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The Real History of Science Fiction

2014 Ended 43m episodes

6.8/10 22 votes

Documentary

The series heads to the very frontiers of space and science to produce the definitive television history of science fiction, told through its impact on cinema, television and literature, with the help of filmmakers, writers, actors, and graphic artists. Each episode will explore one of the enduring themes of science fiction: time travel; the exploration of space; robots and artificial intelligence; and aliens.

Cast:: Dominic Sandbrook, Mark Gatiss
Language:: English
Country:: United Kingdom, United States of America
Network:: BBC America

Episode guide

Seasons

1 available

Miniseries

Episodes

Episode 1 selected

E01

Episode 1

★ 7.0

Robots

2014-04-19 · 43m

What if our creations turn against us? The idea of creating life has fascinated society since the earliest days of science fiction. From HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey to the Cylons of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica and the world of The Matrix, this is a journey that asks - what does it mean to be human?

Current episode

E02

Episode 2

★ 7.5

Space

2014-05-17 · 43m

What if we could explore the vastness of Space? Science fiction has always fed upon our need to wonder what is out there. From the horrifying scenes of Alien, to the epic spectacle of Star Wars, this is a journey to the stars and the alien encounters that await us there.

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E03

Episode 3

★ 7.0

Invasion

2014-06-14 · 43m

What if aliens landed on Earth? No? Well, there is more than one kind of invasion.

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E04

Episode 4

★ 6.5

Time

2014-08-16 · 43m

This Time Travel Special journeys from H. G. Wells The Time Machine through ideas like The Grandfather Paradox and The Butterfly Effect, to the professional time traveler that is the ever popular Doctor Who. Steven Moffat, David Tennant, Karen Gillan, and Neil Gaiman offer a unique perspective on the Doctor. Furthermore, Edward James Olmos reveals the hidden meaning of the language he created for the vision of the future that is Blade Runner, while Bob Gale and Christopher Lloyd take us behind the scenes of Back to the Future.

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