Is it because my knowledge has improved (quiet at the back, stop sniggering) over the years and the show still targets the same knowledge level?
Is it that the audience demands a show that is more about visual effects and presenters with backgrounds?
By that I mean for example SPM at a desk with cardboard cut out planets vs Brian Cox wandering around mountains and deserts.

Today we can find a lot of the S@N technical content online, rather than having to wait for the monthly show.
Therefore the show has to be about the the presenters and the backdrops.

No easy answers.

[Mr Spock]

The presenters are ok, they just don't present the kind of enthusiasm SPM had. He was one of a kind.

[Stu1smartcookie]

12 minutes ago, Carbon Brush said:

I had the Sony Betamax machine

I had the sony F1 which included a Betamax video recorder ( in two parts ... linked by a thick cable ) and the Sony F1 camera ( which was akin to the size of the old tv cameras .. but somehow listed as portable !!!!) My back still aches just thinking about it . Having said that Betamax was the better system but the power of multiple companies producing for the inferior/cheaper vhs market (spit) won out . 

I aggree , David , knowledge is now more easliy obtainable and the S@N has stood still , so to speak . Its become nothing more than an occasionally interesting watch , but in effect has become even more niche . The program should imo concentrate on attracting new people to the hobby , have a section on astro photography and one based purely on visual astronomy . 

A  real shame . 

[DaveS]

What did for Stargazing Live from Oz (IMHO) wasn't so much the southern hemisphere location but the 12 hour time difference. I can understand wanting a location with more predictable weather than this dank swamp, but they didn't have to go half way round the world. For a northern hemisphere location E-EyE in Spain would be a good choice, or Tivoli Farm in Namibia for a southern hemisphere location.

As for the presenters, I like Chris Lintott (He's a member on here BTW) and Maggie Adderin-Pockock isn't just some random female presenter but a rocket scientist in her own right, plus she made her own telescope (Including the mirror) at age 14. She's one of us.

I would like Pete Lawrence's section to include more imaging especially during "Galaxy Season" when there are so many targets just crying out for imaging. 

[Paul M]

I agree with the above comment, get Astrobiscuit/'Rory Multistory" to cobble it together and have Pete Lawrence for a "sensible" interlude

I gave up on S@N long before SPM retired. I tuned in ocassionaly since, but the decline was painful to watch

My interest is in amateur astronomy, not esoteric research or the 300 billionth exoplanet discovery!

There is much better content on YouTube. If it wasn't for the MD tuning into the ocassional broadcast TV, I'd have stopped paying the TV licence fee long ago. I wouldn't have a TV in the house.

[RT65CB-SWL]

2 hours ago, Paul M said:

I agree with the above comment, get Astrobiscuit/'Rory Multistory" to cobble it together and have Pete Lawrence for a "sensible" interlude

I gave up on S@N long before SPM retired. I tuned in ocassionaly since, but the decline was painful to watch

My interest is in amateur astronomy, not esoteric research or the 300 billionth exoplanet discovery!

There is much better content on YouTube. If it wasn't for the MD tuning into the ocassional broadcast TV, I'd have stopped paying the TV licence fee long ago. I wouldn't have a TV in the house.

That’s the problem. Amateur astronomy is a niche market and the likes of the BBC, ITV, C4, C5 like to or want to fill it with rubbish TV, like Big Brother or I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Here and other ‘reality’/‘fly-on-the-wall’ and ‘talent shows’, etc.

YouTube and other media sites have more to hobbies, interests and subjects to view and not restricted to your home country.

Edited March 22, 2023 by Philip R

[tomato]

If SPM had been given unbroken access to clear skies we wouldn’t have got this TV gold moment back in 1961:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/cloud_disrupts_sky_at_night_50th/zrg8wty

When I come in early from a session, my catchphrase to the Mrs. is “totally obscured Patrick” 😉
 

 

[Space Hopper]

3 hours ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

Great ...for them ! But , no disrespect , whats the point of a program being made for a British audience , being filmed in Australia . Its a complete waste of our money . 

Well it is the BBC !!  They're experts at that.

[Stu1smartcookie]

42 minutes ago, Space Hopper said:

Well it is the BBC !!  They're experts at that.

How very very true .