Monkman & Seagull’s Genius Adventures

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Monkman and Seagull explore breakthroughs from the Industrial Revolution and Victorian era

Eric Monkman and Bobby Seagull travel around Britain, exploring scientific breakthroughs from the Industrial Revolution and the Victorian era.

Series 1

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Until 03/01/2009 BBC Two Wales (analogue) was known simply as BBC Two Wales. BBC Two Wales (digital) was BBC 2W. From 03/01/2009 BBC Two Wales schedules on both analogue and digital became identical

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Eric Monkman

Bobby Seagull

Simon Dickson

Lorraine Charker-Phillips

Merle Currie

Samuel Palmer

Label1 Television Ltd

Monkman & Seagull’s Genius Adventures: Series 1: Episode 2

Episode 2

BBC Two - Monkman & Seagull’s Genius Adventures, Series 1, Episode 2

The duo's genius adventure continues through the first half of the 19th century.

Monkman and Seagull's genius adventure continues through the first half of the 19th century, as the duo seek out the birthplaces of the inventions that fuelled Britain’s industrial infrastructure. 

University Challenge legends Eric Monkman and Bobby Seagull travel through time, exploring their favourite British scientific breakthroughs from across the Industrial Revolution and the Victorian era - a period when scientific progress changed the world.

In episode two, their genius adventure continues through the first half of the 19th century, as the duo seek out the birthplaces of the inventions that fuelled Britain’s industrial infrastructure. 

First stop is The Royal Institution in London in 1815, where Monkman and Seagull uncover a simple invention that saved the lives of thousands of coal miners - the Davy lamp. They then pay a visit to 1821 and the preserved laboratory of Michael Faraday, another of their scientific heroes, whose research on electricity paved the way for its application as a ubiquitous energy supply.

Travelling north, they visit Stoke-on-Trent in 1824 to investigate a building material they believe is one of the unsung heroes of the Industrial Revolution – cement. 

Next, they visit the small town of Rainhill between Liverpool and Manchester to join the celebrations for the 190th anniversary of the Stephenson’s Rocket locomotive winning the 1829 Rainhill time trials – a competition that paved the way for Britain’s modern railway network. 

As the century progresses, Monkman and Seagull challenge each other to a bicycle race, in homage to this 19th-century revolutionary invention that transformed personal transport, as well as nationwide social patterns.

Their next stop is to get their hands on a model of Charles Babbage’s Difference Engine No 2 – conceived by the mathematical mastermind as the first steam-powered calculator. Monkman and Seagull challenge themselves to compete against this ingenious machine in a mathematical race against the clock. Finally, they travel to Bristol in 1843 and explore the SS Great Britain – a steamship that propelled overseas travel and commerce.

Monkman & Seagull’s Genius Adventures: Series 1

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