TV pick: Nigel Latta Blows Stuff Up

On Nigel Latta Blows Stuff Up, Nigel Latta blows stuff up.

Fave telly shrink is back and intent on blinding us with science - of sorts.

Timeout: So you're blowing stuff up now ... isn't that a bit of a detour from your previous shows?

I'd hope that every new show I'm involved in is a departure from the previous ones, otherwise you're just making the same old stuff all the time. The reality is that I've always been interested in science - I have two science degrees from an earlier life and so for me this is simply a continuation of a lifelong passion. I love science, I get excited about it, and I want to show people how cool science really is. The world is an amazing place, and understanding how it works is phenomenally interesting.

What kind of stuff are you blowing up? And, more importantly, why?

We wanted to pick a range of topics, from things that are more obviously relevant to people's lives (like the science of car collisions and house fires) and the stuff which is less obviously relevant (like gravity and lightning). What I'd hope, though, is that with all of the episodes people experience the show as a fun ride where you come away having learned some interesting things about the world as well.

Are you trying to attract fans of shows like Top Gear and MythBusters ?

I like Top Gear, despite the recent events, but it's very blokey. And I like MythBusters, but even though there's a lot of science there you don't really get to see it. What would be great is to attract all those people who were put off science when they were younger because they thought it was boring. As an example we found a big shed at Canterbury University where they make lightning, and they have a suit you can put on so you can juggle lightning. Who wouldn't want to see that?

Your previous shows usually had a point to prove - is there one here?

The first and most important goal is always to make engaging and entertaining TV, because otherwise no one is going to want to watch it. The second thing was to put science back into people's lives because it's been absent from the national consciousness for a long time. Anyone who says they don't like science simply has the wrong idea about what science is.

What's the craziest thing you do in this show - and were there injuries?

I did a lot of stuff making this series which, on the face of it, was a bit mad. I got multiple electric shocks, deliberately set out to induce hypothermia, fell off bridges, subjected my face to hurricane force winds, jumped out of planes with fruit, and sat inside a burning house. The most painful part though was a sequence we filmed where I had to hang upside down for a few hours. Normal abseiling harnesses are quite comfy but film/stunt harnesses are incredibly painful. It felt like my hips had been alternately beaten with baseball bats and then cheese-grated. I hobbled around like an old man for four days after that one.

What: Nigel Latta Blows Stuff Up
Where and when: Sunday, TV One, 8pm

- TimeOut