Jimmy Carr & The Science Of Laughter: A Horizon Special. Jimmy Carr. Copyright: BBC
Jimmy Carr & The Science Of Laughter: A Horizon Special

Jimmy Carr & The Science Of Laughter: A Horizon Special

  • TV documentary
  • BBC Two
  • 2016
  • 1 episode

Jimmy Carr presents an Horizon documentary special on the subject of laughter. Also features Sophie Scott, Robin Dunbar, Peter McGraw, Sara Algoe, Laura Kurtz and more.

Jimmy Carr & The Science Of Laughter: A Horizon Special. Image shows from L to R: Sophie Scott, Robin Dunbar, Jimmy Carr, Peter McGraw. Copyright: BBC

Key details

Genre
Documentary
Broadcast
2016
Channel
BBC Two
Episodes
1
Features
Jimmy Carr, Sophie Scott, Robin Dunbar, Peter McGraw, Sara Algoe, Laura Kurtz, Nathan Lund and Jaak Panksepp
Writers
Dominic English
Directors
Liz Clare and Peter Leonard
Producers
Rob Liddell, Peter Leonard and Steve Crabtree
Company

Jimmy Carr hosts this one-off Horizon special, as part of the BBC's Landmark Sitcom Season, revealing the fascinating science of laughter and comedy. What is laughter, why do we enjoy it so much and what has it got to do with comedy?

Jimmy Carr & The Science Of Laughter: A Horizon Special is an evening of entertaining new science, exciting experiments and a whole new theory of funny. With the help of leading scientists along with Jimmy's own theories and ideas, together they try to find answers to what laughter actually is, why we love doing it so much and why we associate laughter with being amused.

Science contributors in the studio include Professor Sophie Scott from University College London, who is breaking new ground in how the brain processes natural and social laughter; Professor Robin Dunbar from Oxford University, an evolutionary biologist and experimental psychologist who has a theory on why laughter was pivotal in our species development; and Professor Pete McGraw from University of Colorado, a psychologist who claims his controversial theory explains all comedy.

Jimmy Carr says: "Many Worlds Theory states that in an infinite universe there will be one planet on which I'm presenting Horizon. I can't believe your luck - it's this one."

Additional details

Part of

Landmark Sitcom Season

Production
Studio
Camera set-up
Multi-camera
Picture
Colour

Website links

Broadcast details

First broadcast
Sunday 11th September 2016 at 9pm on BBC Two
Episode length
1 hour
Most recent repeats
  • Wednesday 10th February 2021 at 10:30pm on BBC4
  • Saturday 13th July 2019 at 1:55am on London Live
  • Wednesday 3rd October 2018 at 11:00pm on BBC4

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