April 2nd, 2007
Just seen it.
Posted by
chrislintott in
Sky at Night
I don’t know if this is general knowledge, but Patrick and I aren’t the people with the last word on the programme. It gets whisked into editing, from whence it emerges usually hugely improved. I was therefore *slightly* nervous about what tonight had in store, but as it turns out I needn’t have worried. Everyone did an excellent job (although I might need to have a word about one or two graphics!) and I feel we did the Sky at Night proud. I hope you did too. If you haven’t seen it, tomorrow night on BBC4 is your next chance.
on April 2nd, 2007 at 2:29 am
It was great, Chris!
It really made me laugh in places, too, which I wasn’t expecting!
on April 2nd, 2007 at 2:46 am
The whole episode is already available for streaming on the BBC Sky At Night page
My favourite quote (when discussing the Sky at Night theme music): “I rather prefer something more cheerful. What we need is a bit of stark Scandanavian introspection in a minor key!”
on April 2nd, 2007 at 2:59 pm
To add my two penny worth to the debate…
Over all I really enjoyed the show. The “flash back” to 1957 was wonderfully done and the thought of Patrick being uploaded to a BBC computer was a very nice touch. As has been mentioned, the Sky at Night has always been able to include a little humour without detracting from the science. In that sense I don’t agree that the show was in any way dumbed down. The scientific content was still there with humour as an added extra. Not like those awful documentaries on some channels where the narrator speaks as though addressing a class of pre-schoolers.
There has been a more traditional retrospective which was included on one of the recent cover disks. I think the only point I took issue with was Dr Brian Mays conclusions about the origins of life. Of course, since we don’t yet know the answer, his was a perfectly valid and possiby correct opinion, it’s just that I happen to strongly disagree! There lies the beauty of the subject. It’s the huge number of questions to which the only honest answer is “we simply don’t know”. I wonder how many will be solved by the 100th Aniversary show? To me, astronomy will always be closly linked to my other passion, philosophy.
Congratulations to all involved in the Sky at Night, long may you continue.
Mark B.
on April 2nd, 2007 at 3:35 pm
Great prog. Congrats to you Patrick and Brian.
Regards
on April 2nd, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Well done to all involved, entertaining all the way through…especially the little digs at the schedulers!!
I do think the beeb could of done more to push it though but none the less a cracking programme, had me laughing anyway!!
Dave
on April 3rd, 2007 at 7:13 am
I watched the program on BBC 4 [at a more respectable time
]. It was great to watch! Well done to all & my hat off to Jon Culshaw.
James
on April 3rd, 2007 at 2:15 pm
Excellent programme and lets have another 50!
on April 3rd, 2007 at 10:58 pm
I enjoyed it!
on April 4th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
Well done to you, Patrick and everyone else involved. I really enjoyed the programme. I still have the image of Roger (Taylor, I presume) blowing up on the Moon! Very Hitch Hikers Guide. John Culshaw was scarily Patricklike as the ’57 version. Here’s to the next 50 years. Long may the Sky at Night continue.
on April 4th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
Really great show. I was a bit worried when I first heard about this programme; scientific people are not always blessed with a sense of humour! But I was pleasantly surprised. The idea and concept was brilliant, and very well executed by all.
Cheers again,
Mick.
on April 4th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Being on the other side of the ocean, I was excited that this program was available immediately online — I usually have to wait a while.
I thought the show was brilliant! Great concept and very well executed. At first I thought the ’57 Patrick was actually just lip-synching to ’07 Patrick’s voice over — he was THAT good. I love how bits of all of your personalities showed through in the humor, but that there was intellectual content as well.
Not sure I’d be happy with a future that included dehydrated chateauneuf-de-pape.
Thanks for a very entertaining and memorable 50th anniversary special!
Maile
on April 5th, 2007 at 12:20 am
Dear Chris,
I’ve just seen this programme three times!.
I personally thought it wasn’t bad, but I have to admit that it wasn’t what I expected.
I was expecting a serious look back at the highlights of the past 50 years of the longest running TV programme in the world (and a great British astro institution!) – which also coincide with the first 50 years of the space age.
However, what we got was a jokey, light-hearted but nonetheless enjoyable celebration centred on the Grand Old Man of British astronomy himself – Sir Patrick – with a little help from his friends Brian, yourself, John and co.
Anyway, here’s to the next 50 years of “The Sky at Night”!
on April 5th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
Dear Chris,
Many thanks for your unexpected email!. I hope you haven’t taken my mildly critical contribution too much to heart – I thought you, Brian and Sir Patrick did it well and produced an entertaining programme. However, I’m glad to hear that there will be a retrospective prog. next month and if it’s good I shall certainly see it at least three times!.
Unfortunately, I missed the archive prog. broadcast last year – I shall check-out The Sky at Night magazine disks to find it.
Congratulations and Best Wishes to you all on your great anniversary, Bruce
on April 7th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
Dear Chris, I’ve just caught the civilised repeat on BBC2. That was a fantastic and fitting way to celebrate 50 years – congratulations to everyone involved. I thought it struck a nice balance between entertainment and science and it was great that everyone was such good sports and played it out so genuinely. I think my favourite part was the idea of looking back to the Earth and Moon from Mars with a pair of binoculars and the beauty of the blueness.