As is drearily predictable, the BBC's much trailed new Earth science programme – Orbit: Earth’s Extraordinary Journey – turned out to be another excuse for collecting air miles and for presenters to have fun. For once, however, Brian Cox missed the plane and it was a Humble & Czerski double act who did all travelling. I didn't watch it, fearing both its superficiality and my own blood pressure. Reviews confirmed the worst.
Unfortunately, however, for all the trivia and fun diversions, the film-makers had decided that the only way to really explain things such as the atmospheric jet stream was through swanky 3D computer models. And far too many of them. As a result, Orbit quickly came to resemble the sort of film more commonly preceded by a geography teacher dimming the classroom lights before nipping out for a cigarette. As if to channel this back-to-school motif, Humble at one point turned to the camera and asked in stern fashion whether we’d been paying attention in physics class. Thus by the time the credits rolled my main emotion was relief that we’d not been set any homework for next week.
Thank goodness for radio where the pictures are always better.
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