The BBC has “supersized the scale” of the experiments in its veteran science show Horizon to help attract new audiences to the programme, which is in danger of being “taken for granted”.
Thought to be television’s longest-running strand, the 54-year-old Horizon is experiencing a new dawn with “the scaling up” of some of its scientific trials and its most diverse lineup of presenters, according to the BBC’s science and natural history head Tom McDonald.
McDonald warned about the risk of taking the BBC Two show “for granted”, adding that in an age of new rivals such as Amazon and Netflix, “it could be easy to forget how remarkable, important and significant it is to have a science strand at the heart of the BBC Two schedule playing in primetime.
“No other broadcaster has such a commitment to science, history, and natural history.”
Riding the wave of interest in science, thanks to shows such as Blue Planet II, the new run of Horizon in October includes “supersized stunts and experiments” such as Michael Mosley exploring the placebo effect by putting 100 people with back pain on what he tells them is a powerful new painkiller but is actually a rice pill.
The results are astounding with many believing it is working and deciding to stay on it even after being told it is a placebo.
Other episodes include recreating an avalanche, with scientist Danielle George being buried under tonnes of snow and explorer Aldo Kane surviving in a bunker to explore body clocks and the effect of jet lag with scientist and comedian Ella Al-Shamahi.
McDonald said: “With this run of Horizon what we’re trying to do is supersize the scale of some of the things that we’re doing. In Bodyclock or Avalanche there’s something explicitly theatrical about the way we’re going about it but underpinned by true, new and interesting science.”
He said some of those subjects lend themselves to short clips which will be used to reach new, young audiences via digital platforms.
McDonald explained: “I’m really conscious that audiences have huge amounts of choice and of course it’s harder and harder to get an audience; people aren’t just choosing between five channels.”
However he added that “first and foremost Horizon is about cutting-edge journalism and credibility and I wouldn’t forsake those things in order to get a bigger audience. What we’re trying to do here is to keep that core credibility whilst experimenting with and broadening the forms of what we’re doing.”
These include The Honest Supermarket, which creates a science-based supermarket and reveals how bottled water is often full of micro-plastics. Others include a film about cannabis and another about new particle-collider proton beam cancer treatment, plus an episode about depression fronted by Alastair Campbell.
Since its first broadcast in May 1964, Horizon has won a number of awards and led to breakthroughs and policy changes. One film stopped companies using whale meat in pet food and the show also broadcast the first TV documentary about Aids.
Al-Shamahi applauded Horizon’s diverse lineup, featuring more women like her to inspire the next generation and said many scientists are grateful to the show: “We do have a massive communication problem in science. To know the BBC has this dedication … it’s so important.”
