Series synopsis
If... is a British documentary drama television series that premiered on BBC Two on March 10, 2004. It ended on May 30, 2006.
If... is a series of BBC drama-documentaries broadcast on BBC Two from March to April 2004 and December 2004 to January 2005, each of which considers the potentially catastrophic political or social consequences that might arise from current trends in the United Kingdom. Using a drama with interviews from experts, then a discussion of the programme with a panel of experts from both sides of an argument. During the show a televote of opinion is cast.
Premise
If... is a series of BBC drama-documentaries broadcast on BBC Two from March to April 2004 and December 2004 to January 2005, each of which considers the potentially catastrophic political or social consequences that might arise from current trends in the United Kingdom. Using a drama with interviews from experts, then a discussion of the programme with a panel of experts from both sides of an argument. During the show a televote of opinion is cast.
Cast and characters
Guest cast
- Katie Sheridan as Lizzie Alton
- Danielle Walters as Tanya
- John Vine as Bill McAllister
- Juliet Cowan
- Sunetra Sarker
- Regina Freedman
- Shannon Wake as Poppy
- Andrew Bicknell
- Juliet Stevenson
- Alex Lowe
- Susan Greenfield as Self
- Steve Jones as Self
Episodes
This series spans 4 seasons with 13 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 1 | ||
| Season 1 | 5 | March 10, 2004 | April 7, 2004 |
| Season 2 | 6 | December 16, 2004 | June 26, 2005 |
| Season 3 | 1 | May 30, 2006 | May 30, 2006 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The If... Debate: If Drugs Were Legal |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
If... The Lights Go Out Winter 2010: Britain is struggling to generate enough electricity to cope with demand. Following a terrorist attack on a gas pipeline in Russia, south-east England is plunged into darkness. Householders have no water or electricity, traffic is gridlocked, tube trains are stranded underground, and airports closed. How do the authorities cope with the enormity of the situation? |
March 10, 2004 |
| 2 |
If... Things Don't Get Better In 2014, Britain is a deeply divided society, yet there's one man who's determined to narrow the gap between rich and poor - and that's when the trouble begins. |
March 17, 2004 |
| 3 |
If... The Generations Fall Out In 2024, the older generation, whose numbers have gone up by almost half in 20 years, hold sway over the country. A massive tax rise to boost welfare for the aged leads to protest on Mother's Day, destruction and possible financial meltdown. The drama-documentary series explores the imminent choices that will have to be made as the population in Britain gets increasingly older. |
March 24, 2004 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
If... Cloning Could Cure Us 2014: a climbing accident has left 28-year-old Andrew Holland paralysed from the waist down. Dr Alex Douglas aims to regenerate Andrew's spinal cord with stem cells from a cloned embryo - an illegal procedure for which she soon finds herself standing trial. As the trial unfolds, the issues are explored through interviews with real proponents on both sides of the debate, and viewers can phone in their trial verdicts. |
December 16, 2004 |
| 2 | If... We Could Stop the Violence | December 22, 2004 |
| 3 |
If... Drugs Were Legal In a Britain of the future, clubs and bars are licensed to sell drugs such as ecstasy. But when two girls die, the regulatory body Ofdrug sends an agent to investigate. |
January 12, 2005 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
If... The Oil Runs Out It's 2016, and a crisis is looming: the cheap oil that has fuelled our global economy for the past years is becoming scarcer and more expensive. This sobering dramatised documentary, told from the perspectives of a geologist drilling for oil and her family back home in Minneapolis, brings home how spiralling oil prices could have a dramatic and devastating impact on our everyday lives, from transportation to food, heating and light. So what are the alternatives for our fuel-hungry society? |
May 30, 2006 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | BBC Two |
|---|---|
| First aired | March 10, 2004 |
| Last aired | May 30, 2006 |
| Runtime | 60 minutes |
| Status | Ended |