Educational Programmes

[Martin]

No, I don't mean like the Maths videos you had to watch in Year Four Primary school...

• Ray Mears
• BBC Learning Zone
• Steve Irwin
  
  and more recently
  
• Deep Jungle

Programmes where you get both entertained and educated... factual shows. They're fascinating, providing you have an initial interest, and they're often overlooked by 'younger people' who are all too quick to dismiss them. I speak from experience. Many times I jokingly mocked my dad for watching Ray Mears carve a cutlery set out of a tree, but now Ray Mears is one of the few television programmes I actually enjoy. Funny how times change.

But yes. Anyone else a fan of such shows?

The BBC Learning Zone has some interesting programmes on. A large amount aren't to my taste (such as the language shows) but some are just plain interesting. Maybe it's the fact I've not been my normal self lately, but even programmes like Trade Secrets are almost 'compelling viewing' these days

Steve Irwin sort of is and isn't factual. He has more of the *wow* factor than Ray Mears, etc, but he's forever telling you facts on various 'dangerous' animals, and no one can deny he is highly entertaining to watch.

They are all in sharp contrast to the mediocre reality TV shows and their 'stars'.

There are quite a few other programmes I was intent on mentioning but they seem to be eluding me as I'm writing this. No doubt I'll mention them as the thread progresses (if it does )

[Luco El Loco]

martin said:

They are all in sharp contrast to the mediocre reality TV shows and their 'stars'.

(exalts)

I often watch them by accident with my mum but the last Ray Mears I saw, where he was in big ol' Canada, was good.

In my first year at college I used to watch River Cottage, presented by a man who has a name that makes me laugh: Hugh Fearnley-Wittingstall. ;D That was about home grown food and stuff and have a small holding. Quite good fun of an evening.

[distortion]

i always try to watch Ray Mears shows, i find them so interesting. he doesn't seem to crave fame like most other TV people, which is good also. and he obviously knows what he's talking about.

Steve Irwin is forever entertaining. he also knows what he's talking about, and shows alot passion.

Deep Jungle was a great show, i hope that moment when the dude holds hands with than chimp (i think) goes down in TV history.

[Martin]

Hugh Fearnley-Wittingstall

He's a character and a half him. I bought my uncle his DVD and book for Christmas and he loves them. I'm not sure what I make of his programmes as I haven't really caught many episodes, but he's definitely someone I'm going to have to catch if he has another series.

[Silvan]

Ray Mears is brilliant. His shows are always interesting to watch.

[static anonymity]

Love Ray Mears and Steve Irwin. I too was hooked on shows like Trade Secrets and there's a similar programe on ch4 about the different jobs of people who work behind-the-scenes in film-making too, which I find fascinating. There was also a programme on BBC2 a while ago where a man and woman team followed and documented the behaviour of orangutans and chimps in their natral habitats; where you got to see the hierarchies and behaviours in their natural societies. I remember watching that almost religiously when younger.

Historical doumentaries also interest me, and providing i have the time and catch them, I never miss them. Certainly not intentionally anyways.

I find myself rarely watching tv these days, except for sutch "educational" programmes and various films.

[Luco El Loco]

I'm the same at the moment - education and the odd comedy generally.

Most recently I saw something about native American ancestry on UKtv History I think - they reckon a quarter of their dna is of European descent dating back 15,000 years. They think the Euopeans hopped across the icefloes in canoes very similar to those used by modern inuits.