OT: Made in Britain

[Dave Plowman (News)]

You think the talent that powerful? Generally, they do what they are told to. By those who employ them.

[Tim Streater]

Someone like David Starkey, who is a good speaker and knows his stuff. Just find people who have written readable books on a topic.

I'd fire Brian Cox and use people like John Gribbin or Nick lane. Cox may nominally know his stuff, but the programmes he presents tend to be a bit content-free.

[Chris Hogg]

I agree. Presenters present. It's what they do, and mostly quite well. That's why you see some presenters on several unrelated programmes. They regurgitate what they're fed by the researchers. To employ lots of specialist presenters who 'knew their stuff' but only have a limited repertoire would probably cost the beeb, and us, quite a bit more.

[Tim Streater]

Well, this is true if you don't care about knowledge. The trouble comes when the presenter is unaware they are talking c*ck. And of course, the public, which the BBC is supposed to serve, isn't gonna know either.

Only if they *understand* the subject.

Depends on the expert, dunnit? Nothing prevents them doing a test with a studio audience, who can be chosen to be intelligent but not experts. Then ask them afterwards whether they learnt anything.

[Jethro_uk]

There was an excellent (as always) Monkey Cage with the incomparable James Burke talking about science communication. JB noted that in the early days, the BBC pretty quickly cottoned on that presentation trumped knowledge . A good presenter can engage and get across tricky subjects despite not being an expert. Meanwhile an expert can't get the subject across. No matter what gimmicks they try.

(And JBs walk-and-talk-and-stop just as an rocket launch fires up is one of the best pieces of TV in the 20th century IMHO).

bbc-connections/

[Tim Streater]

Let the cobbler stick to his last. Unless you really want Ant and Dec presenting Horizon?

[Chris Hogg]

I like Alice Roberts and Mary Beard. They both really know their stuff, although only on archaeology. I can't see them presenting Homes Under the Hammer, Country file or Escape to the Country!

[Jethro_uk]

Er, Professor Alice Roberts is a renowned bone specialist and evolutionary expert too. And Professor Mary Beard is also renowned as an historian.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Going to restrict the choice for a minor prog like this - and likely make it too expensive to make.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Bollocks. Do you think every newsreader has an in depth understanding of all the stories they read out?

The skills required are totally different. Same as teaching. The best teachers might not be the greatest experts in their subject.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

One of them is allegedly an expert on brewing, though. ;-)

[harry]

JoCo should be got rid of.

[Jethro_uk]

They probably wouldn't be too out of place. After all, as Alan Davies reminded us last week on QI, he did a Horizon called "How Long Is A Piece Of String ?"

[Tim Streater]

That's an entirely different requirement and newsreaders are not usually explaining complex matters. Or indeed explaining anything.

Why d'ye think I suggested a road-test for expert presenters, dope?

[Chris Hogg]

Well, quite. I was using archaeology as an umbrella description, as that's what they both seem to talk about on TV, Roberts on evolution e.g. of Homo sapiens, and Beard on ancient Rome.

[Max Demian]

The former is palaeontology,

[Max Demian]

Maybe it's the scriptwriters that are at fault.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

They are still a presenter. They present the news.

Why not go to the root cause? The production team responsible for the programme. But then I doubt you understand such things.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

At the end of the day, the producer. The one in charge of it all.

Ideally, you'd have a decent presenter with facts etc checked by a decent expert or experts. That way you get the best of both worlds. But cheaper to use someone who looks OK and can talk with a vague knowledge of the subject, and save money.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Yes. The programs should be about physics, not about Brian Cox.