Who is the best person to have on a quiz team? A generalist? A specialist? Or, in the case of 'Great Unanswered Questions' (BBC2); how about someone who knows everything? Dr David Booth, in the eyes of 'thetvreviewguy', seems to be (and emphasis on the words seems); one of the smartest people on the telly. Booth is amiably accompanied by comedian host Colin Murphy, bearded nerd Matthew Collins and a different celebrity guest each week. The Science Doctor answers questions on everything, without apparently goggling, being wired for sound or reading from cog notes on every subject from archery to zoology. Smart TV is in short supply and 'Great Unanswered Questions' treats their viewers as smart too. We live in a paradoxical world where instead of handling a surplus of information through specialisaton, we do process information by knowing some things about many things; the ubiquity of information resources means that we can get legitimately tell ourself that learning is so analogue. 'Great Unanswered Questions' takes trivia and expands it; we get the factoid but also the reason behind it. Most appealingly, it feels like fun and the conversation is kept on a smiley keel by Murphy who is often gobsmacked by what his panellists know about 'stuff'. There are Known Knowns, Unknown Knowns and what Booth and Collins know; 'thetvreviewguy' knows he likes this, but knows he has lot more to know after each viewing.
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