James May's 20th Century
James May covers various inventions and discoveries over the past century and discusses their implications on our daily lives.
- 2007-2007
- 1 season
- Documentary
James May covers various inventions and discoveries over the past century and discusses their implications on our daily lives.
Season 1 Episode Guide
6 Episodes 2007
Episode 1
Honey, I Shrunk the World
29 mins
May concludes that the major breakthroughs in transportation over the last 100 years shrunk the world not by allowing us to see more of it, but--thanks to television, computers, and fiber optic cable--by increasingly bringing it to us.
Episode 2
Blast Off
29 mins
May reruns the 20th century's space races. He begins with the V2 rockets that the Nazis launched on London and moves on to the rocket rivalry between Russia and America. All the while, he asks, was it all really worth it?
Episode 3
Body Fantastic
29 mins
May examines how we can correct and compensate for medical problems, such as missing limbs or defective hearts. In the process, he shows that we can now defy the hand we were dealt at birth and, by unraveling our DNA, discover who we really are.
Episode 4
Take Cover!
29 mins
May investigates some of the most ingenious ideas to emerge from 20th century warfare. He flies in the RAF's latest supersonic jet as well as a biplane, getting to grips with just how difficult it was for early aviators to hit their targets. James also joins a group of ex-paratroopers to test camouflage painting techniques. It work so well he can't spot a man just a few hundred feet in front of him, and so turns to a hi-tech infrared camera to spot his enemy.
Episode 5
Inventing the Teenager
29 mins
What spawned teenagers? Was it the nylon-inspired fashion revolution, crystal radio, vinyl records, the first Japanese motorcycle, or the electric guitar? May sets out to discover how, during the 20th century, the teenager emerged as a distinct entity.
Episode 6
Big City, Bright Lights
29 mins
How did we construct skyscrapers that appear to defy gravity? Why is an electrician from Newcastle the unsung hero behind our 24-hour lifestyle? And what motivates May to drop a Mini Cooper on a plate-glass window?