Brainiac (Series 1, Episodes 1 & 2)

Brainiac (Series 1, Episodes 1 & 2) (DVD) (*)

~~$20.99~~ $14.97

Language Selections:
Dutch ( Subtitles )
English ( Dolby Digital 5.1 )

Product Origin/Format:
Netherlands ( PAL/Region 2 )

Running Time:
91 min

Aspect Ratio:
Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)

Special Features:
Interactive Menu
Scene Access

Movie filmed in 2003 and produced in:
United Kingdom ( Great Britain, Ireland )

Directed By:
Peter Eyre
Grant Shearer

Written By:
Tom Thompson
Matthew Ainsworth

Actors:
Jon Tickle ..... Himself (38 episodes, 2003-2007)
Neil DuCran ..... Brainiac Neil (38 episodes, 2003-2007)
Moira Kan ..... Brainiac Moira (38 episodes, 2003-2007)
Joe Rowntree ..... Brainiac Joe (38 episodes, 2003-2007)
Richard Hammond ..... Himself - Presenter (37 episodes, 2003-2006)
Tom Pringle ..... Dr. Bunhead (37 episodes, 2003-2007)
Ed Arriens ..... 2 Brains (37 episodes, 2003-2006)
Rachel Grant ..... Professor Myang Li (31 episodes, 2004-2007)
Daniel Norris ..... Brainiac Dan (31 episodes, 2004-2006)
Stefan D'Bart ..... Dolly Boy (31 episodes, 2005-2008)
Charlotte Hudson ..... Herself (28 episodes, 2004-2006)
Richard Greenwood ..... Brainiac Richard (28 episodes, 2003-2005)
Karen Naiker ..... Brainiac Karen (20 episodes, 2004-2005)
Peter Dickson ..... Himself (19 episodes, 2005-2007)
Sonal Patel ..... Brainiac Sonal (18 episodes, 2004-2005)
John P. Kilcoyne ..... Himself (18 episodes, 2005-2007)
Hayley Finch ..... Nurse (12 episodes, 2004)
Malene Espensen ..... Nurse (10 episodes, 2006-2007)
Michelle Thorne ..... Brainiac Babe Doris (9 episodes, 2004)
Richard Wilson ..... Brainiac Dad (9 episodes, 2006)
Vic Reeves ..... Himself - Presenter (8 episodes, 2007)
Angel Long ..... Brainiac Babe Beryl (8 episodes, 2004)
Tony Green ..... Himself (8 episodes, 2005-2006)
Jamie Spence ..... Himself (8 episodes, 2005)
Bobby George ..... Himself (7 episodes, 2006)
Jamie Brownlow ..... Himself (6 episodes, 2003)
Terry Brownlow ..... Himself (6 episodes, 2003)
Kevin Dutfield ..... Himself (6 episodes, 2003)
Peter Logan ..... Himself (6 episodes, 2003)
Quinten Hann ..... Himself (6 episodes, 2004)
Brett Reylander ..... Himself (3 episodes, 2003)
Gabriella Irimia ..... Herself (2 episodes, 2003-2004)
Monica Irimia ..... Herself (2 episodes, 2003-2004)
Neil Hamilton ..... Himself (2 episodes, 2004-2006)
Kate Lawler ..... Herself (2 episodes, 2004-2006)

Synopsis:

Fast-paced, fun-packed series combining entertainment and science in a new ground-breaking format that proves science really can be fun! Brainiac is the show that squares up to science and says, 'Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough'. It's a unique beast - part science, part stunts - all mental. Each episode brings you all that's weird, wonderful and wild in the world of science, served up with a healthy dollop of explosions, pyrotechnics and anything else they can get our hands on! Our intrepid presenter, and sidekicks, will risk eyebrows and fingertips in a selfless quest to further scientific knowledge.

First Series
The first series of Brainiac: Science Abuse aired in 2003 and featured a wide variety of experiments including testing to see whether a mobile phone would ignite petrol vapours, walking on custard and testing the effects of electric shocks on various Brainiacs.

Second Series
The second series premiered on Sky1 in 2004 and G4 on 29 August 2005. It saw the start of "Brainiac Snooker", in which World Snooker professional Quinten Hann would pot the last six balls on a table into pockets connected to fuses which, upon potting a ball causing a caravan rigged with a different explosive to explode. The second series also introduced Charlotte Hudson as a third, but minor, host, and saw the introduction of what then became long term character "Professor Myang-Li", played by Rachel Grant.

Third Series
The third series premiered on Sky1 on 25 August 2005 and on G4 in Spring 2006. It featured Brainiac Golf (similar to Brainiac Snooker, but exploding caravans filled with different gases that exploded with coloured flames depending on the chemicals used), Lad v. Lass, Thermite, "Does being electrocuted affect your ability at work?" (human statue, flair bartending, darts player), "Things the instruction manuals don't warn you about", 47 Second Science, Diana Ross and her Chain Reaction, and testing which things break and which things bounce after a ten foot drop.
Dr. John P. Kilcoyne, Associate Dean of the University of Sunderland had a regular slot where he mixed various chemicals to see whether they "fizz" or "bang".

Fourth Series
The fourth series premiered on Sky1 on 16 July 2006, and on G4 in Spring of 2007. It introduced Brainiac Darts, during which Bobby George threw a perfect set, always finishing on the Double Top which triggered the explosion of a caravan, and a new "I Can Do Science Me" which is set around auditions. There is also a feature called "Things What My Body Does", in which a member of the public is filmed doing something extraordinary with their bodies. It also featured "Movie Stars Destroying Cars" and Dr. John P. Kilcoyne with "Glow or Blow". It also introduced a new feature called "Brainiac for a Day", where contestants could bring an item of their choice to blow up. It was set out as a game show with the hosts Dolly Girl (Lisa Marie Bourke) (previously "Jane" in the "Lad v. Lass" segment) and Dolly Boy (Stefan D'Bart).

Fifth Series
It premiered on 8 May 2007 on Sky1 and was simulcast in HD on Sky1 HD. The series retained "Brainiac For A Day", "Things What My Body Does", and contains new segments like "Brainiac V Beast", Dr Kilcoyne with "Fizzle or Flash" and Prof. Myang Li (Rachel Grant) with steel balls, attempting to "shatter or shunt" various objects. In addition, Vic Reeves appeared as the Russian scientist Uri Abusikov,along with his object of affection his assistant the hideously ugly Ursula, attempting to destroy things with liquid nitrogen. In this series, Vic Reeves took over as host from Richard Hammond, who had quit the show. Hammond's growing commitments to Top Gear and his contract with the BBC meant that he was finding it increasingly difficult to fulfil his role as presenter of Brainiac. Hammond was also reportedly losing interest in doing Brainiac. Vic Reeves was brought in as replacement host shortly after the end of the fourth series and before Richard Hammond's near fatal crash. The original production team left the programme at the same time as Hammond. With Vic now presenting, he introduced the "alternative humour" brand that Vic was famous for in the 1990s with his comedy partner, Bob Mortimer.

Sixth Series
Premiering on 13 January 2008 on Sky1, this series saw the return of Vic Reeves as host and Jon Tickle as co-host. Thaila Zucchi made her debut on the series in two items: "How Hard is Your Thing?" in which she tests the hardness of different objects using thermite and a tonne of bricks dropped from a crane, and "Shocking Acts" in which she finds out whether variety acts can still perform while receiving electric shocks. Other new segments included "Gas Bang Wallop" featuring a character called Barry Bernard who destroys things with gas, "Chemistry Deathmatch" in which regular characters Dr Bunhead and Professor John Kilcoyne go head-to-head to produce the best experiments, "Custard Dreams" which follows the adventures of a Brainiac who discovers he can walk on custard, and "Stars in Their Caravans" which sees a variety of UK celebrities trapped in caravans, in a mock game show which results in large explosions. Uri Abusikov changed his chemical from liquid nitrogen to liquid oxygen, but otherwise remained the same.

Brainiac: Science Abuse (often shortened to simply Brainiac) is a British entertainment TV show with a science motif. Numerous experiments are carried out in each show, often to verify whether common conceptions are true (such as whether it is possible to run over a pool of custard) or simply to create impressive explosions. The show centres on the three core branches of science for the key stages in British education: chemistry, physics and to a lesser extent, biology. The experimenters on the show are referred to as "Brainiacs", and each episode usually finishes with the destruction of a caravan.

This product was added to our catalog on Monday 25 April, 2022.