Series information (Source: Wikipedia)

James May's 20th Century is a television series first aired on the July 10, 2007 on the British terrestrial channel BBC Two. The series was a co-production by the BBC and the Open University.

The series covers various inventions and discoveries over the past century with some reference to discoveries made before the past century. The show featured the eponymous James May, exhibiting and discussing the implications of many of the major advances and inventions made during this period. Each episode featured some theme, which was discussed in depth during the show, often following sequential advances in chronological order.


James May’s 20th Century - Season 1

Ep 1 - Honey, I Shrunk The World
At the beginning of the 20th Century, long distance travel was for the military-minded, the uprooted and the plain rich, but the pioneers of flight were to change all that. To find out how, James May gets his hands on a Vickers Vimy aircraft that in 1919 carried two intrepid Brits, Alcock and Brown, across the Atlantic for the first time. But it wasn’t just flying that changed our perception of the world. The motor car offered us a new sense of freedom, but when James tries out a 1908 Model T Ford, he discovers driving was once a very tricky business indeed.


Ep 2 - Blast Off
Like many small boys James May dreamt of becoming an astronaut. Even though he may not have realised his dream he sets off to find out what space exploration has done for him, and the rest of us. And he’s got just the right motor to begin the journey - a moon buggy…


Ep 3 - Body Fantastic - Air Date: Tuesday 17 Jul 20:00 on BBC TWO
ames sets out to discover how far he can push his body and finds out about some of the most remarkable medical advances over the last hundred years.


Ep 4 - Take Cover
In Take Cover, James looks at how warfare drives ingenuity and gets to fly in the RAF’s latest supersonic jet. It’s an experience that he describes as “the most amazing thing I have ever done”.


Ep 5 - Inventing The Teenager
In the 20th Century the teenager emerged as a separate species. But how? Was it the promise of sex? The power of pop? Or the pull of a 50cc Japanese two-stroke? James May is on a journey to find out.


Ep 6 - Big City, Bright Lights
Each day, 180,000 people move into a city somewhere on the planet. In Big City, Bright Lights, James sets out to discover how we’ve created this high-rise, 24/7 experiment in urban living.


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