Future Fantastic
| Future Fantastic | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Science fiction documentary |
| Directed by | Penny Southgate |
| Presented by | Gillian Anderson |
| Theme music composer | HAL / real VIVID |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 9 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Edward Briffa |
| Producers | David McNab, Jasper James |
| Editors | Allan Fowlie, David Sleight |
| Running time | 24 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC |
| Picture format | 4:3 |
| Original release | 21 June – 30 August 1996 |
Future Fantastic was a British documentary television series which premiered in 1996. This show looked at the how science and science fiction complement each other, and how ideas and technologies from the past are helping to shape our future. The series was narrated by Gillian Anderson and co-produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation, The Learning Channel and Pro Sieben.
Episodes[]
"Alien"[]
Alien: Discusses the possibility of encountering intelligent life on other planets.
Interviewed Story Musgrave (astronaught), Seth Shostak (astronomer), Frank Drake (astronomer), Jill Tarter (astronomer), Arthur C. Clarke (author), (scientist), Robert Sheaffer (UFO investigator), Jack Cohen (biologist), John Clute (author), David Bischoff (author), (Area 51 Investigator), Bob Lazar (engineer)
"I, Robot"[]
I, Robot: Discusses the evolving and growing role of artificial intelligence, computers, and robots in our everyday life.
Interviewed Joe Engelberger (roboticist), Red Whittaker (roboticist), Marvin Minsky (cognitive scientist), Hans Moravec (computer scientist), Takeo Kanade (roboticist), Kevin Warwick (roboticist), Rodney Brooks (roboticist)
"Starman"[]
Starman: Looks at how we might eventually reach the stars.
Interviewed (historian), Arthur C. Clarke (author), Frederik Pohl (author), Yoji Kondo (author), Alan Bond (rocket engineer), (scientist), Jack Williamson (author), Robert L. Forward (author), Michio Kaku (physicist), Patrick Moore (astronomer), Ron Miller (artist)
"Incredible Shrinking Planet"[]
Incredible Shrinking Planet: Looks at the future of transport, including teleportation and time travel.
Interviewed John Clute (author), Paul Moller (engineer), (Designer), Dennis Bushnell (NASA scientist), (inventor), Robert L. Forward (author), Leik Myrabo (engineer), John C. Mankins (NASA scientist), John Anderson (NASA scientist), Larry Niven (author), Marc Levoy (head of the 3D Fax Project), Anton Zeilinger (physicist)
"Brave New Body"[]
Brave New Body: Looks into how body modification will shape our lives in the future.
Interviewed (plastic surgeon), Charles Vacanti (biologist), Mark Pauline (roboticist), Martin Caidin (writer), (surgeon), Max More (futurist), Natasha Vita-More (author), (eye surgeon), Bruce Sterling (author), Greg Bear (author), Walter Gehring (biologist), (plastic surgeon)
"Weird Science"[]
Weird Science: Shows how we have come close to defying gravity, and achieving invisibility and perpetual energy.
Interviewed John Clute (author), (physicist and military systems designer), (inventor), (inventor), (inventor), (Senior. Scientist at the Advanced Concepts Office), Frank Close (physicist), Edwin May (nuclear physicist), Richard Wiseman (psychologist)
"Brainstorm"[]
Brainstorm: Looks at technology being put into and onto people's heads to create artificial experiences.
Interviewed John Clute (author), (virtual reality engineer), Neal Stephenson (science fiction author), (Human Interface Technology Lab), (founder of Brainfingers), (Wright-Patterson Air Force Base), (neurologist), Pat Cadigan (science fiction author), Richard A. Normann (bioengineer), (bioengineer)
"Underneath a purple sky"[]
Underneath a purple sky: Looks at the future of space tourism.
Interviewed Ray Bradbury (author), John Clute (author), (Planetary Scientist), (professor of economics at Azabu University in Japan), Story Musgrave (astronaut), Greg Bennett (writer), Marshall Savage (author), Christopher McKay (planetary scientist), Kim Stanley Robinson (author), Jane Poynter (author), Taber MacCallum (Chief Technology Officer)
"Immortal"[]
Immortal: Questions whether we may ever achieve immortality.
Interviewed Marvin Minsky (cognitive scientist), Max More (futurist), Natasha Vita-More (author), , , Michael R. Rose (evolutionary biologist), Siegfried Hekimi (biologist), (biologist), Robert Ettinger (academic), (President of Alcor), (cryobiologist), Ralph C. Merkle (nanotechnologist), Brian Stableford (author), John Clute (author), Frank Tipler (mathematical physicist), Gregory Benford (author)
Theme music[]
The theme music to Future Fantastic was by HAL[1] who later collaborated with Gillian Anderson on the track "Extremis" which was released by Virgin Records in 1997.[2]
References[]
- ^ "About HAL and Gillian's Collaboration". Retrieved 1 September 2008.
- ^ "Hal press conference". Virgin. 13 May 1997. Archived from the original on 27 October 2002. Retrieved 1 September 2008.
External links[]
- BBC television documentaries about science
- Paranormal television
- 1996 British television series debuts
- 1996 British television series endings
- 1990s British documentary television series
- Science education television series
- English-language television shows
- Futurology documentaries