The Froghall View

Charlie Brooker's Gameswipe


Better late than never, it's Charlie Brooker's one-off special Gameswipe from last year. You can read about it on the BBC Comedy Blog page here.

 As always, it's beyond praise. Enjoy.

Watch Gameswipe


Stewart Lee - Don't Get Me Started

In the wake of the controversy surrounding 'Jerry Springer the Opera', comedian, writer and broadcaster Stewart Lee goes on the offensive, asking "what's wrong with blasphemy?" in this one-off 45 minute special.


Watch Stewart Lee: Don't Get Me Started

Does Homeopathy Work? - feat Dr. Ben Goldacre



Footage of a debate titled "Does Homeopathy Work" held three years ago in the Natural History Museum. The wonderful Ben Goldacre (badscience.net, Guardian column) goes head to head with clinical director of the Royal National Homeopathic Hospital, Dr. Peter Fisher.

Watch 'Does Homepathy Work?'

Douglas Adams - Hyperland


In 1990, Douglas Adams made a documentary for BBC Two. It was called Hyperland, and was presented as a fantasy, a dream of the future. Here, Adams discusses what was to become known as the internet, and explains the concept of hypertext - many years before the invention of the first web browser. He ends Hyperland with a prediction of the future, 2005, where the sum total of human knowledge is laid out in a virtual world that anybody can access - just like the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

It really is marvellous. Not only are Adams' predictions stunningly accurate (apart Lawnmower Man-esque 3D virtual reality, which never did come true, for no particular reason), his enthusiasm for his subject and optimism about what the internet could do for society and individuals is stirring, thought-provoking stuff. And it stars Tom Baker. What are you waiting for?

Watch Hyperland


Run time: 50mins


The Secret Life of Chaos

The Mandlebrot Set.  As stolen from http://www.joachim-reichel.deIt may have disappeared from iPlayer, but you can still watch it here - perhaps the greatest science documentary of the past few years, The Secret Life of Chaos. A fantastic layman's introduction to chaos theory, presented by Jim Al-Khalili. You'll want to watch it a couple of times to take it all in, but it's a rewarding, mind-bending, and ultimately beautiful learning experience.

Nick Davies - Falsehood, Distortion and Propaganda in the Global Media

Flat Earth News author Nick Davies gives a great performance under an unusually fierce grilling from Guardian journalist David Lee. Recorded for frontlineclub.com, a must watch for anyone interested in falsehood and distortion in the media.