talkmagic.co.uk

Tony Robinson and The Blitz Witch
Monday 29 December
9:00pm - 10:00pm
Channel 4

"Tony Robinson has become Channel 4's all-purpose presenter, the television equivalent of a Swiss Army knife, turning his skills to everything from history to archaeology and geology to religion. Tonight he opens a new front: the paranormal. It's the first of three programmes in which, with the help of science journalist Becky McCall, Robinson looks "in an open-minded way" at episodes from history that seem on the face of it inexplicable. The first programme tells the story of Helen Duncan, a 1940s psychic whose claims led her to be arrested and tried under the Witchcraft Act of 1735 in a bizarre show trial at the Old Bailey. What worried the authorities was that Duncan somehow seemed to have access to secrets about the sinking of warships that made her a threat to national security. However you interpret it, it sounds like a fascinating tale (preview DVDs weren't available) and Robinson, whatever the subject matter, can be relied on to be an engaging storyteller."

Tony Robinson and The Ghosts of Glastonbury
Tuesday 30 December
9:00pm - 10:05pm
Channel 4

"Tony Robinson and science journalist Becky McCall investigate historical paranormal events. In the early part of last century, respected antiquarian Frederick Bligh Bond published details of his excavations at Glastonbury Abbey and then sensationally claimed they were guided by communications from dead monks. Bligh's archaeological discoveries were impressive but could he have located the buildings without supernatural help?"

Tony Robinson and the Medieval Reincarnation
Wednesday 31 December
9:00pm - 10:00pm
Channel 4

"Tony Robinson and science journalist Becky McCall investigate a series of paranormal phenomena. This edition looks at mass reincarnation, through the story of a group of unconnected people in 1960s Bath who claimed to experience flashbacks to former lives in a 13th century French religious sect."

Looking forward to it. Crooked House is up on the BBC iplayer for some more haunted entertainment. Featuring Andy Nyman and Derren Brown.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... 7_12_2008/

Oooooh, and The Royal Institution's Christmas Lectures start tonight at 7:15pm. They're about computers, artificial intelligence, and so on this year.

I always like the RICL's!!!

Tomo wrote:Tony Robinson and The Blitz Witch
Monday 29 December
9:00pm - 10:00pm
Channel 4

"Tony Robinson has become Channel 4's all-purpose presenter, the television equivalent of a Swiss Army knife, turning his skills to everything from history to archaeology and geology to religion. Tonight he opens a new front: the paranormal. It's the first of three programmes in which, with the help of science journalist Becky McCall, Robinson looks "in an open-minded way" at episodes from history that seem on the face of it inexplicable. The first programme tells the story of Helen Duncan, a 1940s psychic whose claims led her to be arrested and tried under the Witchcraft Act of 1735 in a bizarre show trial at the Old Bailey. What worried the authorities was that Duncan somehow seemed to have access to secrets about the sinking of warships that made her a threat to national security. However you interpret it, it sounds like a fascinating tale (preview DVDs weren't available) and Robinson, whatever the subject matter, can be relied on to be an engaging storyteller."

Interesting programme, and an intriguing story.

On one hand, I was disappointed that they didn't dig much deeper into the 'methods' at play in spiritualist seances, but on the opther, I'm glad they didn't, cos it makes life all the more fun for me.

Besides which, the story is well over 60 years old, so getting any genuinely useful evidence about what actually went on in the seance room would be nigh impossible.

Definitely useful refernce material for bizzarists, though.

Pete

I thought the woman who'd been to one of Duncan's seances and described ectoplasm as "having a smell almost of semen" was wonderful!

And nice to see Barnum Statements being dug up (or should that be reincarnated) for another "oh my gosh - we all had the same reading" shock horror TV moment.

But genuinely nice to see Tony Robinson keeping an open mind about it all and not allowing himself to be swayed by either camp. And the "Google Tony Robinson" medium was hilarious.

The Barnum statement wasn't as impressive as they usually make it for TV. The people were giving it 5/10 and 6/10. In my mind that's average, not really an impressive reading. Bit of an odd choice of casting them as Mulder and Scully type characters, but better than having two cynics or two believers.

Buggger i missed this. Still, it will no doubt be repeated ad nauseum on more4, and e4.

Jobasha wrote:The Barnum statement wasn't as impressive as they usually make it for TV. The people were giving it 5/10 and 6/10. In my mind that's average, not really an impressive reading.

I might be wrong, but I remember it as being out of 7.

The highest I think was 7. The others seemed to be saying a bit lower. It may be my memory, but either way none of them seemed exactly overwhelmed.

Jobasha wrote:The highest I think was 7. The others seemed to be saying a bit lower. It may be my memory, but either way none of them seemed exactly overwhelmed.

As with the dark seance. Sitters were giggling all the way through it.

I think it comes down to the trappings and the build-up of expectations. There was no doubt in their minds that they were there to prove a point other than the existance of paranormal whatnots. So disbelief wasn't suspended at all...

Tomo wrote:Tony Robinson and The Ghosts of Glastonbury
Tuesday 30 December
9:00pm - 10:05pm
Channel 4

"Tony Robinson and science journalist Becky McCall investigate historical paranormal events. In the early part of last century, respected antiquarian Frederick Bligh Bond published details of his excavations at Glastonbury Abbey and then sensationally claimed they were guided by communications from dead monks. Bligh's archaeological discoveries were impressive but could he have located the buildings without supernatural help?"

Better thjan last night's. This was a very intriguing tale.

In a way, it's fascinating to see all the after-facting that goes on in cases like this, but more than that it was just a fascinating story.

I also loved the look of mischevious indecision on the paleantologist's face when she found herself deliberating over whether or not to break the news that some sacred relic bones weren't actually human.

Here's a blog post from Richard Wiseman on the filming of the séance sequences.

the blitz witch is being repeated tonight on more4, 10pm.