They have remade The Clangers. Series 3 is now available on the BBC iplayer. It's interesting to compare the differences between the original 1970's episodes with the most recent ones. Here are examples of the opening episodes from the first and most recent series.
What do you think?
Click here for a link to the opening episode from the 1970's
and click here for the most recent episode. Only available for the next month.
Notice how linguistically sophisticated and varied the original introduction is in comparison to the simple lexical choices and visually more dynamic the recent introduction is. Notice also the long, slow sweep of the camera from Earth to the 'star' where the Clangers live, compared to the fast forward focus in the recent series. There is also something terrifying and alienating about the black expanse of the cosmos in the original compared to the sub-urban blue sky of the the recent one.
It's interesting to consider what these differences tell us about childhood, the expectations and assumptions we have of childhood experience.
Click here for a recent interview with Peter Fermin on Radio 4's Front Row about his work on The Clangers.
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
What every interested citizen should know about science
So according to Brian Cox on the Today programme on radio 4 this morning, there are three scientific facts any interested citizen should know - however I think he identifies four in all.
1 Atoms are the buidling blocks of the material universe
2 The universe came into being 13.82 billion years ago
3 and all life on earth shares a common ancestor and is involved in a process of natural selection
4 There are four fundemental forces of nature. The most important of these is gravity - despite the fact that it is the weakest. Given that, I can barely make any sense of the other three fundemental forces.
There were some other interesting facts along the way in this rather confusing interview, including the facts that:
1 Atoms are the buidling blocks of the material universe
2 The universe came into being 13.82 billion years ago
3 and all life on earth shares a common ancestor and is involved in a process of natural selection
4 There are four fundemental forces of nature. The most important of these is gravity - despite the fact that it is the weakest. Given that, I can barely make any sense of the other three fundemental forces.
There were some other interesting facts along the way in this rather confusing interview, including the facts that:
- The earth is five billion years old
- Life on earth began four billion years ago
Tuesday, June 09, 2015
The Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy 2015
I can't believe the Summer Exhibition has already opened. I've only quite recently finished the two poems inspired by exhibits from last year. It's come round so quickly. It's been a source of inspiration for me for a few years now. I'm really looking forward to visiting in early July.
Click here for a link to details about this year's show.
Click here for a link to details about this year's show.
Friday, June 05, 2015
Pete Seeger - Little Boxes
It's Friday afternoon and I'm feeling a little uneasy about the working week that has just gone and the working week to come.
This song by Malvina Reynolds performed here by Pete Seeger has something to do with it I think.
This song by Malvina Reynolds performed here by Pete Seeger has something to do with it I think.
Thursday, June 04, 2015
T. S. Eliot: The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock
Click here for a link to Jeremy Irons reading of Eliot's The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock. It's one of my favourite poems. Radio 4 broadcast it on Tuesday 2 June. Perhaps as a belated birthday treat. It's a very different reading from the one I would give.
