Man On Earth - Tony Robinson

Well it was good to see a program covering such a major issue with breadth, however, they tried perhaps too hard to create a compelling narrative and avoided questions that threatened their theory that climate has dictated perhaps everything about our society and culture. It is a key element, but not everything, we are shaped by our ecology, the richness of the land, the geography, water, the development of cooking and what our climate provides and the resources we have at our disposal and our ability to exploit them technology.

In Egypt they talked about how climate had shaped the development of the culture, a better way of phrasing would always be geography and resources always shape us, however, the first cities were not in Egypt they were further East in the fertile crescent, which they didn't seem to mention. A few quotes from Fernand Braudel, would have added much intellectual depth.

The development of agriculture was more important than climate change in the development of cities, agriculture was connected to the climate as they should rightly point out but other factors such as the richness of the land, availability of crops that can be developed. Seeds needed to develop over time through our manipulation so they could be farmed animals etc again here quotes from Jared Diamond would have added depth and credibility.

The flow of individuals into Europe due simply to filling of the black sea, linking the two seemed very tenuous, people migrate they always will we are not in a position to directly link the two at least not to my knowledge and i am sure both before and after they would have been.

Finally the black plague global warming had an impact in Europe but it grew and originated we think in another rodent in central asia. We were weakened by the famine perhaps it helped the spread of the disease but it was people moving and more importantly how it developed on the plains and then how it was spread from there at that time was more important. Did it die out due to lack of contact with an animal that could transmit for centuries so it became steadily more virulent, we have had other plagues as well why was this so terrible?

TV they seek to explain a good story to always make things more dramatic to have a compelling narrative, serious television should be given back to serious people to make and produce, serious scientists should be doing this show with Tony assisting. They should have been interviewing Jared Diamond, James Lovelock, they should have been presenting it. So sad that a great man such as James Lovelock a Brit at the end of his days was not interviewed a disgrace i feel.

Our culture is in the hands of individuals who are not informed enough on their subject. Books can be written by experts, journalists and amateurs alike TV is in the hands of an elite who stretch themselves too thin, who often know too little on their subject and flit between huge areas. Documentaries like this should be made by experts with depth and challenge us and themselves not in the hands of people who don't know enough. They should be assisting and advising but they should not be running the show, we have it the wrong way round.

The naked ape though always protects his own and searches for his empire and so it is in TV and we are poorer for it. Who would dare step aside and say i am not qualified to write this, who would say i am not qualified to produce this? You don't need many experts but they should have had more. No they protect their livelihood, they protect their families and we lose as the experts on subjects are not making enough serious television.

Finally what let the show down completely and utterly were the final few statements, they discussed and enlightened us on much, Tony finally gained in enthusiasm as we came closer to the present, the point is though Tony can the earth support 7 billion if the climate changes and how will it change, do we really know enough about this incredibly complex system? He said we have a choice as we can see it coming incredibly simplistic and plain wrong. Can we really support 7 billion do we really know how the weather will change.

Good effort, heading in the right direction, please though have several experts dictating the subject matter, script and the locations and perhaps producing. Finally Tony get some fucking passion you are talking about the greatest subject on Planet Earth, read some books challenge some of these clever people you are interviewing think, think, wake up man, I despair. Thank you for trying though it is better than nothing much much better.