How We Got to Now
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Status:
Ended -
Season 1:
Ended on November 12, 2014 -
Watched: 0%
0 of 6 Episodes
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Why Watch
"Discover how six simple innovations sparked a global revolution in this PBS documentary masterpiece."
AI Critic Analysis
Series Deep Dive:
Hosted by Steven Johnson, How We Got to Now stands as a definitive exploration of human ingenuity. Airing on PBS, this six-part miniseries bypassed traditional historical biographies to focus on the unintended consequences of innovation. By examining six fundamental pillars—clean, time, glass, light, cold, and sound—Johnson illustrated how a single discovery, like artificial ice, could eventually lead to the migration of populations and the birth of modern politics. The production was lauded for its high-caliber motion graphics and its ability to make complex scientific concepts accessible. It remains a vital resource for understanding the interconnected nature of progress. Its legacy lies in teaching audiences that the world we inhabit is the result of a chain reaction sparked by forgotten pioneers and accidental breakthroughs.
Season: 1
| # | Air Date | Episode Name | Watched? |
|---|---|---|---|
| E1 | Oct 15, 2014 | Clean | |
| E2 | Oct 15, 2014 | Time | |
| E3 | Oct 22, 2014 | Glass | |
| E4 | Oct 29, 2014 | Light | |
| E5 | Nov 05, 2014 | Cold | |
| E6 | Nov 12, 2014 | Sound |
Production Note - Limited Series
Production Type: Limited Series
How We Got to Now is a standalone Limited Series that concluded its 6-episode run in October 2014. The production was an ambitious global project co-produced by Nutopia, PBS, and the BBC, featuring host Steven Johnson as he traveled to multiple continents to uncover the origins of modern innovation. Designed as a high-concept documentary, the series utilized cinematic visuals and a non-linear storytelling style to explore how simple inventions triggered massive societal shifts. Because the series was built around six specific thematic pillars—clean, time, glass, light, cold, and sound—it was intentionally crafted to be a comprehensive and finite examination of human progress.
The definitive conclusion of the series was dictated by its source material, as it served as a direct television companion to Johnson's book of the same name. By focusing on a closed set of historical trajectories, the producers were able to maintain a high level of academic rigor and visual consistency that would be difficult to sustain in an open-ended format. This structure allowed the creative team to deliver a complete intellectual argument regarding the long zoom of history, ensuring that the project remained a self-contained educational masterpiece rather than an ongoing series.
