Re: BBC 4 Stonehenge and Alice Roberts

[Peter Johnson]

On Sat, 13 Feb 2021 14:46:06 +0100, Martin <m...@address.invalid> wrote:

>On Sat, 13 Feb 2021 14:31:39 +0100, Martin <m...@address.invalid> wrote:
>
>>If the stone age Brits really dragged Blue Stones weighing between 1 and 3 tons
>>from Prescelli ( spelling) to Salisbury plain, why did they not limit maximum
>>size to one ton? and why oh why does Prof Alice Roberts keep dying her hair red.
>>This time it was so red that she wore a woolly hat to hide most of it.
>
Dying her hair red was one of the things that got her a regular gig on
TV.

[JNugent]

On 14/02/2021 10:09 am, Martin wrote:

> Peter Johnson <pe...@parksidewood.nospam> wrote:

>> Martin <m...@address.invalid> wrote:
>>> Martin <m...@address.invalid> wrote:
>
>>>> If the stone age Brits really dragged Blue Stones weighing between 1 and 3 tons
>>>> from Prescelli ( spelling) to Salisbury plain, why did they not limit maximum
>>>> size to one ton? and why oh why does Prof Alice Roberts keep dying her hair red.
>>>> This time it was so red that she wore a woolly hat to hide most of it.
>
>> Dying her hair red was one of the things that got her a regular gig on
>> TV.
>

> True, but IMO she looks better without red dyed hair.

There's that accent, as well!

More or less all TV historians are female now, usually with a bit of a
gimmick too.

Michael Wood is probably just concentrating on managing his motorway
service area these days.

[Peter Johnson]

On Sun, 14 Feb 2021 11:09:21 +0100, Martin <m...@address.invalid> wrote:


>>>
>>Dying her hair red was one of the things that got her a regular gig on
>>TV.
>

>True, but IMO she looks better without red dyed hair.

TV likes characters. Dying her hair red, Alice told TV (when she was a
bit player in extreme archaeology programmes) that she was a
character. With her mousy brown hair TV would have ignored her.

(A few years ago I was around when Countyfile was filming (with John
Craven as it happens). The director and cameraman were keen to get me
in shot because I was wearing a hat with a distinctive profile,
different to what everyone else was wearing. The director also
insisted that I did a piece to camera, even though I realised that it
would never be used because they had more material than they needed. I
was right about that but I did appear for a few seconds in the opening
titles.)

[JNugent]

On 14/02/2021 04:53 pm, Jethro_uk wrote:

> On Sun, 14 Feb 2021 15:10:46 +0000, JNugent wrote:
>> On 14/02/2021 10:09 am, Martin wrote:
>>> Peter Johnson <pe...@parksidewood.nospam> wrote:
>>>> Martin <m...@address.invalid> wrote:
>>>>> Martin <m...@address.invalid> wrote:
>
>>>>>> If the stone age Brits really dragged Blue Stones weighing between 1
>>>>>> and 3 tons from Prescelli ( spelling) to Salisbury plain, why did
>>>>>> they not limit maximum size to one ton? and why oh why does Prof
>>>>>> Alice Roberts keep dying her hair red.
>>>>>> This time it was so red that she wore a woolly hat to hide most of
>>>>>> it.
>
>>>> Dying her hair red was one of the things that got her a regular gig on
>>>> TV.
>
>>> True, but IMO she looks better without red dyed hair.
>
>> There's that accent, as well!
>> More or less all TV historians are female now, usually with a bit of a
>> gimmick too.
>

> I'd hardly call a PhD or professorship a "gimmick" ...

Neither would I.

It's "other things".

>> Michael Wood is probably just concentrating on managing his motorway
>> service area these days.

> I can recall him being the Brian Cox of history in his day. A lot of
> housewives suddenly remembered always liking the Dark Ages ....

[JNugent]

On 15/02/2021 10:42 am, Martin wrote:

> JNugent <jennings&c...@fastmail.fm> wrote:
>> On 14/02/2021 10:09 am, Martin wrote:
>>> Peter Johnson <pe...@parksidewood.nospam> wrote:
>>>> Martin <m...@address.invalid> wrote:
>>>>> Martin <m...@address.invalid> wrote:
>
>>>>>> If the stone age Brits really dragged Blue Stones weighing between 1 and 3 tons
>>>>>> from Prescelli ( spelling) to Salisbury plain, why did they not limit maximum
>>>>>> size to one ton? and why oh why does Prof Alice Roberts keep dying her hair red.
>>>>>> This time it was so red that she wore a woolly hat to hide most of it.
>
>>>> Dying her hair red was one of the things that got her a regular gig on
>>>> TV.
>
>>> True, but IMO she looks better without red dyed hair.
>
>> There's that accent, as well!
>
>> More or less all TV historians are female now, usually with a bit of a
>> gimmick too.
>

> There is no shortage of male historians on BBC 4.

There are some still about, including the obvious best of the bunch,
David Starkey. But there have been a lot of new female historians over
the last few years. It has been very marked. The first one I remember
specifically was Bettany Hughes, but since then, just a few remembered
offhand:

Suzannah Lipscomb, Mary Beard, Janina Ramirez, Lucy Worsley and of
course, Alice Roberts. There are others.

I'm not complaining, BTW.

Just *noticing*.

>> Michael Wood is probably just concentrating on managing his motorway
>> service area these days.
>

> ??? tell us more.

SFW:

<https://tinyurl.com/5bu7xcmg>

[JNugent]

On 15/02/2021 05:18 pm, Jethro_uk wrote:

> Well given that History was seen as a more humanities (i.e Soft) subject
> in the past, is it any surprise ?
> And all the good ladies you list have at least a PhD. if not a
> professorship.

As I said, I'm not complaining. All I ask from TV historians (other than
a command of their subject) is enthusiasm and a passion for getting
their story across in an engaging way. In the past, too many failed to
get it all right.

David Starkey is still Numero Uno, though. He never satisfices with the
"received wisdom".

[tim...]

"Jethro_uk" <jeth...@hotmailbin.com> wrote in message
news:s0g7n7$lbl$3...@dont-email.me...

> I think the same can be said of any TV expert ... and it explains why
> people like Prof. Brian Cox are so popular.
>
> Maggie Aderin-Pocock has a similar infectious enthusiasm for cosmology.

OMG I find her extremely annoying

so much so that I turn the program off

[NY]

"Martin" <m...@address.invalid> wrote in message
news:m1pp2g9honae3b8ug...@4ax.com...

>>> Maggie Aderin-Pocock has a similar infectious enthusiasm for cosmology.
>>
>>OMG I find her extremely annoying
>>
>>so much so that I turn the program off
>

> Us too!

Yes, M A-P's enthusiasm is just slightly OTT, like that of a Labrador puppy
whose barks can be imagined as "Can we go to the park? I like going to the
park. *Please* can we go to the park NOW". Enthusiasm is great, but she
overdoes it a little - not a lot, but enough to be borderline annoying.

[JNugent]

On 17/02/2021 09:15 am, tim... wrote:

> "Jethro_uk" <jeth...@hotmailbin.com> wrote

>> JNugent wrote:
>>> On 15/02/2021 05:18 pm, Jethro_uk wrote:
>>>> On Mon, 15 Feb 2021 16:58:45 +0000, JNugent wrote:
>>>>> On 15/02/2021 10:42 am, Martin wrote:
>>>>>> JNugent <jennings&c...@fastmail.fm> wrote:
>>>>>>> On 14/02/2021 10:09 am, Martin wrote:

[ ... ]

>>>>>> There is no shortage of male historians on BBC 4.
>
>>>>> There are some still about, including the obvious best of the bunch,
>>>>> David Starkey. But there have been a lot of new female historians over
>>>>> the last few years. It has been very marked. The first one I remember
>>>>> specifically was Bettany Hughes, but since then, just a few remembered
>>>>> offhand:
>
>>>>> Suzannah Lipscomb, Mary Beard, Janina Ramirez, Lucy Worsley and of
>>>>> course, Alice Roberts. There are others.
>
>>>>> I'm not complaining, BTW.
>
>>>> Well given that History was seen as a more humanities (i.e Soft)
>>>> subject in the past, is it any surprise ?
>>>> And all the good ladies you list have at least a PhD. if not a
>>>> professorship.
>
>>> As I said, I'm not complaining. All I ask from TV historians (other than
>>> a command of their subject) is enthusiasm and a passion for getting
>>> their story across in an engaging way. In the past, too many failed to
>>> get it all right.
>
>> I think the same can be said of any TV expert ... and it explains why
>> people like Prof. Brian Cox are so popular.
>
>> Maggie Aderin-Pocock has a similar infectious enthusiasm for cosmology.
>
> OMG I find her extremely annoying
> so much so that I turn the program off

I've never even heard of her.

But I've never been keen on astronomy TV, not even when Patrick Moore
was doing it.

[JNugent]

On 17/02/2021 03:37 pm, Jethro_uk wrote:

> Not a QI or BBC science documentaries fan then ? Recent appearance on the
> former, and pops up in the latter around cosmology.

Absolutely not a QI fan. Watched it once, didn't like it. It's no
"University Challenge".

And as I said, never keen on 'stronomy TV, which strikes me as rather
similar in effect to "Gardeners' Question Time".

>> But I've never been keen on astronomy TV, not even when Patrick Moore
>> was doing it.
>

> Who was so much more than just a TV presenter ...

Indeed. A wonderful xylophonist.

[JNugent]

On 17/02/2021 04:48 pm, Jethro_uk wrote:

> On Wed, 17 Feb 2021 16:46:30 +0000, JNugent wrote:
>
>>>> But I've never been keen on astronomy TV, not even when Patrick Moore
>>>> was doing it.
>>>
>>> Who was so much more than just a TV presenter ...
>>
>> Indeed. A wonderful xylophonist.
>

> I was thinking more of helping NASA decide where to set down in Apollo 11...

...surpassed for general human interest only by advice as to which
corner of the flower bed the nasturtiums should go when there's peaty
soil and afternoon shade!

[Should that have been "nasturtia"?]

[Calum]

On 17/02/2021 16:46, JNugent wrote:

> Indeed. A wonderful xylophonist.

And an equally good misogynist, with a hefty dose of homophobia and
xenophobia thrown in.

[JNugent]

I couldn't hear any of that in his playing.