516 The Sky At Night

First  viewed  : Uncertain

I  really  have  no  idea  when  I  first  caught  an  episode  of  this  long-running, late  night,  astronomy  series  and  suspect  it  may  have  been  earlier  than  1981  but  with  bed  time  curfews  now  abandoned  this  seems  as  appropriate  a  time  as  any  to  include  it.

The  Sky  at  Night   was  first  broadcast  as  a  live  show  presented  by  amateur  astronomer  Patrick   Moore  who  was  at  the  helm  for  every  monthly  episode  bar  one   until  his  death  three  years  ago  , a  record-breaking  stint. I  realise  the  programme  has  carried  on  since  then  but  can't  really  imagine  it  working  without  him. Space  is  a  bloody  frightening  subject   emphasising  how  small  and  vulnerable  the  human  race  is  and  it  needed   his  lovable, avuncular   if  cranky  presence  to  make  it  cosy  late  night  viewing. I  never  became  a  regular  viewer  but  tuned  in  from  time  to  time,  half  an  hour  of  Moore  having  the  same  appeal  as  a  cup  of  cocoa.

From  2004  it   had  to  be  broadcast  from  Moore's  home  due  to  advancing  arthritis  and  became  less  comfortable  to  watch  as  he  was  propped  up  and  plastered  with  make-up  in  a  futile  attempt  to  mask  his  obvious  physical  decline. Still  the  mind  remained  active  to  the  end   and  he  died  in   harness. I've  never  seen  it  with  the  new  team  in  place  but  it's  telling  that,  barely  a  year  after  Moore's  death,  it  was  moved  over  to  BBC  Four.