# Brainiac: Science Abuse (2003)

> Richard Hammond and a rotating team of presenters test everyday science questions through rule-breaking experiments.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/2484

## Facts

- Seasons: 6
- Episodes: 59
- Episode runtime: 60 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: documentary, comedy
- Created by: Stewart Morris, Andy Milligan
- Network: Sky One
- Cast: Vic Reeves, Charlotte Hudson, Richard Hammond, Jon Tickle, Thaila Zucchi, Rachel Grant, Kate Lawler, Phillip Schofield
- TMDB rating: 6.9/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442633/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: playful, irreverent, cheeky, brisk, cheerful

## Synopsis

Brainiac: Science Abuse (2003-2008) is a British factual science documentary comedy created by Stewart Morris and Andy Milligan for Sky One, produced by ITV Studios, Granada Productions and LWT. Presented by Richard Hammond alongside co-hosts Jon Tickle, Charlotte Hudson, Vic Reeves and Thaila Zucchi, the series runs six seasons of hour-long episodes built around the experiments viewers were never allowed to attempt in school. Each episode poses a familiar question about everyday life, such as what should never go into a microwave or whether mobile phones really set off explosions at petrol stations, then sets up a playful, sometimes reckless test to settle it. The engine is simple curiosity: presenters pursue an answer through trial, error and spectacle, with a light comic bite in the banter. The format is episodic, so any episode stands alone. Tone is brisk, cheeky and cheerful, with an irreverent edge that keeps the science accessible. Fans of MythBusters and Dara O Briain's Science Club will find similar pleasure in hands-on demonstrations and irreverent presenter chemistry, making this an easy, entertaining watch for science-curious households.

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