EXCLUSIVE: Unscripted streamer Curiosity Stream is reviving classic British doc series Connections with science historian James Burke.
More than 45 years after Burke first made a Connections series with the BBC, global streamer Curiosity Stream is bringing back the brand as Connections with James Burke and will launch a batch of new episodes on November 9. You can watch the trailer above.
The series is known for its mind-blowing approach to looking at the past and the future, with Burke in each episode interlocking threads of knowledge to show how seemingly unrelated ideas connect and build pathways to the present.
The six episodes will cover topics such as how limitless energy has its roots in the Incas and the potato thousands of years ago, how the French Revolution was partly behind the rise of big data and why a cup of coffee in the 18th Century is directly connected with genetic engineering in humans of the future.
He’ll address issues such as AI and quantum computing and will jump in a sensory deprivation tank with a man who took LSD with dolphins to discover syphilis in the French aristocracy kicked of a journey towards the nanfabricator — a machine that can build anything, molecule by molecule. Producer Bigger Bang is also incorporating CGI and virtual reality sequences to reflect Burke’s imagination.
“The stakes we’re facing are high – AI, limitless energy, genetically-engineered superhumans – and there is no better guide through this universe of connected people and ideas than the iconic science historian James Burke,” said Rob Burk, Head of Content for Curiosity. “We are thrilled to be working, once again, with our colleagues at Bigger Bang to bring back this groundbreaking series and reimagine it for a modern age.”
“The original Connections was perhaps the most influential documentary series of its era, greatly inspiring my desire to become a filmmaker,” said Iain Riddick at UK indie Bigger Bang, which is making the show. “James is a hero of mine, so collaborating with him to bring Connections back to the screen has been an incredible thrill. Today, Connections feels more relevant than ever as we stand at a major inflection point, with technology on the verge of transforming our lives profoundly.”
Riddick is the executive producer for Bigger Bang, with John Cavanagh doing the same for Curiosity. Burk commissioned the show.
The BBC’s Connections first broadcast in 1978 and made a star of Burke, whose awe-inspiring journeys through science history resonated with audiences. A second season was made in 1994 and a third in 1997. Burke also made The Day the Universe Changed, which follows a similar interlinking science format.
“This time round James wanted his Connections to explore not only how we arrived at today, but also how we can shape the future we desire,” said Riddick. “At Bigger Bang, our aspiration is always to go big and bold. So when considering how to revive such a legendary broadcaster and extraordinary series, we knew we had to tell each of the six mind-blowing stories in a unique way.
“We developed a virtual world using CGI that we named ‘MindSpace,’ where James can conjure up any crucial moment or significant idea from history. I’m thrilled by what we’ve created with James and look forward to sharing it with audiences worldwide. His foresight remains legendary.”
Curiosity Stream currently has more than 25 million total paying subscribers worldwide, and is available in more than 175 countries. Discovery founder John Hendricks launched the service in 2015 alongside his daughter, Elizabeth Hendricks, who was its first CEO.
Burke added: “Increasingly today, change happens too fast for most of us to handle. Connections shows how this happens: because when things come together in new ways, 1+1=3. The connective approach offers a way to second-guess that process. And predict the future.”
