Mike's Programmes
Mike’s first job in national TV was with the 'Famous Five' style BBC2 hands-on
science series Rough Science. He worked on the first three series of the
popular-prime time family programme.
The first in 1999 was based in Capraia (a small island off the Italian
coast). The second, in 2001, took him to Carriacou (a small island in the
Caribbean)
and the third, in 2002, was based in New Zealand. In the process Mike
made autoclaves, generated electricity, worked out his latitude and longitude
and helped prospect for gold. Viewing figures peaked at around three
million
people.
In 1999 after returning from the first series of BBC2's Rough Science Mike worked for his local TV channel as the Motorsport Correspondent. This also led to work for a Formula One team. His responsibilities included research, organising interviews, writing scripts, voiceover work and general pieces to camera. It was fun working with others keen to produce decent TV with no budget, but the pay was crap.
In 2003 Mike did some serious high-brow
science on TV. Using his experience as a virologist at Oxford University
he was featured throughout a Horizon programme that looked at the virus
that causes SARs and contributed to the script. Mike has also worked on
BBC World Service scientific programmes, has researched and written about
global virus outbreaks for BBC online and has written several features for
the websites that have supported the television shows. Because one of his
interests is motorsport Mike has penned a number of articles for the motoring
press, tending to specialise in four wheel drives, classic rallying and
dirt biking. He has also published articles in travel magazines and is now
working on larger projects, including a book.
Perhaps one of the most shocking projects Mike has been involved with was the first programme in the BBC1 series 'Body Snatchers' screened during November 2003. In order to fully appreciate the true horror of a parasite infection he swallowed a tapeworm cyst and allowed it to grow in his guts for the eleven weeks preceding his wedding. The programme followed him as the beast grew and he finally got rid of it into a modified colander rammed down his toilet. The programme was subsequently featured in the Channel Four 'Top One Hundred TV Moments of 2003'.
The next series
which Mike presented was written specifically for him and was called
'Lab Rats'. As the name suggests the programme was about self experimentation,
Mike being one of the 'Rats'. With co-presenter Zeron Gibson
he looked at the effect of g-force on the human body and sleep deprivation
on the brain. The 'Rats' tried to overcome their greatest fears
and looked at the effect of lifestyle on their sperm counts. The series
was shown on BBC3 in Spring 2004. The experiments carried out in this
series were extreme and included experiencing 9.5g in a giant centrifuge
before
feeling severe g-Force in the real world when flying an F16 fighter jet.
But the most demending experiment must have been taking part in the World's
first televised sperm race.
The following two years were spent travelling the World with his new wife, but on his return to the UK in 2006 – 7 Mike combined exotic travel and self experimentation with a return to parasitology, a branch of science that he loves. 'Invasion of the Bodyscratchers' took him globetrotting to Japan, the Czech Republic, Brazil, Africa and Portugal to look at some of the World’s grossest and most dangerous creatures – many of which he grew in his own body. The series was shown on Sky1 in 2006 and on Sky3 in October 2007.
Mike is currently working on a major new travel series for a leading international broadcaster. The title is to be confirmed. It should be aired in late 2008.