Science on TV: It is Not Dumb, But it Could be Smarter

A recent Guardian article had some interesting reflections on recent STEM programming in the UK, where critics of a popular science television show argued that it was "dumbing down" science education.

One highlight from the article:

"Science changes as it makes its way on to television, just as it does as it travels to newspapers, magazines, books, exams and through the various media of the scientific community (journals, emails, gossip over coffee at a conference)… Popularisation doesn’t make knowledge something less that it was. Often it picks up new perspectives as well as simply inviting more people to support or even be part of the enterprise. Done well, popularisation isn’t pathological to research; it’s lifeblood.

For readers who design STEM learning experiences that are delivered via popular media: have you ever encountered similar criticism? What learning research or studies do you cite to counteract such critiques?