Life After People
Encyclopedia
Life After People is a television documentary
series where scientists and other experts speculate about what the Earth might be like if humanity no longer existed
, 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 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.
s 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."
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.
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
series where scientists and other experts speculate about what the Earth might be like if humanity no longer existed
Human extinction
Human extinction is the end of the human species. Various scenarios have been discussed in science, popular culture, and religion . The scope of this article is existential risks. Humans are very widespread on the Earth, and live in communities which are capable of some kind of basic survival in...
, as well as the impact humanity's disappearance might have on the environment and the artificial aspects of civilization
Civilization
Civilization is a sometimes controversial term that has been used in several related ways. Primarily, the term has been used to refer to the material and instrumental side of human cultures that are complex in terms of technology, science, and division of labor. Such civilizations are generally...
. The program premiered as a two-hour special on January 21, 2008 on the History Channel which served as a de facto pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
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.
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 townGhost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
s 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
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
dramatizations of the possible fates of iconic structures and landmarks once they have been abandoned (examples are the Egyptian pyramids
Egyptian pyramids
The Egyptian pyramids are ancient pyramid-shaped masonry structures located in Egypt.There are 138 pyramids discovered in Egypt as of 2008. Most were built as tombs for the country's Pharaohs and their consorts during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods.The earliest known Egyptian pyramids are found...
, the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
, the Sears Tower, the Space Needle
Space Needle
The Space Needle is a tower in Seattle, Washington and is a major landmark of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and a symbol of Seattle. Located at the Seattle Center, it was built for the 1962 World's Fair, during which time nearly 20,000 people a day used the elevators, with over...
, the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
, the Burj Khalifa, the Golden Gate Bridge
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, the structure links the city of San Francisco, on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, to...
, the Gateway Arch
Gateway Arch
The Gateway Arch, or Gateway to the West, is an arch that is the centerpiece of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri. It was built as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States...
, Taipei 101
Taipei 101
Taipei 101 , formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building ranked officially as the world's tallest from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010...
, the USS Constitution
USS Constitution
USS Constitution is a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy. Named by President George Washington after the Constitution of the United States of America, she is the world's oldest floating commissioned naval vessel...
, the Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam, once known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the US states of Arizona and Nevada. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President...
and the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
, Grant's Tomb
Grant's Tomb
General Grant National Memorial , better known as Grant's Tomb, is a mausoleum containing the bodies of Ulysses S. Grant , American Civil War General and 18th President of the United States, and his wife, Julia Dent Grant...
, and Air Force One
Air Force One
Air Force One is the official air traffic control call sign of any United States Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. In common parlance the term refers to those Air Force aircraft whose primary mission is to transport the president; however, any U.S. Air Force aircraft...
). 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."
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. The program was broadcast in the United Kingdom on Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
and narrated by Struan Rodger
Struan Rodger
Struan Rodger is a British actor who has appeared widely in a range of supporting roles. His first feature film role was as Eric Liddell's friend and running coach Sandy McGrath, in the Oscar-winning 1981 film, Chariots of Fire....
on May 29, 2008 and in Australia on Channel Seven
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
on November 25, 2008, edited down to air for 90 minutes, with narration by Australian television presenter Simon Reeve
Simon Reeve (Australian television presenter)
Simon Reeve is an Australian television presenter and host of many shows on the Seven Network. Reeve is currently the sports presenter on Weekend Sunrise, reporter on Sunrise, and the host of the children's quiz show It's Academic, as well as a fill-in presenter for Seven News.Simon commenced his...
.
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.
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
See also
- Aftermath (TV series), similar TV series
- The World Without UsThe World Without UsThe World Without Us is a non-fiction book about what would happen to the natural and built environment if humans suddenly disappeared, written by American journalist Alan Weisman and published by St. Martin's Thomas Dunne Books. It is a book-length expansion of Weisman's own February 2005 Discover...
- The Future Is WildThe Future is WildThe Future Is Wild was a 2002 seven-part documentary television miniseries. Based on research and interviews with several scientists, the miniseries shows how life could evolve in the future if Homo sapiens became extinct; the Discovery Channel broadcast changed this outlook by stating the human...
- After Man: A Zoology of the FutureAfter Man: A Zoology of the FutureAfter Man: A Zoology of the Future is a 1981 book by the Scottish geologist and author, Dougal Dixon. In it, he presents his hypothesis on how the fauna and geography could change 50 million years from now.-Geography of the future:...
- Aftermath: Population ZeroAftermath: Population ZeroAftermath: Population Zero is a two-hour Canadian special documentary film that premiered on Sunday, March 9, 2008 on the National Geographic Channel...
External links
of production company- Australian website
- Channel 4 (UK) website (original documentary) (series)