Today and Tomorrow (BBC)
Today and Tomorrow (BBC) is a BBC schools TV series from the 1980s, covering science for primary school pupils.
Inspiring children to consider developments in science and technology up to the present, what the far-reaching effects of those issues could be, and what may develop by the mid-21st century over the lifetime of the primary school-leavers of the early 1980s.
The episodes are framed by a dramatised story set in 2051 in which a student called Jenny visits a Data Retrieval Centre where her tutor (played by Nicholas Young from The Tomorrow People) shows her extracts from a TV series from 1981 on a huge science-fiction screen. The drama sections were written by science fiction author James Follett.
The 'old' documentary extracts (actually specially produced for the series) presented by William Woollard form the bulk of each episode and demonstrate technological advancements to date such as talking typewriters, battery-powered electric cars and Prestel.
Meanwhile Jenny's tutor tells her about imaginary 21st century developments including an orbiting solar power station and plans to build a space elevator.
Video
Watch a clip on Twitter The start of the first episode, as Jenny plans her journey to the Data Retrieval Centre
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OTD?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OTD</a> 1981: This 2051 clip reveals that Brexit doesn't have much impact on free movement, <a href="https://twitter.com/BBC6Music?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BBC6Music</a> will go talk and touchscreens are a fad <a href="https://t.co/HYQGZgb4rl">pic.twitter.com/HYQGZgb4rl</a>
— BBC Archive (@BBCArchive) <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCArchive/status/861636926310404098?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2017</a>
Watch a clip on Twitter From the final episode, Jenny's tutor invites her to watch William Woollard operate Prestel
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OnThisDay?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OnThisDay</a> 2031: Inhabitants of the future looked back at the cutting-edge technology of 1981. <a href="https://t.co/bCVDveZWu4">pic.twitter.com/bCVDveZWu4</a>
— BBC Archive (@BBCArchive) <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCArchive/status/1408839977681657865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2021</a>
Episode List
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | The Mighty Micro | 8 May 1981 |
| 2. | The Dawning of the Solar Age | 22 May 1981 |
| 3. | The Energy Burners | 12 Jun 1981 |
| 4. | The Global Village | 26 Jun 1981 |
Credits
| Presented by | William Woollard |
| Starring | Jayne Lester as Jenny Nicholas Young as tutor |
| Future scenes written by | James Follett |
| Written and produced by | Bruce Jamson |
Resources
A folded set of notes containing "illustrations, background information and follow-up ideas for both pupils and teachers" was available for 33p in 1981 and 40p in 1982.
This was replaced by a set of typescript notes in 1982, available for 20p.
Broadcasts
- Summer 1981: Mondays 9:52am fortnightly, repeated alternate Fridays 11:40am
- Summer 1982: Mondays 2:18pm, repeated Wednesdays 11:17am
- Summer 1983: Mondays 2:18pm, repeated Wednesdays 11:17am
Related programmes
- Maths MansionAn actual schools programme from the early 21st century which involved looking back at a schools programme from the 1970s/80s.
- Today and Tomorrow (ITV)There was a completely unrelated schools TV series also called Today and Tomorrow on ITV in the 1960s
Links
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