Bang Goes the Theory or Bang was a British television science magazine series, co-produced by the BBC and the Open University, that began on 27 July 2009 and ended on 5 May 2014 on BBC One. Originally presented by Liz Bonnin, Jem Stansfield, Dallas Campbell and Yan Wong, the show employed a hands-on approach to test scientific theory and demonstrate how science shapes our world. From series seven, Maggie Philbin replaced Dallas Campbell as a main presenter[1] and Yan Wong no longer appeared and the programme was subsequently cancelled after just two more seasons.
Production
Creation
The co-production between the BBC and the Open University was announced in June 2009 and was commissioned by Jay Hunt, controller of BBC One, for ten 30 minute episodes. It promises to "put scientific theory to the test" and examine "how science shapes the world around us".[2] During the announcement, Hunt stated that the series "brings popular science back to the very heart of BBC One",[2] referring to the long-running BBC series Tomorrow's World, which ran from 1965 to 2003 and was cancelled following falling ratings.[3] Comparing Bang Goes the Theory to Tomorrow's World, series editor Dermot Caulfield said,
Rather than simply be a reporting vehicle on what's new in the world of science, we want to roll up our sleeves, stick our hands in the dirty gubbins of the engine and find out why, what, or where science is happening.[4]
Dr. Stephen Serjeant (Reader in Cosmology at the OU), and Dr Ian Johnston (Lecturer in Engineering for the OU) were the two academic team leaders for the production, covering disciplines including geology, astrophysics, neuropsychology and zoology.[2] The studio elements of the series were initially recorded in a building that housed the supersonic wind tunnel fans at RAE Bedford in Bedfordshire and was also the testing facility for the first prototype Harrier jump jetV/STOL aircraft.[5] They were later recorded in the old linear accelerator building on the University of Sussex campus near Brighton, where Jem Stansfield has his workshop. As of Series 6 (from March 2012) no studio was used and linking sections were filmed on location.
To "inspire the audience to get hands on with science", the series was supported by a number of free events across the country organised by BBC Learning.[2][6]
Over time, the programme moved from being an educational entertainment format in which short films were interspersed with "street science" demonstrations (mainly presented by Yan Wong) and stunts (mainly presented by Jem Stansfield), to a current affairs-style format. Distinct changes occurred in series 6, when each episode explored a single theme, the studio setting was dropped, several guest presenters appeared over the course of the series (one of whom, Maggie Philbin, subsequently joined the show as a regular presenter), and Jem Stansfield's stunts were phased out, with his attempt to build a pedal-powered flying machine (featured across two episodes) being the last such item to appear.
Presenters
Yan Wong, Dallas Campbell & Liz Bonnin
Bang Goes the Theory was originally presented by Dallas Campbell (series 1–6); Liz Bonnin, a biochemist with a Masters in wild animal conservation; Jem Stansfield, an aeronautical engineer, inventor and designer of museum exhibits; and Yan Wong (co-author of The Ancestor's Tale), an Oxford-educated evolutionary biologist.[2] Both Campbell and Wong left after series 6, and were replaced by Maggie Philbin, a science television presenter. From series 6 onwards, some segments were also fronted by one-off guest presenters. Maggie Philbin initially appeared as a guest presenter in series 6 before becoming a regular.
Live trailer
Ahead of the start of the series, BBC One aired a live three-minute trailer on 14 July 2009 before EastEnders. Described as a television first and emulating the Honda television advert Cog, it featured a continuing chain of scientific experiments, with one triggering the next and so on. The sequence included Bonnin using a bicycle to power a Van de Graaff generator and Stansfield then using the 250,000 volts generated to, among other things,
repel Wong away from Campbell along a track (using electromagnets attached to both presenters), and
power a robotic hand
The sequence did not quite complete as expected: the bunny did not fully inflate and manual intervention was required to break an infrared beam to allow the experiment to continue; the rest of the experiment was executed without problems. Prior to the broadcast, over 10,000 people voted online for Wong to be propelled using magnetic forces. The live BBC 1 trailer was directed by John Rooney.[7][8]
BBC One ident
From 27 July 2009 until 5 May 2014, Bang Goes The Theory was the only programme on BBC One to have its own ident. It depicted a group of people using bicycles to generate electricity to illuminate a ring of lights, into the centre of which the BBC One logo was superimposed.
Live tour and roadshow
In 2010, a Bang roadshow happened, and in 2011 a Bang Live toured the UK with an exclusive live show and interactive tent.
Symphony of Bang Goes The Theory
Musician John Boswell created a song using clips from the Bang Goes The Theory shows and website. It features distortion of the presenters' words using pitch-correction software, over the top of original music, in the same vein as Boswell's Symphony of Science series. Although conceived originally as a web piece, the song is also used at the end of the Bang LIVE roadshows.
Episodes
Series 1
The first series consisted of ten episodes. At the end of the last episode, it was announced that the programme would return in March 2010.[9] And also with the slogan "Putting science to the test" until Series 3.
The fourth series commenced with an hour-long special, starting on 10 March 2011. It was also broadcast on BBC HD, and also with the slogan "Revealing your world with a bang" until Series 5. The slogan "Revealing your world through science" was used on Japan Earthquake special episode.
"Fuel for Free". The team investigates why petrol costs so much, and whether we can use science to make fuel for free. Liz experiences life on an oil rig, Jem and Dallas compete to make their own DIY fuel alternatives, and Jem discovers the link between fossil fuels and a recent earthquake in Lancashire.
"Is Life Too Loud?". The team asks whether modern life is damaging our ears. Dallas explores how safety-conscious scientists are putting the noise back into driving, Liz learns to like the sound of being sick, and Jem sets out to record the sound of a centipede's footsteps.
"Cyber Security". Liz finds out how safe digital storage formats such as DVDs and memory sticks are, and whether the Cloud answers all our problems. Dallas and Jem see what it takes to properly wipe your computer memory, and Maggie Philbin revisits a Tomorrow's World feature on phone security after nearly 30 years, investigating how hackers can access your smartphone.
Dallas finds out how crowds can co-operate subconsciously, Liz sees how architects control the flow of crowds, and Jem meets scientists trying to understand how crush injuries can occur. Plus, 80s number cruncher, Johnny Ball, demonstrates just how biologists measure population size.
Liz explains bacterial resistance. Maggie finds out about catching infections inside an aeroplane, and reveals a new technique for prescribing antibiotics. Jem heads to a scrapyard to demonstrate the difference between viruses and bacteria.[32]
Maggie puts online diagnosis tools to the test against a real doctor, and reveals how personalised medicine can help young people with asthma. Jem checks out the latest self-monitoring gadgets. Liz finds out about a new technique that can correct a rare genetic condition that causes blindness.[36]
Cancer – Liz explains how cells turn cancerous, Jem builds his own radiotherapy gun, Maggie looks at the latest drugs, and Tommy Walsh looks into screening for bowel cancer.[40]
Big Data – Liz looks at how big data monitors Rolls-Royce jet engines, Jem creates a low-tech computer and storage system, and Maggie examines the dark side of big data: privacy.[41]
Ageing – The team look at how our bodies change as we get older. Sir Terry Wogan investigates whether any drugs are available which could reduce the risk of dementia.[42]
Flooding – Did global warming play a part in the recent floods? Maggie investigates the threat of storm surge, Liz looks at how nature can 'slow the flow' and Charlie Dimmock considers how urban flash floods might be linked to patios and decking.[44]
Disaster Relief – Maggie visits the Zaatari refugee camp, Liz reports on cholera, and the team are joined by Dr. Chris van Tulleken, maker of a peanut-based paste that has saved tens of thousands of famine victims.[46]
Episode on nuclear power found 'misleading' by BBC Trust
The 8th episode of series 5 looking at nuclear power was found to be 'not accurate' and 'misleading' by the Ethical Standards Committee of the BBC Trust. The review of the episode was prompted by a complaint registered by 50 co-signatories, which included MPs and nuclear experts.[47][48]
Jem Stansfield wins damages against the BBC
On 1 October 2021, ex-presenter Jem Stansfield won £1.6m in damages for suffering and loss of earnings as a result of injuries he sustained while acting as a "human crash-test" dummy in 2013. The judge commented "I must say that I find it astonishing that anyone thought that this exercise was a sensible idea. On his own account to camera, the claimant was simulating a road traffic collision of the sort that commonly causes injury. It might be thought that someone of his intelligence and scientific background might have appreciated the risk."[49]
DVD releases
A DVD set containing the first two series of Bang Goes the Theory was issued in 2010. A second DVD set containing Series 3 and 4 of Bang Goes the Theory was issued in November 2011.[50] None of the subsequent series has been issued on DVD.
