# It Is Rocket Science

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***It Is Rocket Science*** is a [BBC Radio 4](/source/BBC_Radio_4) comedy about the history and development of [human spaceflight](/source/Human_spaceflight), written and performed by [Helen Keen](/source/Helen_Keen). The series also stars [Peter Serafinowicz](/source/Peter_Serafinowicz) and [Susy Kane](/source/Susy_Kane) and is produced by [Gareth Edwards](/source/Gareth_Edwards_(producer)). It was first broadcast in March 2011.[1]

The premise of the show is that, lacking a big budget, "award winning comedian and part time local authority temporary administrative assistant" [2] Keen has built a ‘super computer’ named The Voice of Space to narrate her peculiar but factually accurate history of space travel, and recreate the voices of various of historical and illustrative characters. Throughout the series The Voice of Space is referred to as possessing the attributes/spare parts of various types of vintage home computers (particularly [ZX Spectrum](/source/ZX_Spectrum), as heard in episode 1) and household kitchen equipment. Keen has said that The Voice of Space's unique pronunciation of words such as universe (‘oooniverse’) which has drawn comment [1] is intended as an affectionate tribute to the vocal styling of the presenters of her favourite space themed TV programmes, particularly e.g. Carl Sagan's pronunciation of Cosmos (which sounded unusual to her as an English person).[3]

The radio series is an adaptation of Keen's debut [Edinburgh Festival Fringe](/source/Edinburgh_Festival_Fringe) show, also called *It Is Rocket Science*, which, when it previewed at the Buxton Fringe 2008 was nominated as Best Show and won the Best Individual Comedy Performer award.[4] The show then embarked on a tour of science and arts festivals throughout the UK and Ireland before being commissioned as a radio series.

A second series was broadcast in May and June 2012, and a third series in April 2014.

## Awards

In 2013 *It Is Rocket Science* won the WISE Media Award.[5] This was presented to Helen Keen by [Princess Anne](/source/Princess_Anne) in a ceremony at the [Science Museum, London](/source/Science_Museum,_London). The show was nominated for the 2015 [Writers' Guild of Great Britain](/source/Writers'_Guild_of_Great_Britain) Award for Best Radio Comedy[6] and won the 2015 Royal Society Radio Prize presented by the [Association of British Science Writers](/source/Association_of_British_Science_Writers).[7]

## References

1. ["Rewind radio: Stand Up for Comic Relief; So Wrong It's Right; It is Rocket Science – review"](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2011/mar/13/stand-up-for-comic-relief). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. 13 March 2011. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230301181805/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2011/mar/13/stand-up-for-comic-relief) 1 March 2023 at the Wayback Machine.

1. [comedy.co.uk](http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/radio/it_is_rocket_science/)

1. ["It Is Rocket Science website"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110429013550/http://www.helenkeen.com/rocket). Archived from [the original](http://www.helenkeen.com/rocket) on 29 April 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2012.

1. ["List of Buxton Festival Fringe finalists"](http://www.buxtonfringe.org.uk/awards2008.html)

1. ["WISE Campaign Awards 2013"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150406040820/http://www.wisecampaign.org.uk/about-us/wise-awards/2013-wise-awards). Archived from [the original](http://www.wisecampaign.org.uk/about-us/wise-awards/2013-wise-awards) on 6 April 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2014.

1. ["Writers' Guild Awards 2015 shortlist announced"](https://writersguild.org.uk/writers-guild-awards-shortlist-announced/). 4 December 2014.

1. ["Winners | ABSW Awards | Association of British Science Writers (ABSW)"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130211073927/http://www.absw.org.uk/absw-awards/previous-winners.html). *www.absw.org.uk*. Archived from [the original](http://www.absw.org.uk/absw-awards/previous-winners.html#2015) on 2013-02-11.

## External links

- [Helen Keen's website](http://www.helenkeen.com/rocket) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110429013550/http://www.helenkeen.com/rocket) 29 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [It Is Rocket Science](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Is_Rocket_Science) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Is_Rocket_Science?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.