Inventing the Impossible: The Big Life Fix
BBC TWO, 8.00PM
Immediately notable in the return of this uplifting series, which sees top-notch engineers and inventors use their nous to transform people’s lives, is the relegation of former presenter Simon Reeve to voice-over status. Perhaps the BBC realised that the braniacs were perfectly capable of running things for themselves, proving excellent guides to the complex science involved in helping those in need.
We begin this week’s trio of participants with 45-year-old Graham, who suffered a brain injury following a snowboarding accident but is longing to get back on the slopes. Housebound Alex, meanwhile, has a rare skin disorder, which causes his skin to severely blister in sunlight. And trainee hairdresser Kyle, who is keen to start his career but a deformed hand hampers his dexterity. It’s a marvel to watch the experts – Yusuf Muhammed, Zoe Laughlin and Jude Pullen in this opening episode
– as they try out and scrap various options to find a workable, game-changing solution for each of their charges. While the show’s triumph-against-the-odds format feels pat at times, there’s no mistaking the joy their efforts bring and the wonders of invention never cease to be fascinating. Toby Dantzic