Television
My most recognisable TV appearance has been as a guest scientist on Big Brother's Big Brain, although I have also made regular appearances on BBC News and a variety of other programmes. My recent appearances include:
On the Couch With Big Brother
Date: Sunday 3 June 2007.
Time: 8:30 PM.
Channel: Channel 4.
Davina and I discussed what we can be learnt from the new housemates' body language.
Watch... 22.7MB mov File (10 minutes 49 seconds).
The Brain: The Learning Brain.
Date: Thursday 19 April 2007.
Time: 8:15 PM. The show will also be repeated on Teachers' TV after the first transmission.
Channel: Teachers' TV,
which can be viewed on: Telewest 240, Freeview 47, Sky 592, NTL 803, KIT 70, and Home Choice 345.
Website: www.teachers.tv
This four minute short film shows Dr. Harry Witchel demonstrating unconscious learning occurring - that is, learning something without being told what you are learning, and not being certain that you have learned anything, yet the body responds in a new way that must have been learned. This is a brief example of the Iowa Gambling Task, made famous by Antonio Damasio.
The 100 Most Annoying Pop Songs We Hate to Love
Date: Saturday 31 March 2007.
Channel: BBC 3 Television
Time: 9:55 PM.
An affectionate, light-hearted countdown of 100 classic-yet-irritating pop hits that stormed the music charts and secured their place in our hearts. Includes interviews with scientists (including me), music experts, and the pop stars themselves.
The Truth About Food.
Date: Thursday 18 January 2007.
Time: 9 PM to 10 PM.
Channel: BBC 2 Television.
Do aphrodisiacs really work? We test this out on some good-looking volunteers in Vic Reeves's new BBC2 television series, The Truth about Food. It all happens in the back of a 1950's pink stretch limo cadillac, wiring up our volunteers to physiological equipment measuring heart rate and galvanic skin conductance, before and after they have a go with the oysters, strawberries, asparagus and chocolate. The "experimental stimuli" are two models, one male, one female, and you will be delighted to know that one gentleman, a rower, had a standard resting heart rate of an athlete of approximately 58 beats per minute, but when the model starting flirting with him and putting her hands (ever so gently) on his shoulder, his heart rate doubled to over 120 beats per minute. What a hoot!
Newsnight
5th December 2006
BBC 2
Talking with Jeremy Paxman, I explained why, as an American, the English always keep "bottling it" in cricket. As expected, Paxman was gently pulling my chain, although not nearly so much he did to the sports psychologist Andy Barton, who was also being interviewed. You can watch this extraordinary interview, in which I was nominally explaining the physiology of stress hormones, using the link below.
Watch... 42.7MB mov File (3 minutes 5 seconds).
Big Brother's Big Brain.
31st July 2006.
Channel 4, ~ 2 million viewers.
A new half-hour show about the psychology of the housemates. I appeared as a guest scientist talking about deprivation.
Watch... 41.6MB mov File (7 minutes 8 seconds).
Big Brother's Big Brain.
26th June 2006.
Channel 4, ~ 2 million viewers.
I appeared as a guest scientist talking about "viral language".
Watch... 18.5MB mov File (8 minutes 15 seconds).
Big Brother's Big Brain.
22nd May 2006.
Channel 4, ~ 2 million viewers.
I appeared as a guest scientist talking about body language.
Watch... 17.0MB mov File (7 minutes 34 seconds).
Legal TV "Weekly News".
2nd June 2006.
Live weekly news roundup with a legal perspective. I was one of three commentators on a one hour show hosted by David Byron.
Contact: Gisele Ryan
BBC News 24.
5th April 2006.
Commentator: Body language of Gordon Brown and Tony Blair who appear together to launch the Labour local election campaign. Two 3 minute interviews at 10:30am and 12:35pm.
Contact: Simon Waldman at BBC.
BBC 2 Breakfast Television.
16th March 2006.
Commentator: Northwick Park Hospital drug trials disaster. This was a 3 minute interview in which I and Professor Karol Sikora were questioned by Bill Turnbull and Mishal Hussain.
Contact: Erica Witherington
Teachers' TV.
Re-creation of the Iowa gambling task to demonstrate unconscious learning using physiology
Watch... MB mov File (minutes seconds).
CBBC "Xchange".
23rd January 2006.
Demonstrated body language and electromyograms on two young men, to determine how funny they found jokes.
Contact: Assistant Producer Jacqui Dales at CBBC.
BBC1 Television - 6 O'clock News.
7th December 2005.
Commentator: David Cameron versus Tony Blair.
Contact: Julian Joyce, Producer at BBC News, 4 Millbank
BBC News 24.
7th December 2005
"David Cameron's accession to power and his body language." A 3 minute slot. Live at 2:35 PM and repeated throughout the day. Commentary on Cameron versus Blair.
Contact: Julian Joyce, Producer at BBC News, 4 Millbank
Big Brother 6.
19 June 05 at 9 PM and repeated 20 June 05 at 8 AM.
Channel 4 Television ~5 million viewers.
Big Brother is a prime-time reality-TV game show that is the Flagship of Channel 4's 2005 summer season. I appeared as part of the Psychology team, which is a 3-minute segment in every show on a Sunday.
Contact: Endemol UK, Assistant Producer Susana Jurado.
Watch... 6.61MB mov File (3 minutes 2 seconds).
BBC Television - "Mind Games".
First transmission on Monday 18 October 2004.
Four 30-minute episodes filmed September 2004 and again in December 2004. Science puzzle game show for BBC television hosted by Marcus DuSautoy. I was invited back based on my performance last year.
Contact: Producer Peter Higgins.
BBC Television - "Mind Games".
Initial transmission on BBC4 was the 2nd week in November and the 2nd week in December of 2003.
Two 30 minute episodes filmed in September 2003. This was a panel game show about scientific-based puzzles hosted by author Simon Singh. Other panelists on the two shows in which I appeared were Professor Robert Winston (physician and television science presenter), Professor Kathy Sykes (Professor of Public Understanding of Science), Roger Highfield (Science editor of The Telegraph) and Michael Rosen (poet and author).
Contact: BBC London, Specialist Factual Department, Producer Martin Kemp (Associate Producer Alison Grist).
Watch... 13.6MB mov File (6 minutes 9 seconds).
Einstein Television/The Discovery Channel - "Panic Attacks".
Shown on multiple dates in 2001 (Discovery Channel).
Interviewed concerning panic disorder.
Contact: Producer, Roger Power.
More...
See my TV appearances
Watch... 30.1MB mov File (5 minutes 26 seconds). |
