The Infinite Monkey Cage is a BBC Radio 4 comedy and science series hosted by physicist Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince, on air since November 2009.
Each show discusses a specific science topic and normally has three guests; two scientists to offer an expert opinion, and third, normally a comedian, to add some levity. Occasionally, as in the case of Ben Miller and Dara Ó Briain (who both studied physics to Phd level), they may have a background in science too.
This series includes examples of:
- Ambiguous Syntax: The title of the show, occasionally discussed by the panel. If a cage is infinite, how is it a cage? Or is it a finite cage somehow containing an infinite number of monkeys? Or is it just one single, infinitely huge monkey, and if so, how could there even be a cage...?
- Author Catchphrase: "AND THIS IS OUR PANEL!"
- Berserk Button: Do NOT mention astrology, homeopathy, or any other fringe theories near Brian Cox. They inevitably elicit a tirade while Robin reels him back, or in some cases mumble into his mic about how he's at it again.
- British Brevity: Only six episodes per series, but in series one to three there were only four.
- The Cameo: Brian Cox and Robin Ince made a cameo in a BBC Christmas Special The Entire Universe, as supposedly the straight men to the Rutland Weekend Television crew.note
- Early-Installment Weirdness: The first series included some scripted comedy sketches. They weren't as funny as the unscripted banter between guests and were quickly dropped.
- Expository Theme Tune: Having gone for several series without one, there is now a song specially written
by Eric Idle, a snippet of which plays at the end of each show. - Freudian Slip: Deliberate by Dr Richard Wiseman, who says Freudian theory is completely untesticle.
- Monkeys on a Typewriter: The inspiration for the title. One listener once wrote in to ask what the ACTUAL dimensions of the hypothetical cage were, since it'd still be an infinitely sized cage if two dimensions were fixed but smaller than a monkey and the final dimension infinitely big.
- Running Gag:
- When a strawberry is considered dead.
- Brian's perfect hair (which may or may not be a wig).
- Brian's youthfulness (believe it or not, Brian is older than Robin. Not by much but still).
- Brian's wealth and the fact that he always has people doing stuff for him.
- Brian's wistful soliloquies up mountains, volcanos, and other high places attracting women (and some men).
- D:Ream's 1994 song "and Things Can Only Get Better", which featured a young Brian Cox on keyboards. (Sort of; he wasn't on the record itself but since he was in the live band, he had to play it a lot.)
- Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: Physicist Brian Cox’s perpetual scorn for chemistry, describing physics as the study of the foundations of the universe, biology as study of all the multitudes of life, and chemistry as playing with smells and stuff.
