Television series
Tomorrow's World
- Light-hearted
- Dip in and out
A pioneering BBC science magazine that ran for decades, treating new technology with infectious wonder and playful skepticism. Presenters conduct live experiments, test wild inventions, and venture into labs to ask whether tomorrow's gadgets will actually work. It's earnest, enthusiastic, and frequently hilarious—a genuine window into what people imagined the future would hold.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy watching old futurism get tested against reality, the way a practical experiment can be funnier and more revealing than any prediction about what's coming next.
Skip it if you want a tight modern documentary with polished pacing; this is a 30-minute magazine format from the 1960s, so the rhythm and production feel dated and its demonstrations can be wobbly.
What it asks of you: Each episode runs about half an hour and moves from short filmed reports to live tinkering, so you'll need patience for slower stretches and a tolerance for the era's stiff, earnest presenting.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
The Ascent of Man1973
Jacob Bronowski's philosophical journey through human civilization and scientific progress, presented with the same sense of awe and accessibility that Tomorrow's World perfected. Essential viewing on what science means.
But Nine hours long, philosophically dense, and pacing that assumes you have time to think. Some segments feel very much of their era.
Cosmos1980
Carl Sagan brings the same mixture of wonder and intellectual rigor to the universe itself. Beautifully shot, genuinely moving, and explains complex ideas without dumbing them down.
But The special effects have aged; some cosmological claims have been superseded. Takes itself very seriously in places where levity might help.
Connections1978
James Burke traces how inventions emerge from accident and necessity, not vacuum. Witty, surprising, and makes you see everyday objects as products of vast human chains. Deeply satisfying intellectually.
But The leap-frogging of ideas can feel occasionally tenuous. Pacing is languid; it demands your full attention.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Tomorrow's World
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
The Ladykillers1955
Both are fascinated by how people *do* things—how systems work, how plans get executed. One is deadpan engineering comedy, the other earnest future-gazing, but the observational delight is identical.
A Ealing comedy where a gang of criminals poses as musicians. Utterly charming, brilliantly plotted, and the precise opposite of earnest—yet shares Tomorrow's World's delight in watching people solve practical problems through ingenuity and improvisation.
But British Ealing comedy; if that sensibility isn't your frequency, nothing here will convert you. Plot mechanics matter more than character depth.
More like this (5)
Walking with Dinosaurs1999
Natural history documentary that combines scientific rigor with pure spectacle. Uses the best available paleontology to imagine prehistoric life in loving detail. Thrilling and genuinely informative.
But Heavily dramatized and several paleontological conclusions have been challenged or revised. The BBC's marketing oversold some claims.
The Planets2019
Brian Cox and Andrew Cohen tour our solar system with sumptuous imagery and real enthusiasm. Treats each world as a character, connects them to Earth's own geological story.
But Leans toward the devotional; there's less edge or critical thinking than Tomorrow's World offered. Comfortable rather than challenging.
Horizon1964
Long-running BBC science documentary series that shares Tomorrow's World's commitment to explaining the cutting edge. Episodes vary wildly in quality but the best are genuinely thrilling.
But Uneven as a series; some episodes feel dated or reductive. Best watched selectively rather than chronologically.
The Right Stuff1983
Magnificent portrait of the space program's early days, when technology and human courage were genuinely inseparable. Tom Wolfe's narrative and Philip Kaufman's direction capture the era's optimism and risk.
But Three-hour runtime; pacing drifts in the middle. Reflects period attitudes toward women and minorities in ways that don't age gracefully.
Particle Fever2013
Documentary about the search for the Higgs boson that actually makes particle physics graspable and emotionally engaging. Scientists as real people with genuine stakes in their work.
But Relies heavily on theoretical explanations that gloss over the actual mathematics. Requires a decent science foundation to fully follow.
