Year Million is a six-part documentary and science fiction television series produced by National Geographic, which premiered on May 15, 2017, on their channel.[1][2][3][4] The series received two Emmy Award nominations,[5][6]
including a Primetime Emmy for its narrator Laurence Fishburne. The series is based on the 2008 book Year Million: Science at the Far Edge of Knowledge by Damien Broderick. The narrative alternates tells the story of a family of three in the future, using 2016 interviews to explain events unfolding in the story. The series was filmed in Budapest.[7]
Synopsis
Investigating the ramifications of a variety of potentially world-changing inventions, the series visits a cast of characters representing a typical American family in several different possible timelines. Ray Kurzweil, Michio Kaku, Peter Diamandis and Brian Greene guide the documentary aspect, discussing possible changes the future might hold based on their research: Artificial Intelligence, Man merging with Machine, the human species becoming an interplanetary entity. Exploring life in both the near and the far future, where artificial intelligence is ubiquitous and advances in science have radically extended our lifespans. The series aims to show that communication, work and education will be revolutionized through virtual telepathy.[8]
Accolades
The series' narrator, Laurence Fishburne, was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award,[5] with a further Craft Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Lighting Direction and Scenic Design.[6]
Cast
Each episode of the series is broken up into first narrated scenes, then interviews with scientists and futurologists; the docudrama segments fit around the interviews and narration to illustrate how technological changes might impact a regular family.
Chris Connolly, Jenny Connell Davis, Jeremy Lubman and Bryan Wizemann
May 15, 2017 (2017-05-15)
Advances in science and engineering are hastening the day when artificial intelligence may become similar to, or perhaps surpass human intelligence. This episode asks how this might affect our evolution.
2
"Never Say Die"
Mark Elijah Rosenberg
Chris Connolly, Jenny Connell Davis, Jeremy Lubman and Bryan Wizemann
May 22, 2017 (2017-05-22)
Recent discoveries have given us greater understanding of our biology and how we can live longer... this episode asks if a time may come in our future when our technology transcends beyond treating individual diseases and instead just addresses the aging process itself.
3
"Dude, Where's My Body?"
Mark Elijah Rosenberg
Story by : Mickey Fisher Teleplay by : Mickey Fisher and Paul Solet
May 31, 2017 (2017-05-31)
Advances in graphics processing and computing generally now mean that we’re seeing the possibilities of working in virtual spaces. This episode asks if there is a potential danger that eventually reality as we know it will be overthrown by the virtual worlds we’ve created for ourselves.
4
"Mind Meld"
Mark Elijah Rosenberg
Chris Connolly, Jenny Connell Davis, Jeremy Lubman and Bryan Wizemann
June 7, 2017 (2017-06-07)
This episode asks if constant connectivity has affected the privacy that we have always taken for granted. In the deep future, will telepathy be technologically possible, will we even be able to communicate with civilizations beyond Earth?
5
"Energy Beyond Earth"
Mark Elijah Rosenberg
Chris Connolly, Jenny Connell Davis, Jeremy Lubman and Bryan Wizemann
June 14, 2017 (2017-06-14)
Overconsumption has led us to a point where the human race will either have to engineer our way around our supply and demand problems, or we will have to look to other planets to inhabit. This episode asks if it is possible that alien civilizations have already solved similar problems.
6
"Beyond The Cosmos"
Mark Elijah Rosenberg
Story by : André Bormanis Teleplay by : André Bormanis and Paul Solet
June 21, 2017 (2017-06-21)
We have always been a species that is compelled to explore. This spirit has led us to new shores and recently to the planets of our solar system. As the number of places remaining to be explored on Earth vanishes, this episode asks how we might have to adapt ourselves to explore the further reaches of space.
