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{{For|the company|Local Heroes (company)}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Unreferenced|date=December 2009}}
{{Unreferenced|date=December 2009}}
{{Infobox television
'''''Local Heroes''''' is an award-winning science and history television programme in the United Kingdom, presented by [[Adam Hart-Davis]].
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| director =Paul Bader
| creative_director =
| presenter =[[Adam Hart-Davis]]
| starring =
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| country =United Kingdom
| language = English
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| num_series =4
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| company =Screenhouse Productions
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| network =[[ITV (TV network)|ITV]]
| first_aired = {{Start date|1992}}
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}}
'''''Local Heroes''''' is a science and history television programme in the United Kingdom, presented by [[Adam Hart-Davis]].


Made by Screenhouse Productions and directed by Paul Bader, it was first aired on the [[ITV]] regional network [[Yorkshire Television]] in 1991. In the show, Adam Hart-Davis, dressed in the pink and yellow cycling clothes that would became the show's trademark, rode around the YTV region (including [[Yorkshire]], [[Norfolk]] and [[Lincolnshire]]) on a matching pink and yellow [[bicycle]], stopping in a particular area to tell the stories of scientists that lived or were born there. These stories were embellished by experiments, performed on the street by Hart-Davis, generally using bits of wood and junk from a trailer on his bike.
Made by Screenhouse Productions and directed by Paul Bader, it was first aired on the [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] regional network [[ITV Yorkshire|Yorkshire Television]] in 1992. In the show, Adam Hart-Davis, dressed in the pink and yellow cycling clothes that would become the show's trademark, rode around the YTV region (including [[Yorkshire]], [[Norfolk]] and [[Lincolnshire]]) on a matching pink and yellow [[bicycle]], stopping in a particular area to tell the stories of scientists that lived or were born there. These stories were embellished by experiments, performed on the street by Hart-Davis, generally using bits of wood and junk from a trailer on his bike.


This hobo-meets-[[Johnny Ball]] style approach to science-education proved appealing, and after two series, the show was sold to the national [[BBC Two|BBC2]] network in 1994. The move saw two changes: the scope of the show was expanded nationwide, with a different region visited each episode; and the theme tune was changed from ''No More Heroes'' by [[The Stranglers]] to a twee and plinky number, more in keeping with the programme genre. Eventually this was replaced by a more upbeat theme, by ''Wallace and Gromit'' composer Julian Nott, played by a Czech orchestra.
This hobo-meets-[[Johnny Ball]] style approach to science-education proved appealing, and after two series, the show was sold to the national [[BBC Two|BBC2]] network in 1994. The move saw two changes: the scope of the show was expanded nationwide, with a different region visited each episode; and the theme tune was changed from ''No More Heroes'' by [[The Stranglers]] to a twee and plinky number, more in keeping with the programme genre. Eventually this was replaced by a more upbeat theme, by ''Wallace and Gromit'' composer Julian Nott, played by a Czech orchestra.
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==Series 1==
==Series 1==
'''1 South West''':
[[Sarah Guppy]]: Patented the exercise bed, breakfast urn and the suspension bridge.
William Watts: Invented [[Lead shot]].
[[Humphry Davy]]: Discovered laughing gas, started electrochemistry and made patients breathe gases from cows.
[[Edward Jenner]]: Introduced vaccination against smallpox.
[[Mikael Pedersen]]: Designed a beautiful and curious bicycle.
[[George Pocock (inventor)]]: Inventor of spanking machine and pioneer of kite locomotion.


'''2 South''':
# South West:
#* [[Sarah Guppy]]: patented the exercise bed, the breakfast urn and the suspension bridge
[[John Milne]]: founder of modern seismology.
[[Edward Lyon Berthon]]: who invented the folding lifeboat.
#* William Watts: invented [[lead shot]]
#* [[Humphry Davy]]: discovered laughing gas, started electrochemistry and made patients breathe gases from cows
[[Florence Nightingale]]:
#* [[Edward Jenner]]: introduced vaccination against smallpox
Colin Pullinger:
#* [[Mikael Pedersen]]: designed a beautiful and curious bicycle
[[John Stringfellow]]:
#* [[George Pocock (inventor)]]: inventor of spanking machine and pioneer of kite locomotion
# South:
'''3 Scotland''':
#* [[John Milne]]: founder of modern seismology
[[Charles Piazzi Smyth]]:
#* [[Edward Lyon Berthon]], who invented the folding lifeboat
[[Joseph Black]]:
[[John Napier]]:
#* [[Florence Nightingale]]
#* Colin Pullinger
[[David Brewster]]:
[[David Douglas]]:
#* [[John Stringfellow]]:
# Scotland:
Gilbert D. Malloch (1881–1955)
[[Nevil Maskelyne]]:
#* [[Charles Piazzi Smyth]]
[[Charles Hutton]]:
#* [[Joseph Black]]
#* [[John Napier]]

#* [[David Brewster]]
'''4 Midlands''':
#* [[David Douglas (botanist)|David Douglas]]
[[John Barber (engineer)]]: Patented the gas turbine.
#* Gilbert D. Malloch (1881–1955)
[[Matthew Boulton]]: Host of the Lunar Society, a gathering of scientists.
#* [[Nevil Maskelyne]]
[[William Withering]]: Made heart cure from foxgloves (digitalis).
#* [[Charles Hutton]]
[[William Murdoch]]: Invented gas lighting.
# Midlands:
[[James Watt]]: Invented the copying machine and greatly improved steam engines.
#* [[John Barber (engineer)]]: patented the gas turbine
[[Dennis Gabor]]: Invented the hologram on a tennis court - before it was possible to make one.
#* [[Matthew Boulton]]: host of the Lunar Society, a gathering of scientists
[[Alexander Parkes]]: Produced plastics, two generations ahead of its time.
#* [[William Withering]]: made heart cure from foxgloves (digitalis)
[[Frederick W. Lanchester]]: Built the first all British four wheel petrol driven car.
#* [[William Murdoch]]: invented gas lighting

#* [[James Watt]]: invented the copying machine and greatly improved steam engines
'''5 Northern Ireland''':
#* [[Dennis Gabor]]: invented the hologram on a tennis court – before it was possible to make one
[[John Boyd Dunlop]]: Invented the pneumatic tyre.
#* [[Alexander Parkes]]: produced plastics, two generations ahead of their time
William Coppin: Invented the diving suit and pioneered salvage operations.
#* [[Frederick W. Lanchester]]: built the first all-British four-wheel petrol-driven car
[[George Garrett (inventor)]]: Invented a submarine, powered by steam and called 'Resurgam'.
# Northern Ireland:
John Getty McGee: Invented the Ulster Overcoat as worn by Sherlock Holmes.
#*[[John Boyd Dunlop]]: invented the pneumatic tyre
[[John Thomas Romney Robinson]]: Invented the cup anemometer and measured the position of Armagh with rockets.
#*[[William Coppin]]: invented the diving suit and pioneered salvage operations
[[Harry Ferguson]]: Pioneered the modern tractor system.
#* [[George Garrett (inventor)]]: invented a submarine, powered by steam and called ''Resurgam''

#* John Getty McGee: invented the Ulster overcoat (as worn by Sherlock Holmes)
'''6 North West''':
#* [[John Thomas Romney Robinson]]: invented the cup anemometer and measured the position of Armagh with rockets
John Mackereth: Invented the pneumatic mud corer for taking samples from lake beds.
#* [[Harry Ferguson]]: pioneered the modern tractor system
[[John Gough (natural philosopher)]]: Blind naturalist who could identify any plant by taste and touch.
# North West:
[[Thomas Edmondson]]: Inventor of the railway ticket.
#* John Mackereth: invented the pneumatic mud corer (Mackereth corer) for taking samples from lake beds
[[John Dalton]]: Meteorologist and pioneer of atomic theory.
#* [[John Gough (natural philosopher)]]: blind naturalist who could identify any plant by taste and touch
[[James Prescott Joule]]: Devised modern ideas about heat.
#* [[Thomas Edmondson]]: inventor of the railway ticket
[[Joseph Whitworth]]: Revolutionised engineering by defining standard screw threads.
#* [[John Dalton]]: meteorologist and pioneer of atomic theory
#* [[James Prescott Joule]]: devised modern ideas about heat
#* [[Joseph Whitworth]]: revolutionised engineering by defining standard screw threads


== Series 2==
== Series 2==
'''1 North West''': [[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]]:
'''1 Devon''': [[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]]:
[[Henry Moule]]:
[[Henry Moule]]:
[[Thomas Savery]]:
[[Thomas Savery]]:
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[[James Clerk Maxwell]]:
[[James Clerk Maxwell]]:
[[Robert Stirling]]: Inventor
[[Robert Stirling]]: Inventor
[[James Gregory (mathematician)]]: Mathmatician
[[James Gregory (mathematician)]]: Mathematician


'''3 East''': [[William Harvey]]: Reformed incorrect thinking about the circulation of blood.
'''3 East''': [[William Harvey]]: Reformed incorrect thinking about the circulation of blood.
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William Hase: Modified prison treadmills to take power outside the prison.
William Hase: Modified prison treadmills to take power outside the prison.
[[William Gilberd]]: Discovered the earth is a magnet.
[[William Gilberd]]: Discovered the earth is a magnet.
John Jeyes: Invented a unique three-function toilet cleaner [[Jeyes Fluid]].
[[John Jeyes]]: Invented a unique three-function toilet cleaner [[Jeyes Fluid]].
[[William Hyde Wollaston]]: Invented a clever mirror-and-prism device ([[Camera lucida]]) that lets you see your subject superimposed on your sketch pad.
[[William Hyde Wollaston]]: Invented a clever mirror-and-prism device ([[Camera lucida]]) that lets you see your subject superimposed on your sketch pad.


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'''5 Wales''': [[Thomas Telford]]: Developed a system for road building & built bridges.
'''5 Wales''': [[Thomas Telford]]: Developed a system for road building & built bridges.
[[Alfred Russell Wallace]]: Devised theory of natural selection jointly with Darwin.
[[Alfred Russel Wallace]]: Devised theory of natural selection jointly with Darwin.
[[William Price (physician)]]: Pioneer of cremation.
[[William Price (physician)]]: Pioneer of cremation.
[[Harry Grindell Matthews]]: Invented a portable radio, and supposed Death Ray inventor.
[[Harry Grindell Matthews]]: Invented a portable radio, and supposed Death Ray inventor.
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Liborio Pedrazzoli: Inventor of swimming umbrellas.
Liborio Pedrazzoli: Inventor of swimming umbrellas.
[[Ralph Wedgwood (inventor)]]: Invented carbon paper.
[[Ralph Wedgwood (inventor)]]: Invented carbon paper.
William Willoughby Cole Verner: Invented cavalry sketching board to enable cavalrymen to make
[[William Willoughby Cole Verner]]: Invented cavalry sketching board to enable cavalrymen to make accurate maps whilst on horseback.
accurate maps whilst on horseback.


== Series 3==
== Series 3==
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'''1 Devon and Cornwall''': [[Thomas Newcomen]] et al.
'''1 Devon and Cornwall''': [[Thomas Newcomen]] et al.


'''2 London''': [[Cornelius Drebbel]] et al.
'''2 London''': [[Cornelius Drebbel]] et al.


'''3 South''': [[Robert Hooke]] et al.
'''3 South''': [[Robert Hooke]] et al.


'''4 Special - Egypt'''
'''4 Special – Egypt'''


'''5 Special - Italy'''
'''5 Special – Italy'''


'''6 Special - Science Week'''
'''6 Special – Science Week'''
''''''7 Shannen Villareal''
'


== Series 4==
== Series 4==
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'''2 East of Scotland''': [[James Dewar]] et al.
'''2 East of Scotland''': [[James Dewar]] et al.


'''3 Cotswalds''': [[William Henry Fox Talbot]] et al.
'''3 Cotswolds''': [[William Henry Fox Talbot]] et al.


'''4 St Pauls''': Heroines<br />
'''4 St Pauls''': Heroines<br />


==External links==
[[Category:BBC television documentaries on history]]
* {{IMDb title|id=0415434|title=Local Heroes}}
[[Category:ITV television programmes]]

[[Category:1992 British television series debuts]]
[[Category:2000 British television series endings]]
[[Category:1990s British documentary television series]]
[[Category:2000s British documentary television series]]
[[Category:BBC television documentaries about history]]
[[Category:ITV documentaries]]
[[Category:Television series by ITV Studios]]
[[Category:Television series by Yorkshire Television]]
[[Category:British English-language television shows]]

Latest revision as of 18:32, 6 March 2024

For the company, see Local Heroes (company).

Local Heroes
Directed byPaul Bader
Presented byAdam Hart-Davis
Country of originVereinigtes Königreich
Original languageEnglisch
No. of series4
Production
Production companyScreenhouse Productions
Original release
NetworkITV
Release1992 (1992) –
2000 (2000)

Local Heroes is a science and history television programme in the United Kingdom, presented by Adam Hart-Davis.

Made by Screenhouse Productions and directed by Paul Bader, it was first aired on the ITV regional network Yorkshire Television in 1992. In the show, Adam Hart-Davis, dressed in the pink and yellow cycling clothes that would become the show's trademark, rode around the YTV region (including Yorkshire, Norfolk and Lincolnshire) on a matching pink and yellow bicycle, stopping in a particular area to tell the stories of scientists that lived or were born there. These stories were embellished by experiments, performed on the street by Hart-Davis, generally using bits of wood and junk from a trailer on his bike.

This hobo-meets-Johnny Ball style approach to science-education proved appealing, and after two series, the show was sold to the national BBC2 network in 1994. The move saw two changes: the scope of the show was expanded nationwide, with a different region visited each episode; and the theme tune was changed from No More Heroes by The Stranglers to a twee and plinky number, more in keeping with the programme genre. Eventually this was replaced by a more upbeat theme, by Wallace and Gromit composer Julian Nott, played by a Czech orchestra.

Since then, the series has covered over 200 'heroes', and has seen several special episodes. The first special saw Hart-Davis visit Egypt to investigate ancient heroes, while another took him to Italy for a Renaissance special. Another notable show was the finale of the last series (to date), which was performed in front of a live audience at the Royal Institution, much in the style of the Institution's Christmas Lectures.

The show continued until 2000. Since then, Hart-Davis has moved on to other shows, and the bbc.co.uk Local Heroes pages have now been deleted, suggesting that no further series are planned.

Series 1

[edit]
  1. South West:
    • Sarah Guppy: patented the exercise bed, the breakfast urn and the suspension bridge
    • William Watts: invented lead shot
    • Humphry Davy: discovered laughing gas, started electrochemistry and made patients breathe gases from cows
    • Edward Jenner: introduced vaccination against smallpox
    • Mikael Pedersen: designed a beautiful and curious bicycle
    • George Pocock (inventor): inventor of spanking machine and pioneer of kite locomotion
  2. South:
  3. Scotland:
  4. Midlands:
  5. Northern Ireland:
  6. North West:

Series 2

[edit]

1 Devon: Isambard Kingdom Brunel: Henry Moule: Thomas Savery: Mary Anning:

2 Scotland: Alexander Bain (inventor): Electro-chemical telegraph Charles Macintosh: Mac James Clerk Maxwell: Robert Stirling: Inventor James Gregory (mathematician): Mathematician

3 East: William Harvey: Reformed incorrect thinking about the circulation of blood. Robert Fitzroy: Pioneered storm warning system and invented the weather forecast. Benjamin Wiseman: Patented a Windmill in 1783. William Hase: Modified prison treadmills to take power outside the prison. William Gilberd: Discovered the earth is a magnet. John Jeyes: Invented a unique three-function toilet cleaner Jeyes Fluid. William Hyde Wollaston: Invented a clever mirror-and-prism device (Camera lucida) that lets you see your subject superimposed on your sketch pad.

4 North East: John Walker (inventor): Invented the friction match. Charles Algernon Parsons: Invented the steam turbine. Joseph Wilson Swan: Invented the incandescent light bulb. Lewis Fry Richardson: Inventor of sonar and the understanding of the mathematics of the weather. Thomas Wright (astronomer): First to understand the Milky Way. Gladstone Adams: Invented the windscreen wiper.

5 Wales: Thomas Telford: Developed a system for road building & built bridges. Alfred Russel Wallace: Devised theory of natural selection jointly with Darwin. William Price (physician): Pioneer of cremation. Harry Grindell Matthews: Invented a portable radio, and supposed Death Ray inventor. Richard Trevithick: Ran world's first steam locomotive at Merthyr. Robert Recorde: Invented equals sign. Hugh Owen Thomas (and the bonesetters of Anglesey): Four generations of bonesetters and founder of orthopaedic surgery.

6 South East: Samuel Morland: Invented giant megaphones and was master mechanic to Charles II Hertha Ayrton: Invented way of clearing trenches of Mustard Gas. Eleanor Coade: Her artificial stone was used for many landmarks. Henry Maudslay: Founder of precision engineering and first production line. Thomas Young (scientist): Discovered how the eye works and translated the Rosetta Stone. Liborio Pedrazzoli: Inventor of swimming umbrellas. Ralph Wedgwood (inventor): Invented carbon paper. William Willoughby Cole Verner: Invented cavalry sketching board to enable cavalrymen to make accurate maps whilst on horseback.

Series 3

[edit]

1 Devon and Cornwall: Thomas Newcomen et al.

2 London: Cornelius Drebbel et al.

3 South: Robert Hooke et al.

4 Special – Egypt

5 Special – Italy

6 Special – Science Week

Series 4

[edit]

1 South: Henry Cavendish et al.

2 East of Scotland: James Dewar et al.

3 Cotswolds: William Henry Fox Talbot et al.

4 St Pauls: Heroines

[edit]
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