Science on Television: Despite tensions, the potential of visual narrative and scientific storytelling is enormous.

Is a television programme the format least suited to the communication of complex scientific ideas? Clara Florensa, Oliver Hochadel and Carlos Tabernero discuss a conference that brought TV producers and theorists together to engage constructively on the topic. Simplification, trivialization and even distortion are the accusations regularly levied against science on screen. But this view misinterprets communication as a top-down process, when in reality, audiences are interacting with the material in a number of different ways. Academics should consider the narrative strategies for their research and foster enriching dialogues with media professionals.