Honey, I Shrunk the World

Season 1Episode 130 minJuli 10, 2007
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. As he observes: "The right pedal was the brake and the middle pedal was reverse gear. There was no clutch as such: the left pedal was both clutch and forward gears - depending on how far pressed. I’m amazed this driving thing ever took off. " Shrinking the world wasn’t just about travel becoming easier and more affordable. For the first time in history we could bring the world to us via the cinema. James shoots his own black and white newsreel at Walthamstow Dog Track and looks back at the early days of television when two different formats fought for supremacy. Finally, James faces a dilemma: in 1969, two technologies emerged that promised to change our world forever. The first was the supersonic aircraft, Concorde. The second was computer messages, one day millions of emails would travel the world thanks to optic fibre cables. But in the late sixties which one would he have backed? "Don’t you think it’s weird that when it comes to shrinking the world, this piece of fibre has completely triumphed over that magnificent supersonic airliner? It seems to me we spent the first three-quarters of the 20th century going out into the world, trying to see more and more of it, and then in the last few decades we’ve realised that actually we can bring quite a lot of it to us down this optical string thing."
Honey, I Shrunk the World has aired on Juli 10, 2007 at 22:30
Next Episode

Trailer

We do not have any trailers for this episode

Recently Updated Shows

Recently updated shows that might be of your interest.
Panorama
Running

Panorama

Panorama is a current affairs programme, featuring interviews and investigative reports on a wide variety of subjects.

Shark Tank
Running

Shark Tank

An exciting new reality show that, in these trying economic times, gives budding entrepreneurs a chance to make their dreams come true and become successful - and possibly wealthy - business people. But the entrepreneurs must first try to convince five tough, multi-millionaire tycoons to part with their own hard-earned cash and give them the funding they need to jumpstart their business ideas.

Enter the Sharks of Shark Tank, who lifted themselves up by their bootstraps to make their own entrepreneurial dreams come true and turned their ideas into empires. The five Sharks of this ruthless panel are real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran, "infomercial" industry pioneer Kevin Harrington, technology innovator Robert Herjavec, fashion icon Daymond John and financial expert Kevin O'Leary.

Beyond the Gates
Running

Beyond the Gates

Beyond the Gates is set in a leafy Maryland suburb just outside of Washington D.C., and in one the most affluent African American counties in the United States. Here you'll find a posh gated community with winding tree-lined streets and luxurious mansions to call home. At the center of this community are the Duprees, a powerful and prestigious multi-generational family that is the very definition of Black royalty. But behind these pristine walls and lush, manicured gardens are juicy secrets and scandals waiting to be uncovered. And those that live outside these gates are watching closely. These are the places where our characters live, love, work and play. Those who have "made it" and those who haven't are all trying to navigate life … and some with more grace than others.

GenreDrama
RuPaul's Drag Race
Running

RuPaul's Drag Race

RuPaul's Drag Race is a Primetime Emmy Award winning American reality competition television series, hosted by five time Emmy Award Winning Host and international Drag superstar RuPaul. The show features drag queen contestants competing in weekly challenges such as photo shoots, comedy performances and stomping the runway in the hopes of avoiding the bottom two - where they will have to lip sync for their lives.

The Curse of Oak Island
Running

The Curse of Oak Island

The Curse of Oak Island documents brothers Rick and Marty Lagina as they pursue their lifelong dream of solving more than a 220-year old Oak Island mystery. For over two centuries, teams of searchers, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, have attempted to crack the code that will unearth the treasure believed to be buried on the small island off the coast of Nova Scotia. Armed with the knowledge of those that came before them, the muscle of heavy machinery and decades of engineering know-how, the Lagina's and their partners may be closer than anyone in history to finding the treasure that has so far claimed the lives of six men.

GenreAdventure, Mystery, Nature