Britain’s Greatest Invention

Episode
Britain’s Greatest Invention
Broadcast Info
2017 (77 mins)
Description
Seven celebrities to battle it out to reveal Britain’s Greatest Invention live on BBC Two
Sir Trevor McDonald, Angela Rippon, Giles Coren, Len Goodman, David Harewood, Angela Scanlon and Nick Knowles will each champion one object in their bid to persuade the BBC Two audience to vote for their invention and win the title of Britain’s Greatest Invention.
The programme, which is produced in partnership with The Open University, will be broadcast live on BBC Two on the 15th June from the Science Museum Group’s vast stores; a treasure trove of 8 aircraft hangers near Swindon full of the UK and beyond’s most cherished inventions. Presented by Dr Hannah Fry and automotive engineer Ant Anstead, they’ll reveal the winning invention at the end of the live programme that will go on to be celebrated in the Science Museum itself. Food critic and journalist Giles Coren will champion the humble fridge, an invention that plays a crucial role in how healthy we are.
Train enthusiast and presenter Len Goodman will be an ambassador for the steam engine following his passion for trains since childhood, and will explore how steam turbines still generate 80% of the world’s power. Having had TB when she was a child, Angela Rippon will be an ambassador for the invention of antibiotics that has saved more than 200 million lives since its invention, whilst for actor David Harewood the jet engine that keeps almost 1 million people in the air at any one time is the most significant revelation of modern technology. For Robot Wars presenter Angela Scanlon the mobile phone is the winning invention because this fantastic collaboration of multiple technologies, many of which are British, see us all on average spend 442 minutes of our day using it. For Sir Trevor McDonald, the television is ultimately the winning invention; when growing up in Trinidad it inspired him to pursue a career in broadcasting that has spanned four decades. For Nick Knowles concrete is the unsung hero of the seven inventions. It has literally built the modern world around us. From bridges, hospitals and most importantly sewers to tunnels, hydro electric dams and motorways. It is the most used man made substance on the planet and we are healthier and live longer because of it, we are in short, completely dependent on it. Battling it out in front of a live studio audience and surrounded by incredible objects from the Science Museum Group’s collections, each ambassador will champion their invention as the most influential, inviting the BBC Two audience to vote for their favourite during the live show. We will also delve behind the scenes in the amazing Science Museum Group’s stores to discover a treasure trove of inventions, asking the viewer to help solve mysteries of some these objects, and even invite them to bring forward vital lost artefacts the Science Museum Group wants to add to its national collection.
Genre
Medicine; Engineering; Science; Technology

How to cite this record

The Open University, "Britain’s Greatest Invention". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ou/search/index.php/prog/228500 (Accessed 10 Jan 2025)