''Future Fantastic'' was a British

documentary A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...

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 Gillian Leigh Anderson ( ; born August 9, 1968) is an American actress, writer, and activist. She is best known for her roles as FBI Special Agent Dana Scully in the sci-fi series ''The X-Files'' (1993–2002; 2016–2018), Lily Bart in the dr ...

and co-produced by the

British Broadcasting Corporation The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public broadcasting, public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved in ...

The Learning Channel TLC is an American multinational cable television, cable and satellite television, satellite television network owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks, Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. First established in 1980 as The Learn ...

and

Pro Sieben ProSieben (, ''sieben'' is German for "seven"; often stylized as Pro7) is a German free-to-air television network owned by ProSiebenSat.1 Media. It was launched on 1 January 1989. It is Germany's second-largest privately owned television compan ...

Episodes

"Alien"

''Alien'': Discusses the possibility of encountering intelligent life on other planets. Interviewed

Story Musgrave Franklin Story Musgrave (born August 19, 1935) is an American physician and a retired NASA astronaut. He is a public speaker and consultant to both Disney's Imagineering group and Applied Minds in California. In 1996, he became only the second a ...

(astronaught),

Seth Shostak Seth Shostak (born July 20, 1943) is an American astronomer and author, and is currently the senior astronomer for the SETI Institute. Shostak co-hosts the weekly radio show/podcast '' Big Picture Science'', has played himself numerous times in ...

(astronomer),

Frank Drake Frank Donald Drake (May 28, 1930 – September 2, 2022) was an American astrophysicist and astrobiologist. He began his career as a radio astronomer, studying the planets of the Solar System and later pulsars. Drake expanded his interests ...

(astronomer),

Jill Tarter Jill Cornell Tarter (born January 16, 1944) is an American astronomer best known for her work on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Tarter is the former director of the Center for SETI Research, holding the Bernard M. Oliver Ch ...

(astronomer),

Arthur C. Clarke Sir Arthur Charles Clarke (16 December 191719 March 2008) was an English science fiction writer, science writer, futurist, inventor, undersea explorer, and television series host. Clarke co-wrote the screenplay for the 1968 film '' 2001: A ...

(author), Richard F. Haines (scientist), Robert Sheaffer (UFO investigator), Jack Cohen (biologist),

John Clute John Frederick Clute (born 12 September 1940) is a Canadian-born author and critic specializing in science fiction and fantasy literature who has lived in both England and the United States since 1969. He has been described as "an integral part ...

(author),

David Bischoff David F. Bischoff (December 15, 1951 – March 19, 2018) was an American science fiction and television writer. General background Born in Washington, D.C., Bischoff wrote science fiction books, short stories, and scripts for television. He be ...

(author), Glenn Campbell (Area 51 Investigator),

Bob Lazar Robert Scott Lazar (; born January 26, 1959) is an American conspiracy theorist. In 1989, Lazar claimed to have been part of a classified US government project concerned with the reverse engineering of extraterrestrial technology; he also purp ...

(engineer) This episode was first broadcast on 21 June 1996.

"I, Robot"

''I, Robot'': Discusses the evolving and growing role of

artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of re ...

computer A computer is a machine that can be Computer programming, programmed to automatically Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (''computation''). Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic set ...

s, and

robot A robot is a machine—especially one Computer program, programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions Automation, automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the robot control, co ...

s in our everyday life. Interviewed

Joe Engelberger Joseph Frederick Engelberger (July 26, 1925 – December 1, 2015) was an American physicist, engineer and entrepreneur. Often regarded as the "Father of Robotics". Licensing the original patent awarded to inventor George Devol, Engelberger dev ...

(roboticist), Red Whittaker (roboticist),

Marvin Minsky Marvin Lee Minsky (August 9, 1927 – January 24, 2016) was an American cognitive scientist, cognitive and computer scientist concerned largely with research in artificial intelligence (AI). He co-founded the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ...

(cognitive scientist),

Hans Moravec Hans Peter Moravec (born November 30, 1948, Kautzen, Austria) is a computer scientist and an adjunct faculty member at the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, USA. He is known for his work on robotics, artificial inte ...

(computer scientist),

Takeo Kanade is a Japanese computer scientist and one of the world's foremost researchers in computer vision. He is U.A. and Helen Whitaker Professor at Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science. He has approximately 300 peer-reviewed academic publication ...

(roboticist),

Kevin Warwick Kevin Warwick (born 9 February 1954) is an English engineer and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at Coventry University. He is known for his studies on direct interfaces between computer systems and the human nervous system, and has also done ...

(roboticist),

Rodney Brooks Rodney Allen Brooks (born 30 December 1954) is an Australian robotics, roboticist, Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, author, and robotics entrepreneur, most known for popularizing the behavior based robotics, actionist approach to ro ...

(roboticist) This episode was first broadcast on 28 June 1996.

"Starman"

''Starman'': Looks at how we might eventually reach the

star A star is a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by Self-gravitation, self-gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night sk ...

s. Interviewed Nick Argento (historian),

(author),

Frederik Pohl Frederik George Pohl Jr. (; November 26, 1919 – September 2, 2013) was an American list of science fiction authors, science-fiction writer, editor, and science fiction fandom, fan, with a career spanning nearly 75 years—from his first ...

(author),

Yoji Kondo was a Japanese-born American astrophysicist who also wrote science fiction under the pseudonym Eric Kotani. He edited '' Requiem: New Collected Works by Robert A. Heinlein and Tributes to the Grand Master'' (1992), and contributed to '' New Des ...

(author),

Alan Bond Alan Bond (22 April 1938 – 5 June 2015) was an English-born Australian businessman noted for his high-profile and often corrupt business dealings. These included his central role in the WA Inc scandals of the 1980s; the biggest corporate co ...

(rocket engineer), Gerald A. Smith (scientist),

Jack Williamson John Stewart Williamson (April 29, 1908 – November 10, 2006) was an American list of science fiction authors, science fiction writer, one of several called the "Dean of Science Fiction". He is also credited with one of the first uses of the t ...

(author), Robert L. Forward (author),

Michio Kaku Michio Kaku (; ; born January 24, 1947) is an American theoretical physicist, Science communication, science communicator, futurologist, and writer of popular-science. He is a professor of theoretical physics at the City College of New York and ...

(physicist),

Patrick Moore Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore (; 4 March 1923 – 9 December 2012) was an English amateur astronomer who attained prominence in that field as a writer, researcher, radio commentator and television presenter. Moore's early interest in astro ...

(astronomer), Ron Miller (artist) This episode was first broadcast on 5 July 1996.

"Incredible Shrinking Planet"

''Incredible Shrinking Planet'': Looks at the future of

transport Transport (in British English) or transportation (in American English) is the intentional Motion, movement of humans, animals, and cargo, goods from one location to another. Mode of transport, Modes of transport include aviation, air, land tr ...

, including

teleportation Teleportation is the hypothetical transfer of matter or energy from one point to another without traversing the physical space between them. It is a common subject in science fiction and fantasy literature. Teleportation is often paired with tim ...

and

time travel Time travel is the hypothetical activity of traveling into the past or future. Time travel is a concept in philosophy and fiction, particularly science fiction. In fiction, time travel is typically achieved through the use of a device known a ...

. Interviewed

(author), Paul Moller (engineer), James R. Powers (Designer), Dennis Bushnell (NASA scientist), Brian Motts (inventor), Robert L. Forward (author), Leik Myrabo (engineer), John C. Mankins (NASA scientist), John Anderson (NASA scientist),

Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His 1970 novel ''Ringworld'' won the Hugo Award for Best Novel, Hugo, Locus Award, Locus, Ditmar Award, Ditmar, and Nebula Award for Best Novel, Nebula award ...

(author),

Marc Levoy Marc Stewart Levoy is a computer graphics researcher and Professor Emeritus of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at Stanford University, a vice president and Fellow at Adobe Inc., and (until 2020) a Distinguished Engineer at Google. He ...

(head of the 3D Fax Project),

Anton Zeilinger Anton Zeilinger (; born 20 May 1945) is an Austrian quantum physicist and Nobel laureate in physics of 2022. Zeilinger is professor of physics emeritus at the University of Vienna and senior scientist at the Institute for Quantum Optics and Qu ...

(physicist) This episode was first broadcast on 12 July 1996.

"Brave New Body"

''Brave New Body'': Looks into how

body modification Body modification (or body alteration) is the deliberate altering of the human anatomy or human physical appearance. In its broadest definition it includes skin tattooing, socially acceptable decoration (''e.g.'', common earring, ear piercing in ...

will shape our lives in the future. Interviewed Joseph M. Rosen (plastic surgeon), Charles Vacanti (biologist),

Mark Pauline Mark Pauline (born December 14, 1953) is an American performance artist, new media artist, and machine inventor. He is known as founder and director of Survival Research Laboratories. Early life and education After high school he had a job a ...

(roboticist),

Martin Caidin Martin Caidin (September 14, 1927 – March 24, 1997) was an American author, screenwriter, and an authority on aeronautics and aviation. Caidin began writing fiction in 1957. In his career he authored more than 50 fiction and nonfiction books ...

(writer), Donald Humphrey (surgeon),

Max More Max More (born Max T. O'Connor, January 1964) is a philosopher and futurist who writes, speaks, and consults on emerging technologies. He was the president and CEO of the Alcor Life Extension Foundation between 2010 and 2020. Born in Bristol, E ...

(futurist),

Natasha Vita-More Natasha Vita-More (born February 22, 1950) is an American strategic designer in the area of human enhancement and life extension. Her interests are located within the ethical uses of science and technology and socio-political implications of revo ...

(author), Dr Eugene Dejuan (eye surgeon),

Bruce Sterling Michael Bruce Sterling (born April 14, 1954) is an American science fiction author known for his novels and short fiction and editorship of the ''Mirrorshades'' anthology. In particular, he is linked to the cyberpunk subgenre. Sterling's first ...

(author),

Greg Bear Gregory Dale Bear (August 20, 1951 – November 19, 2022) was an American science fiction writer. His work covered themes of Interstellar_war, galactic conflict (''The Forge of God, Forge of God'' books), parallel universes (''The Way (Greg Bear ...

(author),

Walter Gehring Walter Jakob Gehring (20 March 1939 – 29 May 2014) was a Swiss developmental biologist who was a professor at the Biozentrum Basel of the University of Basel, Switzerland. He obtained his PhD at the University of Zurich in 1965 and after two ...

(biologist), Dr. Richard Ellenbogen (plastic surgeon) This episode was first broadcast on 19 July 1996.

"Weird Science"

''Weird Science'': Shows how we have come close to defying gravity, and achieving

invisibility Invisibility is the state of an object that cannot be seen. An object in this state is said to be ''invisible'' (literally, "not visible"). The phenomenon is studied by physics and perceptual psychology. Since objects can be seen by light fr ...

and perpetual energy. Interviewed

(author), Michael Burns (physicist and military systems designer), Richard A. Hull (inventor), Peter Graneau (inventor), Jim Greggs (inventor), Franklin Mead (Senior. Scientist at the Advanced Concepts Office),

Frank Close Francis Edwin Close (born 24 July 1945) is a particle physicist who is Emeritus Professor of Physics at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford. Education Close was a pupil at King's School, Peterborough (then a gram ...

(physicist), Edwin May (nuclear physicist),

Richard Wiseman Richard John Wiseman (born 16 September 1966) is a professor of the public understanding of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom. He has written several psychology books. He has given keynote addresses to The Roy ...

(psychologist) This episode was first broadcast on 9 August 1996.

"Brainstorm"

''Brainstorm'': Looks at technology being put into and onto people's heads to create artificial experiences. Interviewed

(author), Jonathan Walden (virtual reality engineer),

Neal Stephenson Neal Town Stephenson (born October 31, 1959) is an American writer known for his works of speculative fiction. His novels have been categorized as science fiction, historical fiction, cyberpunk, and baroque. Stephenson's work explores mathemati ...

(science fiction author), Richard Johnston (Human Interface Technology Lab), Andrew Junker (founder of Brainfingers), Grant McMillan (Wright-Patterson Air Force Base), Christopher Gallen (neurologist),

Pat Cadigan Patricia Oren Kearney Cadigan (born September 10, 1953) is a British-American science fiction author, whose work is most often identified with the cyberpunk movement. Her novels and short stories often explore the relationship between the human ...

(science fiction author), Richard A. Normann (bioengineer), Theodore Berger (bioengineer) This episode was first broadcast on 16 August 1996.

"Underneath a purple sky"

''Underneath a purple sky'': Looks at the future of

space tourism Space tourism is human space travel for recreational purposes. There are several different types of space tourism, including orbital, suborbital and lunar space tourism. Tourists are motivated by the possibility of viewing Earth from space, ...

. Interviewed

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury ( ; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of genres, including fantasy, science fiction, Horror fiction, horr ...

(author),

(author), Wendell Mendell (Planetary Scientist), Patrick Collins (professor of economics at Azabu University in Japan),

(astronaut), Greg Bennett (writer), Marshall Savage (author),

Christopher McKay Christopher P. McKay (born 1954) is an American planetary science, planetary scientist at NASA Ames Research Center, studying atmosphere, planetary atmospheres, astrobiology, and terraforming. McKay majored in physics at Florida Atlantic Univers ...

(planetary scientist),

Kim Stanley Robinson Kim Stanley Robinson (born March 23, 1952) is an American science fiction writer best known for his ''Mars'' trilogy. Many of his novels and stories have ecological, cultural, and political themes and feature scientists as heroes. Robinson has ...

(author),

Jane Poynter Jane Poynter is an Citizenship of the United States, American aerospace executive, author and speaker. She is founder, co-CEO and CXO of Space Perspective, a luxury space travel company. She was co-founder and former CEO of World View Enterprises, ...

(author), Taber MacCallum (Chief Technology Officer) This episode was first broadcast on 23 August 1996.

"Immortal"

''Immortal'': Questions whether we may ever achieve

immortality Immortality is the concept of eternal life. Some species possess "biological immortality" due to an apparent lack of the Hayflick limit. From at least the time of the Ancient Mesopotamian religion, ancient Mesopotamians, there has been a con ...

. Interviewed

(cognitive scientist),

(futurist),

(author), Rima Greenhill, Malcolm Greenhill, Michael R. Rose (evolutionary biologist),

Siegfried Hekimi Siegfried Hekimi (born 5 September 1956) is a Swiss former professional racing cyclist and a professor in the Biology Department of McGill University, specializing in the study of aging. He rode in the 1982 Tour de France. After his cycling car ...

(biologist), François Schächter (biologist),

Robert Ettinger Robert Chester Wilson Ettinger (; December 4, 1918 – July 23, 2011) was an American academic, known as "the father of cryonics" because of the impact of his 1962 book ''The Prospect of Immortality''. Ettinger founded the Cryonics Institu ...

(academic), Steve Bridge (President of Alcor), Michael Taylor (cryobiologist), Ralph C. Merkle (nanotechnologist),

Brian Stableford Brian Michael Stableford (25 July 1948 – 24 February 2024) was a British academic, critic and science fiction writer who published a hundred novels and over a hundred volumes of translations. His earlier books were published under the name Br ...

(author),

(author), Frank Tipler (mathematical physicist),

Gregory Benford Gregory Benford (born January 30, 1941) is an American science fiction author and astrophysicist who is professor emeritus at the department of physics and astronomy at the University of California, Irvine. He is a contributing editor of ''Reason ...

(author) This episode was first broadcast on 30 August 1996.

Theme music

The theme music to ''Future Fantastic'' was by HAL who later collaborated with Gillian Anderson on the track "Extremis" which was released by

Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label owned by Universal Music Group. They were originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), ...

in 1997.

Broadcast

Future Fantastic was broadcast in the United States on the Learning Channel in 1997.John P McCarthy
"Future Fantastic"

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

, 27 February 1997

References

*Stephen Jones & Jo Fletcher. "The British Report". Science Fiction Chronicle. Volume 18, Number 2. Issue 191. April–May 1997. ISSN 0195-5365. pp 56 & 58.

External links

* {{IMDb title, id=0115180, title=Future Fantastic BBC television documentaries about science British documentary television series about science German documentary television series American documentary television series 1996 British television series debuts 1996 British television series endings 1996 American television series debuts 1996 American television series endings 1996 German television series debuts 1996 German television series endings 1990s British documentary television series 1990s American documentary television series 1990s German television series TLC (TV network) original programming ProSieben original programming American English-language television shows Futurology documentaries Paranormal television Science education television series