Brainiac

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Television series
German title Brainiac
Original title Brainiac: Science Abuse
Country of production Great Britain
original language English
Year (s) 2003-2008
length 45 minutes
Episodes 59 (+ 1 special) in 6 seasons
genre Infotainment , comedy
music Grant Buckerfield
First broadcast November 13, 2003 on Sky One
German-language
first broadcast
October 7, 2004 on VIVA
occupation

Brainiac (original title: Brainiac: Science Abuse 'Wissenschaftsmissusen') is a British infotainment program that runs in Germany on VIVA (as an OmU ) and on DMAX and was produced from 2003 to 2008. It is made by the Granada production company. In contrast to "serious" science magazines, great emphasis is placed on entertainment. In the UK, Brainiac is broadcast on Sky One.

The program was originally hosted by Richard Hammond . This left Brainiac after the fourth season in 2006 because he had entered into an exclusive contract with the BBC . His successor is the British comedian Vic Reeves , who has been presenting the individual episodes since the fifth season. From the second to the fifth season, both presenters were supported by Charlotte Hudson, who u. a. moderated the rubric “I can do science me”. In addition to the moderators, there is always a team of so-called “brainiacs” ( brainiac , intelligence beast , “super brain”) who can be recognized by their yellow T-shirts. Ex- Big Brother participant Jon Tickle plays an important role here . He can be seen in many articles, including “Things Jon Tickle's body can't do”.

Large parts of the program consist of experiments that sometimes follow more, sometimes less scientific methods. Recurring topics are the effects of alcohol and any kind of explosion , preferably that of caravans .

Since the beginning of March 2005, the Galileo program has been imitating the format in terms of design and type of infotainment in certain reports, especially in the “Galileo Experiment” section. Don't copy the ZDF series ! also copied parts of her experiments from it. The Sat.1 program Clever also took on some of the experiments. Critics complain that in some cases completely different results are found in similar experiments.

season 1

Fat vs Thin

It was tested in various extreme situations whether it is better to be overweight or underweight. The extreme situations were:

  • in extreme cold
  • in extreme heat
  • in a blizzard
  • floating in the water
  • during an earthquake
  • in a hurricane

Crack safe

In the broadcasts of the first season, attempts were made to crack a safe with various tools. After all previous attempts (including falling from a great height, fire brigade equipment or crash with a car) had failed, the safe was only "opened" in the last episode when a Challenger 2 tank was fired at; however, the contents of the safe were destroyed.

Tickle's teaser

In this section, Jon Tickle asks questions that should stimulate thinking, or at least make you smile. The name was probably chosen for several reasons: Tickle is Jon's surname and means “tickle” in German, to tease means to irritate, to tease ; also is brain-teaser an English expression for puzzles . "Tickle's Teaser" also appears in later seasons. The questions often contain word games or shed light on trivialities in everyday life.

Pub Science with Dr. Bunhead

Dr. Bunhead conducts small experiments in a pub with simple ingredients like water, fire, and money. These lead to a house ban in every episode.

At home with Dr. Bunhead

A lot of smaller experiments can be done at home too.

Peter Logan's Exploding Paste

Peter Logan performs various pranks on other Brainiacs with an exploding paste.

CO 2 drives

Attempts are made to use gas cylinders as a drive, on land (shopping cart, skateboard, wheelchair, ...), on water (air mattress, kayak, rubber dinghy, ...) and in the air. The latter fails, however.

season 2

Professor Myang Li - Sink or Float

Professor Myang Li (played by actress Rachel Grant ) tests various fruits for their buoyancy in the “Sink or Float” segment .

Better small or tall?

Another question that has long preoccupied science is whether it is better for a person to be very tall or very small. This is exactly what Brainiac tried to find out. For example, two test persons were employed to wash their cars. Whoever did better was the winner of the challenge.

Explosive of the week

Four young women in tight T-shirts used various types of explosives to blow up various things on their “Big Bang Farm”. Three of her friends then rated the explosions. As a spectator, you could also grade the explosions. At the end of the season, a spectator was invited to the farm, where some of his belongings were then blown up together with all the explosives.

Things Jon Tickles Body can't do

Jon Tickle was asked by a nurse in tight clothes to do certain things with his body, which he always failed, for example:

  • lick the elbow
  • tickle yourself
  • Know the difference between apple and potato with your eyes closed and your nose closed

I can do science me

Spectators carried out experiments themselves under the supervision of Charlotte Hudson, which they had sent to the Brainiac editorial team. After successful completion, they were presented with a cup in the form of an Erlenmeyer flask .

One of the experiments was to test whether the microwaves from 100 or 1000 cell phones had enough energy to boil an egg, but it failed. The main work in this experiment was probably calling these cell phones.

Office Buoyancy Aids

Here global warming and the melting of the polar ice caps became a reality. If the office is then hit by flooding, office supplies, used as swimming aids, could be lifesavers. Among other things, the following were tested:

  • Bubble envelopes
  • upside down plastic trash
  • writing desk
  • Roll container
  • fax machine
  • PC monitor
  • Packaged disposable styrofoam cups
  • Cork pinboard

A construction of small pontoons was left in a swimming pool, on which an average office furniture was then built. The pontoon construction itself was very difficult to realize, as the side with the large cupboard, the filing shelf and the full water dispenser definitely had the upper weight, while the side facing the camera was just a relatively light desk with a computer. On closer inspection, you will notice this excess weight, despite the trim .

Black box

In the second season an attempt is made to destroy a black box ( flight recorder ) with various aids. This is achieved in the last episode of the second season with a car press.

You can't stop rock and roll

In this section, a cassette recorder, on which the song You can not stop rock and roll of Twisted Sister was destroyed in different ways. So it was shown that rock 'n' roll can be stopped somehow and in a very violent way.

Tina Turner and her Bunsen Burner

A Tina Turner double blows up cars in different ways. She always uses her Bunsen burner to initiate the ignition.

Exploding snooker

A Brainiac plays against the former professional snooker Quinten Hann . In each episode he punches one of the last six balls and the participants immediately move away from the table. As soon as the bullet disappears into the hole, it ignites a fuse that blows up a caravan. There is a different gas in each caravan, which is caused to explode. Then the explosion is shown in slow motion and the reaction or explosion is described.

101 uses for a wee

This section presents situations in which urine can be useful. It shows how it can be used as an aftershave or as a shark deterrent.

What's this?

Excerpts of objects are shown in greatly enlarged form. The viewer is asked to guess the item.

Electricity

Brainiacs have to perform certain activities (shaving, pouring champagne, ...), and tests are carried out to determine whether these are also possible while the respective person is exposed to electric shocks.

season 3

Filming for the 3rd season

Electricity On Tour

Various professional groups (e.g. bartenders, dart throwers, supermarket cashiers and teachers) demonstrate here how well they can do their job while receiving electric shocks. Continuous answer: not good.

Funfair Physics

You can find out how to bring about maximum collisions on bumper cars, whether the cola stays in the cup on the roller coaster and what to watch out for in grapple competitions.

Instructions for Use (Things Not To Do)

Things are done here for which there is no explicit indication in the instructions for use that one should not do it.

Professor Myang Li - Will it Break or Bounce? (Will It Break Or Will It Bounce?)

Professor Myang Li finds out whether various objects break or ricochet off a stone floor after falling 3 meters. This segment was placed on Sky One in such a way that the advertising ran between the question and the resolution.

Diana Ross and her Chain Reaction

A modification of season 2: A Diana Ross double triggers a chain reaction to the music of Chain Reaction , which leads to the explosive end of a car.

Brainiac Golf (Brainiac Golf)

A Brainiac plays against a golf professional. As soon as the golf ball disappears into the hole, a fuse is triggered that blows up a caravan. So that the color is not neglected, there is a different chemical in each caravan that colors the explosion flame differently.

Season 4

Also broadcast in Germany since October 1, 2007.

Season 5

This season first aired in England on May 8, 2007.

Season 6

The sixth season aired in England on January 13, 2008. After three episodes, the broadcast date was moved from Sunday to Friday. With the end of the last episode, the series was discontinued. In addition to many familiar segments from the previous seasons, there are small changes:

Flush or float

Around the first advertising block, Professor Myang Li throws various objects, such as peanuts, wigs, etc. into a toilet and determines whether these objects are flushed away by the flush or whether they continue to float in the toilet.

Custard dreams

Based on Jon Tickle's run over Custard in season 1, a brainiac tries to cross a swimming pool filled with custard, for example by skipping a sack or on a bicycle.

How hard is your thing?

Brainiac newcomer Thaila Zucchi asks provocatively and ambiguously "How tough is your thing?", In order to then subject objects presented by spectators to an endurance test. First it is tested how hard the object will prove to be against a whole pallet of bricks dropped from a great height. The next endurance test is carried out with a large angle grinder, and last but not least, the “tough thing” has to hold its own against the Brainiac classic Thermit .

Liquid oxygen

After Major Yuri Abusikov appeared in season 5 with liquid nitrogen, this time he is trying to experimentally determine the effects of liquid oxygen on small fires. Even a glowing candle can turn into a bomb.

Chemistry Death Match

In a kind of boxing ring, two veteran Brainiac protagonists are presented to us: John "Kemical" Kilcoyne and Bunhead. The task is that each of the two must present the greatest possible result (explosion, flame, noise, etc.) in a chemical reaction. A jury made up of Brainiacs then determines the winner of the round.

Brainiac Live!

Under the name Brainiac Live! has been touring one live show of the series primarily through the UK since 2007. Since 2010 shows have also been held in British holiday resorts . According to the company, around 350,000 people attended the shows between 2009 and 2012.

Unlike the TV series, the stage show is designed for children from 7 years of age, so there are no provocative women and education is the focus of the show. For example, questions like "What is Britain's loudest word?" Or "Does liquid nitrogen cook hot or cold?" But there are also great show effects, like in the TV series even caravans are blown up on the stage.

publication

In English-speaking countries (e.g. Great Britain, Australia) the seasons were released on DVD. In Germany, on the other hand, only one “best of” double DVD ( FSK 12) was released in 2008. This double DVD contains episodes 1–8 of season 3.

Individual evidence

  1. Brainiac Live! ( English ) M4 Entertainment. Archived from the original on June 14, 2013. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved January 25, 2013. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / m4-ents.com
  2. Brainiac Live! ( English ) The Big Bang Fair. Retrieved on January 25, 2013.  ( Page no longer available , search in web archivesInfo: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.thebigbangfair.co.uk  
  3. Colette Bernhardt : Events preview: Brainiac Live 09, on tour ( English ) The Guardian . January 31, 2009. Retrieved January 25, 2013.

Web links