Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives

BBC Four, TX Monday 26 November (1x60) TBC

Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives follows the lead singer of US rock band Eels, MARK EVERETT, on his journey of discovery across America to learn about the father he never knew, HUGH EVERETT III, the quantum physicist.

This year is the 50th anniversary of Hugh Everett’s most important contribution to science – a controversial theory of quantum mechanics that predicts the existence of PARALLEL UNIVERSES, one of the most fantastic scientific predictions ever to have been conceived.

Hugh wrote the theory as a young PhD student at Princeton University, but for 20 years it remained largely ignored by the scientific community. Faced with derision and rejection Everett abandoned academia and forged a career in the American defence industry. It was only at the end of his life, that his visionary work began to be taken seriously.

Hugh died of a heart attack in his home in 1982 where his body was found by 19 year old son Mark. Even though they had lived in the same house, the two of them were alienated and Mark knew nothing about his father’s work: “My father never, ever said anything to me about his theories. I was in the same house with him for at least 18 years but he was a total stranger to me. He was in his own parallel universe. He was a physical presence, like the furniture, sitting there jotting down crazy notations at the dining room table night after night. I think he was deeply disappointed that he knew he was a genius but the rest of the world didn't know it.” Mark Everett.

In this intelligent and imaginative film, the wry and charismatic Mark takes a journey back into his father’s life, meeting his old college pals, family friends and colleagues and takes a crash course in the weird world of quantum mechanics in order to understand his father’s mind blowing theory.

Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives 1x60 Produced by Specialist Factual, A BBC Vision Studios Production, BBC Scotland Filmed, Produced and Directed by Louise Lockwood. TX 26 November 2007 TBC

For more information contact BBC Publicity.

Notes to Editors Two accompanying programmes explore similar themes in very different ways.

Visions of the Future follows leading theoretical physicist Dr Michio Kaku as he lays out his vision of the future. Dr Kaku examines how technology will radically transform lives throughout the 21st century.

In an innovative 6x30 comedy series, The History of the World Backwards sees comedian and author Rob Newman return with a unique perspective on history. Fusing comedy, archive and music and featuring a small ensemble cast, it’s a time warp where the world is running in reverse, but time still flows forwards.

A BBC Vision Studios Production BBC Vision Studios is the BBC’s in-house production arm. At any one time the Studios has about 4,000 programme and multiplatform content makers in 17 studios across the whole of the UK including drama, entertainment, comedy and factual. BBC Vision Studios is part of the BBC Vision group.

(thanks to Edgar)