Channel 4 (UK) Documentaries

End of the World Night (2015x26)

Uitzenddatum: Apr 04, 2015

If Hollywood films are to be believed, the human race as we know it could be wiped out by threats ranging from an asteroid collision to a zombie apocalypse. End of the World Night will look at the science facts behind the science fiction. In the special programme, some of the world’s foremost academics will evaluate the many threats to our civilization, and answer the question ‘How will the world end?’. Spectacular Hollywood productions like Deep Impact and The Day After Tomorrow depict death and destruction on a global scale, but what is the scientific truth behind these dramatisations? With contributions from scientists and doomsday experts, the programme will countdown a ‘Top 10’ list of ways in which humanity could end, brought to life with analysis of some of the best-known blockbuster disaster movies. Could the end of the world as we know it arrive sooner than we think? Nicolas Kent, Creative Director of Oxford Film and Television comments: “Hollywood disaster movies aren't just popcorn entertainment. The reason they are so successful is that they express our subconscious fears. In End of the World Night, with help from some of the world's leading scientists, we identify the real threats to human survival on this planet as well as the ones we shouldn't take too seriously.” Rob Coldstream, Commissioning Editor for Specialist Factual at Channel 4, comments: “The apocalypse film is one of the most popular and prolific genres of science fiction, but the truth could be even scarier than the movies. We’ve commissioned this one-off special to examine this captivating area of science in closer detail, and, in true Channel 4 style, answer one of life’s big questions: How might our world end?”