During one of my recent procrastination-fuelled trips across the internet (the kind where you begin on Wikipedia and end up fifteen minutes later watching a video about bog snorkelling), I came across an undiscovered gem.
Up until 2003, the BBC broadcast a science-themed TV show called Tomorrow’s World. It was often a showcase for new inventions, giving a nation of goggle-eyed viewers their first ever glimpses of PCs, compact discs, mobile phones, and, errr, the Segway. So I was chuffed to find out that the BBC have uploaded some old Tomorrow’s World episodes to their archive, dating all the way back to 1965.
In the following clip, originally broadcast in 1967, Europe’s very first home computer terminal is introduced, featuring a businessman who seemingly likes to work in his pyjamas:
“Rex Malik sees a future world where…every home will have its own terminal plugged into a central brain.” Ring any bells? I think Tomorrow’s World may just have predicted the internet.
“He sees his son growing up in a world where eventually his very thoughts could be stored and perhaps assessed for his future use.” I’m not sure about this bit, but it does sound a little like Facebook.
And the next video, from 1979, showcases an experimental cordless mobile phone:
Texting must’ve been a nightmare with that rotary dialer. Keep watching for the outtake at the end…the first incorrect number dialed on a mobile phone.
But although Tomorrow’s World was usually ahead of its time, the show also featured some inventions that are now best forgotten. This clip, from 1968, introduces the plastic garden:
No more weeding! No more withered flowers! No more mowing! That may be true, but does anyone really want a garden that’s a cross between an AstroTurf football pitch and a tacky restaurant? At least plastic garden chairs caught on…
“you can also buy plastic worms”
does he really vaccum the fake grass?!
lol
Yep, he really does…probably to get rid of all those fake worms
I sampled the Segway and was then interviewed at the Tomorrow’s World Exhibition but I, lost the video; if anyone knows how I could get a copy, I would be very grateful.
I used to watch Tomorrow’s World as a kid throughout the 80′s – I remember them smearing jam on Compact Discs then wiping it off before playing it to show how indestructable they were compared to vinyl! The biggest flop I remember was the Sinclair C5. By the mid 90′s it seemed extremely passe – I’m amazed it lasted until 2003!
Haha, that’s brilliant. Every new technology should be subjected to the jam test…
I’ve just tried to look it up but it appears that there’s no evidence of the jam test
It might have been a spoof sketch based on Tomorrow’s World – looks like I have a case of false memory syndrome…oh well, it sounded good! 
Ah well
Wikipedia says it happened (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomorrow%27s_World#Technologies_introduced_on_programme), but then Wikipedia says a lot of things!