History Series / LookAroundYou

This British comedy series, which originally aired on [[Creator/TheBBC BBC Two]] from 2002–05, is an AffectionateParody of educational programming such as ''Television for Schools'' in series 1, and later a {{Mockumentary}} in the style of ''Tomorrow's World''. The series mimics perfectly the style of British programming in the 1970s, right down to using authentic period cameras and effects. The science seen in the series bears no resemblance to that of the real world (mixing sulphur with champagne gives sulphagne, and it gives you powerful EyeBeams if you drink it; passing nitrogen gas through mains water produces whisky, and iron was invented in the 18th century by a cyclops named "Lord Iron de Haviland"), but, nevertheless, the spot-on parodies of educational programming and "almost-correct" science means the writers have ShownTheirWork.

This British comedy series, which originally aired on [[Creator/TheBBC BBC Two]] from 2002–05, was an AffectionateParody of educational programming such as ''Television for Schools'' in series 1, and later a {{Mockumentary}} in the style of ''Tomorrow's World''. The series mimics perfectly the style of British programming in the 1970s, right down to using authentic period cameras and effects. The science seen in the series bears no resemblance to that of the real world (mixing sulphur with champagne gives sulphagne, and it gives you powerful EyeBeams if you drink it; passing nitrogen gas through mains water produces whisky, and iron was invented in the 18th century by a cyclops named "Lord Iron de Haviland"), but, nevertheless, the spot-on parodies of educational programming and "almost-correct" science means the writers have ShownTheirWork.

-> ''Look around you...Look around you...Just look around you...There. Now, take a closer look...Have you worked out what we're looking for?...Correct. The answer is ''Calcium''.''

An AffectionateParody of educational programming such as ''Television for Schools'' in series 1, and later a {{Mockumentary}} in the style of ''Tomorrow's World''. The series mimics perfectly the style of British programming in the 1970s, right down to using authentic period cameras and effects. The science seen in the series bears no resemblance to that of the real world (mixing sulphur with champagne gives sulphagne, and it gives you powerful EyeBeams if you drink it; passing nitrogen gas through mains water produces whisky, and iron was invented in the 18th century by a cyclops named "Lord Iron de Haviland"), but, nevertheless, the spot-on parodies of educational programming and "almost-correct" science means the writers have ShownTheirWork.

* ParodicTableOfTheElements: The entire Periodic Table of the Elements as used on Look Around You is available on the BBC website [[http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/lookaroundyou/series1/periodic.shtml here]], featuring such elements as "manganesium", "fool's gold", "music", "toronto", "jazz", and "hello". It can also be seen on the season 1 DVD if you squint.

* IncrediblyLamePun: During the "Iron" episode's electricity experiment: "We're using Music/ACDC because it's heavy metal."

-> ''Look around you... Look around you... Just look around you... There. Now, take a closer look... Have you worked out what we're looking for?... Correct. The answer is ''Calcium''.''

-> ''"Jean is shorter than Brutus, but taller than [[AerithAndBob Imhotep]]. Imhotep is taller than Jean, but shorter than Lord Scotland. Lord Scotland is twice the height of Jean and Brutus combined, but only one-tenth of the height of Millsy. Millsy is at a constant height of ''x'' − ''y''. If Jean stands exactly one [[UsefulNotes/AmericanCustomaryMeasurements nautical mile]] away from Lord Scotland, how tall is Imhotep?"[[labelnote:The answer:]]Imhotep is invisible.[[/labelnote]]''

* IncrediblyLamePun: During the "Iron" episode's electricity experiment: "We're using AC/DC because it's heavy metal."

* AutoDoc: Medibot, from the second season, is a ''very'' unstable prototype of one.

%%* EenieMeenieMinyMoai: Imhotep.

* PokemonSpeak: Medibot.

* TakeOurWordForIt: Before the [[BrownNote "boite diabolique"]] is played in "Music", the volume on the TV is muted.

* EyeBeams: One test subject gains them by ingesting a mixture of champagne and powdered sulphur, or "sulphagne." (''Sulfane'' is another word for hydrogen sulfide, a hideously poisonous gas that also gives rotten eggs their stench.)

* AndIMustScream: The Helvetica Scenario turns you into TheBlank, losing eyes and mouth.

* BrownNote: The ''boite diabolique'', a keyboard which plays notes that humanity was not meant to hear.

%%* YourHeadAsplode: Never eat moth apples.

* AnachronismStew: "Man has been using iron since the Stone Age." [[AluminumChristmasTrees: Note that this is, counter-intuitively, true.]] The Iron Age marks the point at which people could ''produce iron from ore in economically useful quantities.'' Long before then people were using small, precious amounts of it that they [[AwesomeButImpractical smelted by very painstaking methods]] or happened to find in naturally pure forms like ThunderboltIron.

* AnachronismStew: "Man has been using iron since the Stone Age."
** AluminumChristmasTrees: The above is, counter-intuitively, true. The Iron Age marks the point at which people could ''produce iron from ore in economically useful quantities.'' Long before then people were using small, precious amounts of it that they [[AwesomeButImpractical smelted by very painstaking methods]] or happened to find in naturally pure forms like ThunderboltIron.

* ArtisticLicenseChemistry: Runs off this.

%%** The Helvetica Scenario, as depicted in the Calcium pilot.

* MedicalMonarch: Subverted: accoding to the Royalty quiz, Prince Charles can control hurricanes.

* FictionalSport: One episode in the second season features "gonnis" (golf tennis).

* YouFailBiologyForever: "Almost all living things have brains. [[StealthPun If we look inside one of these peas, we can see its tiny brain]]."

* TheReveal: At the very end of season one, one of the gathered cast and crew members says the last thing you'd expect any of them to say: [[spoiler:*Look around you!*]]

%% ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.

* At one point, sulphur and champagne are mixed to make 'sulphagne'. [[note]] Sulphane is another name for hydrogen sulphide. [[/note]]

* YouFailBiologyForever: "Almost all living things have brains. [[StealthPun If we look inside one of these peas, we can see its tiny brain]]."

!!This series contains examples of the following tropes: