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Tomorrow's World

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Very few science programmes caught my imagination in the 1980’s more than “Tomorrows World”. With it’s sci-fi-esque title and it’s factual presentation of scientific guesses of the future, it was a schoolboys dream of a programme.

Amazingly Tomorrows World was one of the longest running TV programmes ever. It was first broadcast in 1965 and continued until 2003! It’s first presenter was a man called Raymond Baxter, and it’s last was Roger Black!

Raymond was a very English sounding ex-spitfire pilot, who used to point out the features of inventions with military precision using a Parker pen ("as you will see: here, here and here"). Very funny.

I remember some of the things they thought would be in the future were crazy – like rocket back-packs but they also featured some things that actually came to be – like The pocket calculator (1971), The digital watch (1972), The personal stereo (1980), The camcorder (1981), or the Clockwork radio (1993)

Most Famously they were the first programme to outline The compact disc and player (1981). They focussed on how indestructible the CD’s were by the presenter of the time spreading strawberry Jam onto a BeeGee’s CD. A nice bit of surrealism there.

There are whispers of this programme coming back, at least in some format or another. It would be great to see it, I really miss it!

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Do You Remember Tomorrow's World?

Do You Remember Tomorrow's World?

  • Anonymous user
    on
    I remember the one in which the Sinclair C5 made it's debut appearance, along with it's Belgian equivalent which was much the better vehicle. Judith Hann was one of the presenters for years.
  • Anonymous user
    on
    I remember watching an episode with a special aerosol that you could spray onto envelopes to see if there was anthrax inside. I guess they got a bit desperate towards the end.
  • Action Man
    on
    I remember when the miracle CD was first shown and they covered one with strawberry jam and things and then cleaned if off to show that it would still play. Cutting-edge stuff !
  • Anonymous user
    on
    They had this novelty act one for one episode. All their instruments were clearly home-made and electronic. The name of the band was "Kraftwerk".
  • Anonymous user
    on
    Best program ever. Used to watch it religiously every week.
  • Anonymous user
    on
    THE CAR THAT RAN ON WATER AND JUST WATER CAN YOU TELL ME MORE THANKS
  • Anonymous user
    on
    The one with the paper clothes! how they'd be "all the rage" by the year .....1990 or whatever. was never going to happen except we are a nation of "disposable fashion"

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