Life After People
| Life After People | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Format | Documentary Science fiction Speculative fiction Post-apocalyptic |
| Created by | David de Vries |
| Narrated by | James Lurie |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 20 (as of March 16, 2010) (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | History |
| Original run | January 21, 2008 – March 16, 2010 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
| Production website | |
Life After People is a television documentary series where scientists, structural engineers and other experts speculate with the thought experiment about what the Earth might be like if humanity instantly disappeared, as well as the impact humanity's disappearance might have on the environment and the artificial aspects of civilization. The program premiered as a two-hour special on January 21, 2008 on the History Channel[1] which served as a de facto pilot for the series that premiered April 21, 2009.
The program does not speculate on how humanity may disappear, only that it has, and that it has done so suddenly, leaving everything behind including household pets and livestock that have to fend for themselves. The rest of the speculation is based upon documented results of the sudden removal of humans from a geographical area and the possible results that would occur if humanity discontinues its maintenance of buildings and urban infrastructure.
Contents |
[edit] Format
The series' episodes thematically offer examples of structural and biological decay focusing on specific locations (such as religious icons, bridges and dams, and government buildings), and the fate of certain related objects (such as artifacts, documents and human bodies). The fate of specific kinds of flora and fauna are covered as well. Each episode also contains a segment in which experts examine real locations that have been abandoned by people, including ghost towns and other sites of deterioration, where the deterioration has been caused by events similar to those outlined in the episode. Although the fates of landmarks around the world are speculated upon, the series has a main focus on situations that may occur in locations within the United States.
The various events that may occur after people disappear suddenly are depicted using CGI dramatizations of the possible fates of iconic structures and landmarks once they have been abandoned (examples are the Egyptian pyramids, the Empire State Building, the Sears Tower, the Space Needle, the Eiffel Tower, the Burj Khalifa, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Gateway Arch, Taipei 101, the USS Constitution, the Hoover Dam and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Grant's Tomb, and Air Force One). The time line of predicted events begins approximately one minute after the disappearance of mankind and extends up to one hundred million years into the future.
The program's tagline is: "Welcome to Earth...Population: Zero."
[edit] Ratings
The two-hour special documentary had an audience of 5.4 million viewers and was the most watched program ever on the History Channel.[2] The program was broadcast in the United Kingdom on Channel 4 and narrated by Struan Rodger on May 29, 2008 and in Australia on Channel Seven on November 25, 2008, edited down to air for 90 minutes, with narration by Australian television presenter Simon Reeve.
The success of the special eventually spawned a spin-off television series, which premiered on the History Channel on April 21, 2009. A second season began airing on January 5, 2010.[3]
[edit] Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season premiere | Season finale | ||
| 1 | 10 | April 21, 2009 | June 23, 2009 |
| 2 | 10 | January 5, 2010 | March 16, 2010 |
[edit] DVD releases
A&E Home Video has released these DVDs:
- Title: Life After People (History Channel)
- UPC: 733961110906
- DVD Release Date: March 18, 2008
- Run Time: 94 minutes
- Title: Life After People: The Complete Season One
- UPC: 733961155303
- DVD Release Date: October 27, 2009
- Run Time: 470 minutes
- Title: Life After People: The Complete Season Two
- UPC: 733961221626
- DVD Release Date: July 27, 2010
- Run Time: 425 minutes
Seasons 1 & 2 are also available for instant watching on Netflix
[edit] See also
- Aftermath (TV series), similar TV series
- The World Without Us
- The Future Is Wild
- After Man: A Zoology of the Future
- Aftermath: Population Zero
[edit] References
- ^ "Life After People — History.com TV Episodes, Schedule, & Video". History.com. http://www.history.com/minisites/life_after_people. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
- ^ Tucker, Neely (March 8, 2008). "Depopulation Boom". washingtonpost.com. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/07/AR2008030703256.html?hpid=artslot. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
- ^ "Life After People — History.com TV Episodes, Schedule, & Video". History.com. http://www.history.com/content/life_after_people/about-the-series. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Official website of production company
- Australian website
- Channel 4 (UK) website
- Life After People at the Internet Movie Database (original documentary)
- Life After People at the Internet Movie Database (series)
- 2008 in British television
- 2009 American television series debuts
- 2010 American television series endings
- Channel 4 television programmes
- Documentary films about environmental issues
- Ecological restoration
- English-language television series
- History (TV channel) original programs
- Documentary television series about science
- Human extinction
