BBC commissions a new comedy series Horrible Science® in a major education first

The BBC have commissioned Lion to make a hilarious, exciting, all-new addition to the ‘Horrible’ programme brand: Horrible Science, a brand-new TV show; the fifteen-part series will launch on CBBC, BBC iPlayer and BBC Bitesize.  Created with the unique ‘Horrible’ DNA of comedy combined with awesome and mind-bending scientific facts, Horrible Science will delve into the incredible science of the past, the present, and the future as we explore our planet and the universe beyond. Along the way, we’ll meet Sir Isaac Newton on a rollercoaster explaining forces, the Moon complaining that nobody has been to visit him in a while, and a T. rex going to the doctors!

In a first for BBC Children’s and Education, Horrible Science will extend beyond the new TV show with episodes linked directly to the National Curriculum - materials and states, forces and motion, light, sound and electricity, earth and space and working scientifically.

Patricia Hidalgo, Director of BBC Children’s and Education, says: “We know children and adults love learning about the past with Horrible Histories, and we want to bring that magic formula of comedic excellence and educational value to Horrible Science. And for the first time, we’re creating education resources for teachers and students to use in classrooms together with a brilliantly entertaining show to enjoy at home – highlighting our commitment to entertaining and educating young audiences beyond what we’ve ever done before.”

Simon Welton, Director of Entertainment, Lion Television: “This is a fabulous experiment: creating a comedy chemistry that’ll help inspire the next generation of young scientists by mixing a Horrible cocktail of silly humour together with awesome and gruesome science facts.”

Horrible Science will be produced by Lion Television, part of All3Media, the team behind the beloved, multi-award-winning Horrible Histories TV show, which just celebrated its 15th anniversary. The new series is inspired by the bestselling and award-winning Horrible Science book series written by Nick Arnold, illustrated by Tony De Saulles, and published by Scholastic, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026.

The series was commissioned by Patricia Hidalgo, Director of BBC Children’s and Education and Sarah Muller, Senior Head of Commissioning and Acquisitions 7+, with Melissa Hardinge, Senior Commissioning Editor. For Lion Exec Producer is Simon Welton, Series Editor is Simon Wilson and Series Producer is Matt Lamont.

Read the full article here.

(L-R) Richard David-Caine and James McNicholas (Image: Eleanor Howarth)