Talk:Tomorrow's World

Failures
Awwww - failures may have been rare, but they were usually fairly comprehensive. Such moments stand out in the memory, making them seem more common than they probably were. It was definitely part of the charm of the show that things could and did go wrong. Personally, I'll miss it, but I must admit in its more recent format it was never as good as it used to be. GRAHAMUK 12:27, 29 Oct 2003 (UTC)

DVDs
I'm sure I remember seeing DVDs shown on tomorrow's world years before they came out. Phillipa Forrester was interviewing two people who were using it to watch four weddings and a funeral I think it was. I don't remember the exact date though.

Agreed, I remember this too.. I have an odd feeling it was 1997 but could be wrong. But definately the first I heard of DVDs. Also, didn't TW introduce the microwave, in the 70s? --131.111.228.48 18:32, 8 June 2007 (UTC)

Philippa
Just a quick note to future editors that the correct spelling of Philippa Forrester's first name is with 1 L, 2 Ps. It doesn't help that it's spelt wrongly on a lot of the Robot Wars DVD cases. Bonalaw 08:59, 10 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Cock-ups on TW live
My favourite was the very first appearance of Geoffrey Pardoe, who later became quite well-known as an expert on space technology (he was employed by British Aerospace, as then was). We had an actual not-yet-launched satellite in the studio, and Raymond Baxter was to introduce Pardoe who would then "show us around" the satellite. Within seconds of cutting to him, Pardoe began to feel queasy and simply walked off the set.

Raymond, of course, whipped out the Parker pen and began to do his trademark exposition ("I think what Mr. Pardoe would have said if he was still with us...."). Up in the gallery we gulped and improvised.

All would have been well, except that Geoffrey shortly felt better (he may have thrown up behind the cyclorama, I wouldn't know) and decided to return to the scene. Our stalwart Floor Manager, a middle-aged woman universally known as "Mother", realising that a Pardoe re-entry would now be a worse cock-up, simply grabbed Geoffrey's mike cable and literally hauled him back off the set. To this day I'm unsure whether any of this enterprising action was caught by our cameras.

--67.117.218.114 15:08, 4 May 2005 (UTC) Stu Harris, now in San Diego

If memory serves me right, there was an occasion when -- as the end credits rolled and the camera rose above the set -- one of the female presenters ran across the studio floor shouting, "Stop! Stop! There's another piece to do!" Anyone know about this? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 93.97.197.61 (talk) 17:47, 29 March 2011 (UTC)


 * That seems highly improbable. Working on a live show, everyone knows that when it's over, it's over. El Ingles (talk) 19:54, 29 March 2011 (UTC)

Yes, I remember that too. It was Kate Bellingham. I remember the camera coming to a juddering halt. No sign of it on YouTube though. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 188.220.115.2 (talk) 20:09, 4 April 2011 (UTC)

TW is still running?
Tomorrow's World was a long-running BBC television series should be refering to present?? (TW was on last night) Along with rest of opening para. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Bah23 (talk • contribs) 09:37, 7 February 2007 (UTC).

as this is a UK show then is it not Tomorrows World not Tomorrow's World ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.194.175.107 (talk) 23:37, 1 February 2009 (UTC)

Televangelist squatting on the TW brand name
I noticed that the Living Church of God seems to be "squatting" on the "Tomorrow's World" name, mainly to preach its idea of Christian eschatology. &mdash; Rickyrab | Talk 16:06, 13 June 2011 (UTC)

Theme music
The summary box says the theme music was composed by John Dankworth but I recall the theme tune changed at least once during the show's run. Did he compose the first theme tune? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ed Avis (talk • contribs) 15:27, 19 December 2012 (UTC)
 * Probably. I know that at one point in the late 90s it was In Pursuit Of Happiness by The Divine Comedy (band)... 90.208.252.249 (talk) 18:51, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

List of 1990s Episodes?
Hello.

I'm not sure whether I will draw fire for posting this here but I am fairly desperate, if the worst comes to the worst I imagine this will be deleted (and, perhaps, in the extreme case my account might be banned). I figure it's worth the risk.

Does anybody know where I can find a comprehensive list of 1990s Tomorrow's World episodes with one-line summaries? BBC itself has been totally unhelpful.

I'm trying to track down a specific 'Special' from the 1990s that features a rather prescient prediction of "internet riots" for a research project. I remember watching it when I was a teenager, it was presented by Carol Vorderman and was set in the future looking back at what was then a hypothetical future.

If anybody could point me in the right direction or perhaps put me out of my misery by indicating why this reference may untraceable I would greatly appreciate it.

qubex (talk) 09:32, 14 May 2014 (UTC) Qubex

Presenters
For many years (definitely the 1970s and possibly the 1960s (before my time)and early 1980s as well) Derek Cooper was an out of vision voiceover for filmed reports. He is not mentioned although he was a regular contributor for a long time. A very distinctive and evocative voice. I am not sure whether he wrote these reports (probably) or was simply reading a script. William Wollard's dates seem wrong to me as I believe he was on the programme longer. In any case the period is inconsistent with his own wiki page which quotes 11 years.90.208.31.150 (talk) 20:09, 29 July 2015 (UTC)
 * I can affirm that Derek Cooper did not write the scripts for the film inserts he narrated, the producers did. Very nice man -- with another hat on, he was a restaurant reviewer. Stu (talk) 20:55, 29 July 2015 (UTC)

Compact Disc
The article incorrectly states that Kieran Prendiville spread strawberry jam on a Bee Gees CD to demonstrate the disc's supposed indestructibility. Kieran scratched the CD with a stone and rubbed his fingers on the surface, as seen on my YouTube clip at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMp1pSVxoqw. Honey was spread on a CD then coffee poured over it on a filmed piece for Breakfast television around the time of launch. A partial clip was featured on Stephen Fry's 100 Greatest Gadgets, as seen on my YouTube clip at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiOFOJWtyGs. The strawberry jam myth has been around for ages. LarryDors (talk) 22:50, 9 May 2016 (UTC)


 * Ah, that's interesting. I remember seeing a similar clip (possibly the one with honey that you mention) years later and assuming that spreading things on a CD was a standard demonstration, maybe something that Philips had suggested. Damn! --Walnuts go kapow (talk) 07:45, 10 May 2016 (UTC)

Narrator
Derek Cooper was the voiceover for most of the classic-era video segments. I am trying to source this. Anyone have any good sources please? Guy (help!) 23:34, 22 November 2019 (UTC)