[SIZE="6"]TV Show: James May's 20th Century[/SIZE]
Official Website: http://www.open2.net/20thcentury/index.html



The world in 1999 would have been unrecognisable to anyone from 1900. James May explores the big ideas from the last century, and reveals how they shaped the times we live in now.


episode 1 & 2 http://www.*************/tor/790409

episode 3 & 4 http://www.*************/tor/798407

episode 5 & 6 http://www.*************/tor/808445


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James May's 20th Century ep03 Body Fantastic
BBC 2 Tue 17 Jul, 8:00 pm - 8:30 pm 30mins

James May discovers just how far he can push his body, and explores some of
the most remarkable medical advances over the last hundred years.

He begins by testing himself in a centrifuge - a devilish machine that is
used to train fighter pilots and astronauts. As the pace picks up and the
'g-forces' increase, he dramatically passes out.

Then James is invited to watch open heart surgery - where a man's heart
stops beating in the middle of an operation. Fortunately, it is all part of
the procedure to fit an artificial heart.

But his biggest surprise came when he investigates the 20th century's
greatest medical breakthrough - the discovery of DNA. James has his DNA
tested, only to discover that he's not quite as English as he's always
assumed.

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James May's 20th Century ep04 Take Cover
BBC 2 Tue 17 Jul, 8:30 pm - 9:00 pm 30mins

James investigates some of the most ingenious ideas to emerge from 20th
century warfare - and he gets to fly in the RAF's latest supersonic jet.

James also flies in an early 20th century biplane to get to grips with just
how difficult it was for the early aviators to hit their targets. Armed with
flour bombs, he tests his skill in the air... and it's a lot more difficult
than he imagined.

And he joins up with a group of ex-Paras to try some "make up for men" -
camouflage paint. It works so well he can't spot a man just a few feet in
front of him, so he has to turn to a hi-tech infrared camera to see if he
can find his enemy.


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James May's 20th Century ep05 Inventing the Teenager
BBC 2 Tue 24 Jul, 8:00 pm - 8:30 pm 30mins

The fifth programme, Inventing The Teenager, looks at how, in the 20th century,
the teenager emerged as a separate species. But how? Was it the promise of ***?
The power of pop? Or the pull of a 50cc Japanese two-stroke? James is on a
journey to find out.

First up is fashion. The 20th century introduced fantastic new fabrics in
fantastic new colours, thanks to synthetic materials such as nylon. James tries
his hand at making some for himself, with some success.

Close to James's heart, of course, was teenage transport, offering liberation
from parents and the home. When he was a teenager, he always dreamed of owning a
very special motorbike: the Yamaha FS1E – the Fizzy.

"The problem was, of course, that my mother would rather I played with something
like a used hypodermic needle," he says. "The FS1E – a motorcycle you could ride
at 16 – was just a symbol of death. It was like your son's tombstone placed
before you. It was 'Not Allowed'."

Finally, he checks out the origins of the electric guitar – that potent symbol
of teenage rock music. Who better to explain its power than the oldest teenagers
in town, Francis Rossi and Rick Parfait of Status Quo?

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James May's 20th Century ep06 Big City, Bright Lights
BBC 2 Tue 24 Jul, 8:30 pm - 9:00 pm 30mins

Each day, 180,000 people move into a city somewhere on the planet. In Big City,
Bright Lights, James sets out to discover how people have created this
high-rise, 24/7 experiment in urban living.

He heads for New York and the top floors of the Woolworth building, once the
tallest building in the world. It's being renovated, but how strong is it? To
find out, he decides to drop a 1982 Mini 1000 on to a plate of skyscraper glass.

At the start of the 20th century there was no National Grid and no agreed system
of voltage; and James discovers that in 1922, there were 22 different plugs used
across the country – until a Geordie electrician, Charles Merz, came up with a
master plan.

"The Merz mantra was unprecedented. One nation. One voltage. One plug," says
James.

But there's one light bulb James wants to find out about – one that was invented
in the 20th century.

"And there's one form of light that radiates come-hither hues to all those who
are looking for some action... This light tempts you to the dark side! You won't
see a neon sign on a Methodist church or a lending library. Some unwritten
convention says neon is used to advertise illicit pleasures that happen late
into the night..."

He meets master neon-bender Steve, as he attempts to make a neon sign for his
favourite restaurant – his local kebab shop.