Do you remember watching odd science segments on television in the 1970s? No. Well, that would explain why it never took off, despite three different incarnations. Thanks to Adult Swim and the internet, this show has a new life. We still don't quite get it though.
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So what is the show? It is a series of science lessons presented by a group of hosts (whose membership per series due to the BBC) that are always, always inaccurate. They are also completely insane and funny as well. They present strange experiments and science exposes that often end up with very odd results.
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The series introduced a lot of weird characters and devices. There is the medicine-practicing robot called Medi-Bot and a horse that has a fool-proof system to gamble. His device is impressive, even if it is 90% manure. If you have not gotten a hint of what this show's humor was like, you are not too bright. The show never ever tipped its hand about being a parody. They never even promoted the celebrity cameos from people like Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Maybe they should have.
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This show is a strange treat that amuses, befuddles and draws groans. It is so silly, so subversive and so tongue-in-cheek that most people either didn't get it or simply did not care. No amount of tweaking allowed this show to get a solid and consistent run on television. It is a travesty that high-concept shows and/or subversive ones like this, Garth Marengi or my personal favorite Freakazoid get their due. That's what DVD is for, I guess. Maybe we can sort of make up for our mistakes by giving them a little royalty money.
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Let's take a step away from England for some fine children's programming. Stay tuned...
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