BY CAROLINE COLLACUTT
Solution-seers: No one can see into the future, but we can make it brighter with a little hard work and determination. From writer and director Andrew Morgan (“The True Cost,” 2015), the eye-opening, six-part docuseries, “A Brief History of the Future,” premieres Tuesday, April 2, on PBS.
According to a description given by the network, the series “invites viewers on a journey around the world that is filled with discovery, hope and possibility about where we find ourselves today and what could come next,” allowing us a glimpse into the technologies, ideologies and solutions of tomorrow, while offering a positive spin on what can often be an overwhelming topic.
Renowned futurist Ari Wallach — previously an associate professor at Columbia University, then founder and executive director of Longpath Labs, an eco-conscious initiative — leads each episode with a curious mind, hoping to spread his message of long-term thinking and co-ordinated action far past the reaches of his viral, online TED talk (viewed over 2.5 million times), inspiring budding “green-thinkers” nationwide.
“This series challenges the dystopian framework embraced by popular culture by offering a refreshing take on the future. [It] asks us all: how can we become the great ancestors the future needs us to be?” PBS said of the show.
“[Weaving] together history, science and unexpected ideas to expand our understanding about the impact that the choices we make today will have on our tomorrows, ... each episode follows those who are working to solve our greatest challenges,” they explain, going on to promise that the series will also feature “valuable insights from a wide range of thinkers, scientists, developers and storytellers, including French President Emmanuel Macron, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, sailor Dame Ellen MacArthur, musician Grimes (“Miss Anthropocene,” 2020), architect Bjarke Ingels, climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, legendary soccer player Kylian Mbappé, and more.”
Executive produced by newcomer Kathryn Murdoch, Wendy Schmidt (“Years of Living Dangerously”), Wallach himself and the creative team at DreamCrew, the all-new series, “A Brief History of the Future,” introduces a brighter, greener tomorrow when it premieres its first instalment Tuesday, April 2, on PBS.
Ari Wallach hosts “A Brief History of the Future”
Swift victory: The house will be rocking all night, as musicians — ranging from Beyoncé (“Renaissance”) and Noah Kahan (“Stick Season”) to alt-rock all-stars like the Foo Fighters (“But Here We Are”) and the always-iconic Cher (“Believe”), this year receiving the Icon Award — take their seats for the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards, broadcasting live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Monday, April 1, on Fox.
Throughout the night, superstars like Justin Timberlake (“Selfish”), Green Day (“American Idiot”), TLC (“FanMail”), Jelly Roll (“Need A Favor”), Lainey Wilson (“Bell Bottom Country”) and Tate McRae (“Think Later”) are all set to perform, honouring their fellow musicians in a night of live music and celebration — but no matter how many “A-listers” are on the guest list, it still might be Taylor Swift (“Midnights”) who steals the stage.
Swift currently reigns as the artist with the most nominations in the award show’s history (58 in total), while also maintaining the most wins across categories, with 19 awards so far. This year, she adds to her totals with nine nominations (Song of the Year, Artist of the Year, Pop Song of the Year and Pop Artist of the Year included), leaving Swifties and non-Swifties alike to wonder if this is the year her “wins” will top 20.
Chart-toppers Jelly Roll, SZA (“Kill Bill”) and 21 Savage (“American Dream”), however, trail Taylor closely with eight nominations apiece, while Olivia Rodrigo, who recently released her sophomore album “GUTS,” follows with seven.
Other artists, including Billie Eilish (“What Was I Made For?”), Drake (“Rich Flex”), Ice Spice (“Boy’s a liar Pt. 2”), Jung Kook (“Golden”), Miley Cyrus (“Flwoers”), Shakira (“TQG”), Usher (“Good Good”) and more, are nominated throughout the event’s wide-ranging categories, which cover an array of genres from pop and hip-hop to K-pop, Latin Pop and R&B.
This year, fans will also have the opportunity to have their say in the night’s results, as public voting is now open for nine categories: Best Lyrics, Best Music Video, Best Fan Army, Social Star Award, Favourite Tour Photographer, TikTok Bop of the Year, Favourite On Screen, Favourite Tour Style and Favourite Debut Album.