BURNUP - eco thriller on BBC2 this Weds & Fr at 9PM

tomhitchman · Post by **tomhitchman** » 24 Jul 2008, 14:17

I also saw the BBC4 truth, lies, oil and scotland. Frankly her 'investigation' was anything but. The reserves issue was done with an interview with one bloke and the bit with Jeremy Legget seemed straight out of a world Peak perspective but wasn't referenced for the North Sea, one could easily be mistaken to believe that the North Sea has yet to Peak.

I must admit after a while I gave up and went to bed, cursing licence fee and the BBC for their 'unique form of funding'.

leroy · Post by **leroy** » 24 Jul 2008, 16:15

tomhitchman wrote:the bit with Jeremy Legget seemed straight out of a world Peak perspective but wasn't referenced for the North Sea, one could easily be mistaken to believe that the North Sea has yet to Peak..

Exactly. I was stunned by this bit of editing. Also introducing Leggett as a 'Greenpeace campaigner' and 'owner of SolarCentury', no mention of his credentials as a scientist. Basically just misleading noise.

tomhitchman wrote:I must admit after a while I gave up and went to bed, cursing licence fee and the BBC for their 'unique form of funding'.

Same as that. I have always really appreciated the Beeb, particularly after time spent abroad, but have been less and less enamoured by the TV side of things of late. Even Question Time can really annoy me, with the exception of Paddy Ashdown stating clearly that the cheap era of energy has finished a few weeks back, they all talk complete rubbish.

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 24 Jul 2008, 22:09

Leroy may I suggest a quick trip abroad again, preferably leaving youself plenty of time to watch telly while you're there?...

Anyway who ever heard of any good telly during the summer? If it's still crap when the evenings draw in then I'll get really ratty.

leroy · Post by **leroy** » 24 Jul 2008, 22:37

When I lived in Seoul there was a James Bond Channel. Like Boxing Day, every day.

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 24 Jul 2008, 22:39

leroy wrote:When I lived in Seoul there was a James Bond Channel. Like Boxing Day, every day.

Was there a Great Escape Channel too? Then you could go straight to next Christmas!

Ippoippo · Post by **Ippoippo** » 25 Jul 2008, 21:40

Part 2 has just mentioned the 'Peak Oil' phrase!

Interesting and scary to hear that phrase pop up in a somewhat 'mainstream' drama.

Ballard · Post by **Ballard** » 25 Jul 2008, 21:55

my god, that means peak oil is now,

Not now, yesterday

Is someone quoting us...

Ok, who is it? Who is the secret TV script writer?

Pani Kova · Post by **Pani Kova** » 25 Jul 2008, 22:49

Well, I watched both episodes. A slighly silly and simplified yarn but anything that clearly exemplifies the terms methane hydrate (or is it methyl hydrate?) and peak oil get a thumbs up from me. Having read Jeremy Leggett's The Carbon Wars as well as Half Gone, I think it pretty much captured the reality of climate change talks (including the very nasty and amoral American contingent and their fossil fuel cronies (the carbon coalition, I think Leggett called them). Mind you, the idea that an Oxford-educated CEO of an oil company just hadn't noticed the reams of scientific data being published in the press for the past, errrr, twenty years, and it was only the beardy old codger's report that convinced him was quite ridiculous. Having said that, he was quite presentable and I would be quite happy to set fire to some off-gassing from the permafrost with him.

leroy · Post by **leroy** » 25 Jul 2008, 22:55

Deleted post

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 25 Jul 2008, 23:09

Sorry, but it needs to be said.

If any of you think that this third rate drama will have any effect on the way the sheeple view our forthcoming energy problem, I feel sorry for you.

A poorly written plot and a complete waste of three hours which only goes to show how low the BBC can sink without even trying.

I think it's time to screen 'The End Of Suburbia' or some such movie at a peak viewing time and we should now be encouraging any of our media contacts to press for an immediate screening.

Burn Up?

Give me the matches, I'll set fire to all of the DVD's now!

Pani Kova · Post by **Pani Kova** » 25 Jul 2008, 23:09

That was supposed to represent me blushing at the thought of having a sizzling time with that daft but dishy CEO. (And I refer, of course, to the flaming permafrost).

Pani Kova · Post by **Pani Kova** » 25 Jul 2008, 23:15

Oh dear. Leroy' s last post has been deleted so my last one makes no sense. What's new. Ignore it.

Aurora, you have posted 2500 plus more posts than me so who am I to say. However, the man who came round today to give me a quote to fit a wood burning stove had seen the first episode and along with what's been kicking off lately in terms of fuel/ food price rises etc, had certainly got him talking about the subject.

I think screening the End of Suburbia is a great idea. However, surely there is a place for these kind of dramas, however simpified, if they create a buzz and give the peak oilers a peg on which to hang a conversation without seemingly like scary, mad people.

mobbsey · Post by **mobbsey** » 26 Jul 2008, 04:15

Aurora wrote:If any of you think that this third rate drama will have any effect on the way the sheeple view our forthcoming energy problem, I feel sorry for you.

True. All the effort was about explaining climate change -- you have to be a peak oil anorak to understand the significance of the Western Desert (or the Arctic for that matter -- USGS have just said the area contains 60 billion barrels... not enough to a damn bit of difference even if they can get it out).

I think most people would have missed the significance of any references to peak oil, but it was nice that they echoed my regular comment about the post peak recession -- it'll do more to cut carbon emissions than any Kyoto agreement!

All in all, I think we've just been fenced in with the conspiracy brigade.

mobbsey · Post by **mobbsey** » 26 Jul 2008, 04:16

Oh yeah, I forgot -- if you're that desperate I've got it on tape.

Vortex · Post by **Vortex** » 26 Jul 2008, 09:05

I can imagine how this series was created:

A researcher spoke to several climate change & PO pundits and wrote down any factoids that he/she could understand.

The (mis)casting people found a dishy, honest but weak CEO for Big Oil Megacorp.

The location crew hired a convention hall but spent too much money on it.

The editors insisted on a love & smut aspect plus a bit of shooting and mayhem.

They also clumsily threw in the Peak Oil bit.

The directors fancied a vacation in a desert region, so the seismic crew scene slipped in.

Take all the above, mix thoroughly but randomly ... and hey presto you have your series: silly love story, improbable CEO, too much time spent filming at the convention hall plus many key facts sprinkled in ... and often submerged.

They certainly could have increased the volume of that doomer sound overlay at the very end!