Underneath The Stars by
Kate Rusby over the closing credits to Professor Brian Cox's new BBC series
Wonders Of Life. Here are a couple of questions that occurred to me during the program and on listening to the song at the end:
- Why is Coxy presenting a series that's ostensibly about biology? Having watched most of last night's programme I have to concede that there is actually more physics and chemistry in it than I was led to believe by the trailers, but still it seems like a pretty blatant grab for the mantle of the surely-retiring-soon David Attenborough. John Crace makes the same point at the end of his Digested Reads piece in the Guardian. Nothing wrong with the content, in general, though it all goes a bit We Are All Made Of Stars at various points, and a bit Carl Sagan at others (actually this is kind of the same thing), and Coxy still manages to find the time to stand around gazing enigmatically at things and into the camera a bit more than those of us immune to his doe-eyed charms would perhaps want. Just to illustrate that, the image below is a montage of wistful gazing at something just off camera - a lemur, a black hole, a black lemur's hole, your guess is as good as mine - from the covers of his three BBC coffee-table series-tie-in books.
- What is it with Coxy and Kate Rusby? Is he a fan? Or is it a coincidence? That's the second time he's used one of her songs, after Falling was used over the end credits of Wonders Of The Universe (both songs are from the 2003 album Underneath The Stars). Of course it could just be that she's recorded some songs with suitable titles and/or lyrics, but this tweet suggests that Coxy may have had some input into the music selections, and, let's not forget, music is his first love.
4 comments:
You'll be aware I'm sure that David Attenborough has said some time ago that he thought he would "like to pass on any baton" (my words) "to Brian Cox."
I've always found myself rather nauseated by BC. Right up until Anna and I watched "The wonders of life" and in one small moment he endeared himself greatly to me.
He made a small motor work by sticking its points in charged water and was quite lidderally beside himself (giggling uncontrollably) that he'd got it to work. (One might assume in rehearsals, like many physics or chemistry experiments, it probably didn't).
So rather him I say, a fizzy cyst, to grab the baton from the (shaggy) DA, than cwith packhamth for example...
Oh, I wouldn't want you to think I'm dissing the Coxmeister, far from it. I just think the way the BBC presents him is quite amusing: bit of science and some chemical formulae for the geeks, scruffy indie T-shirt and a bit of wistful gazing for the ladies, job done.
Also: what, your hairy baton?
I didn't suggest I thought you were "dissing the Coxmeister" did I? What I did suggest is that I originally did. His astronomy programme with Dara (potat)O Briain was unwatchable for me with all the sickly treacle flying about. (must be that hairy baton I guess)
No, but it occurred to me that someone reading that post (the first bullet-point in particular) might have drawn the conclusion that I was having a pop. Which I suppose I was, but in a caring way.
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