Forest 404
| Forest 404 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Presentation | |
| Starring | Pearl Mackie |
| Genre | Science fiction podcast |
| Created by | |
| Written by | Timothy X Atack |
| Directed by | Becky Ripley |
| Voices | |
| Language | British English |
| Length | 10–20 minutes |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Production | |
| Production | Graham Wild |
| Theme music composed by | Bonobo |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 27 |
| Publication | |
| Original release | 5 March – 1 April 2019 |
| Ratings | 4.7/5  |
| Provider | BBC Radio 4 |
| Related | |
| Website | www |
Forest 404 is a science fiction podcast written by Timothy X Atack and starring Pearl Mackie. The project was a collaboration among BBC Radio 4, the BBC Natural History Unit, the University of Bristol, the University of Exeter, and the Open University. The show is composed of nine episodes each accompanied by a soundscape and discussion on the show's themes. The narrative of the show follows a data analyst from the 24th century who discovers recordings of the natural world and finds that the audio has a profound effect on its listener. The show received mostly positive reviews and in 2020 won both a WGGB award and an ARIAS award. The show also included an academic study led by Alex Smalley.
Background
[edit]The project was a collaboration among BBC Radio 4, the BBC Natural History Unit, the Open University, the University of Bristol, and the University of Exeter.[1] The show was written by Timothy X Atack, produced and directed by Becky Ripley, with theme music by Bonobo, and sound design by Graham Wild.[2] Timothy X Atack credited works by Ursula K. Le Guin, and his own experiences in the BBC Archives of natural history sounds, as influences in the creation of Forest 404.[3]
The 27-part series is composed of nine narrative episodes each accompanied by a soundscape and a discussion on the themes.[4] The show uses binaural recording.[5] The soundscape episodes are similar to forest bathing.[6] The show was first released on BBC Sounds and later broadcast on BBC Radio 4, and was also made available as a box set.[5][2]
Cast and characters
[edit]- Pearl Mackie as Pan
- Tanya Moodie as Daria
- Pippa Haywood as Theia
Plot
[edit]The story is set in the 24th century after a catastrophe where most of the world's digital information was lost. The protagonist of the story, a data analyst named Pan, is tasked with reviewing the remaining recordings that survived the catastrophe and deleting any unnecessary data. While going through the audio files, Pan encounters a recording of a rainforest from the 21st century. Having never seen a rainforest or even a tree, the recording intrigues her and she begins investigating. She discovers more incomprehensible recordings and learns that these sounds can be dangerous or even deadly to the listener. When Daria—Pan's boss and potential love interest—informs the authorities, they begin to track her down to stop the spread of what they consider a virus. Fleeing from the authorities, Pan finds a woman named Theia who is caring for the last living tree. Pan discovers that the recordings are of the natural world, which has since been destroyed by humans. Listening to the sounds causes some to go mad with the realization that humans were responsible for the destruction of nature. The story ends with Pan broadcasting the audio file titled "Forest 404" from a radio tower.[1][2][7]
List of episodes
[edit]| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Length (minutes:seconds) | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Ep0 | "Enter The Forest" | 2:15 | 5 March 2019 |
| 1 | Ep1 | "Life in the Fast Times" | 23:15 | 6 March 2019 |
| 2 | T1 | "Why should I listen to trees?" | 8:48 | 7 March 2019 |
| 3 | S1 | "Rainforest Symphony" | 4:16 | 8 March 2019 |
| 4 | Ep2 | "The Fumetown Priest" | 21:10 | 9 March 2019 |
| 5 | T2 | "How is the sound of the world changing?" | 6:21 | 10 March 2019 |
| 6 | S2 | "Frog Chorus" | 6:52 | 11 March 2019 |
| 7 | Ep3 | "Into the Inner" | 18:55 | 12 March 2019 |
| 8 | T3 | "Could I live in darkness?" | 8:03 | 13 March 2019 |
| 9 | S3 | "Whale Songs" | 6:15 | 14 March 2019 |
| 10 | Ep4 | "Of Earthly Delights" | 23:40 | 15 March 2019 |
| 11 | T4 | "Why do trees live so long?" | 5:55 | 16 March 2019 |
| 12 | S4 | "Woodland Walk" | 4:56 | 17 March 2019 |
| 13 | Ep5 | "Last Days of the Slow World" | 24:14 | 18 March 2019 |
| 14 | T5 | "Will we all become cyborgs?" | 7:24 | 19 March 2019 |
| 15 | S5 | "Theia's Hometown" | 4:39 | 20 March 2019 |
| 16 | Ep6 | "A New Leaf" | 22:06 | 21 March 2019 |
| 17 | T6 | "What is death in the digital age?" | 7:06 | 22 March 2019 |
| 18 | S6 | "Pan's Dwindling" | 4:51 | 23 March 2019 |
| 19 | Ep7 | "Dreams of the Autopilot" | 17:57 | 24 March 2019 |
| 20 | T7 | "Would you vote for an AI government?" | 7:11 | 25 March 2019 |
| 21 | S7 | "Daria's Nightmare" | 5:07 | 26 March 2019 |
| 22 | Ep8 | "Future Conditional" | 20:13 | 27 March 2019 |
| 23 | T8 | "How will humans die out?" | 9:55 | 28 March 2019 |
| 24 | S8 | "The Memory Transfer" | 3:53 | 29 March 2019 |
| 25 | Ep9 | "Enigmata" | 25:26 | 30 March 2019 |
| 26 | T9 | "Love Letter to the Forest..." | 8:28 | 31 March 2019 |
| 27 | S9 | "Bonobo's Theme" | 3:35 | 1 April 2019 |
Reception
[edit]Both the Financial Times and The Herald praised the show for the soundscape and discussion episodes.[5][8] In The Observer, Sean O'Hagan wrote that the show was "conceptually bumpy" and criticized a number of unexplained plot details, despite this however, he noted that the show was "cleverly written and choreographed".[4] Sam Fritz at the Mississippi Valley Conservancy recommended the podcast, noting that "The diverse topics around each episode ground the fiction within an application of our own world, helping listeners analyze each episode and picture themselves in the world."[6] The Australian Broadcasting Corporation praised the show for its captivating story and ideas as well as its experimentation.[9]
Awards
[edit]| Award | Date | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prix Europa | 2019 | Best European Digital Audio Project | 2nd Place | [10] |
| BBC Audio Drama Awards | 2020 | Best Podcast or Online Audio Drama | Finalist | [11] |
| Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards | 2020 | Best Radio Drama | Won | [12] |
| Audio and Radio Industry Awards | 2020 | Best Fictional Storytelling | gold | [13] |
| Earphones Awards | 2021 | Science Fiction | Won | [14] |
Academic outcomes
[edit]Forest 404 also featured an embedded academic study, led by Alex Smalley at the University of Exeter.[15][16] Designed to deepen understanding into people's responses to the sounds of nature, the study marked one of the largest natural soundscape experiments ever conducted, with 7,596 people taking part.[17]
Findings from this research were published in the peer-reviewed journal Global Environmental Change in May 2022.[18] Outcomes demonstrated that soundscapes featuring the sounds of wildlife, such as bird song, were considered more psychologically restorative than those without. Participants who had memories triggered by these sounds were also more likely to find them psychologically restorative, and exhibited a greater motivation to preserve them—an outcome with implications for conservation efforts.[18]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Parker, Elizabeth (2020). "Television and Podcast Reviews" (PDF). Irish Journal of Gothic and Horror Studies (18). Ireland, Dublin: 228–230. ISSN 2009-0374. OCLC 166327754. ProQuest 2500499086. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ^ a b c Fullerton, Huw (2 April 2019). "Doctor Who's Pearl Mackie to Star in New Sci-Fi Podcast Drama". Radio Times. Immediate Media Company. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- ^ Sparks, Heather (18 May 2019). "Insight: BBC's Forest 404". CLOT Magazine. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- ^ a b O'Hagan, Sean (14 April 2019). "The Week in Radio: Forest 404; the Reunion; Archive on 4 – Review". The Observer. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- ^ a b c Hemming, Sarah (7 April 2020). "The New Wave of Radio Drama Bringing Plays to Your Home". Financial Times. Nikkei, Inc. Archived from the original on 7 April 2020. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- ^ a b Fritz, Sam (1 December 2021). "Forest 404 Podcast: Advanced Views and Diverse Perspectives". Mississippi Valley Conservancy. University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- ^ Kopotsha, Jazmin. "'Forest 404' Is Your New Favourite Dystopian Thriller – In Podcast Form". Refinery29. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
- ^ Didcock, Barry (25 August 2019). "Our new favourite podcast: Forest 404". The Herald. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
- ^ Smith, Carl (25 December 2019). "The Best Podcasts to Dive Into This Summer". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- ^ "Digital Media Projects - Online and Digital Audio". Prix Europa. 16 October 2019. Archived from the original on 4 July 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
- ^ "BBC Audio Drama Awards – Audio Drama Awards 2020 – The Finalists". BBC Audio Drama Awards. 2020. Archived from the original on 26 January 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
- ^ "Writers' Guild Award winners 2020". Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards. 13 January 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
- ^ "The ARIAS 2020". Audio and Radio Industry Awards. 2020. Archived from the original on 26 September 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ^ "Earphones Award Winner". AudioFile Magazine. 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ^ "Forest 404". Virtual Nature. Archived from the original on 26 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
- ^ "Virtual Nature > Wellcome". University of Exeter. Archived from the original on 9 August 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
- ^ "7,000 participants". Virtual Nature. 17 June 2019. Archived from the original on 26 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
- ^ a b Smalley, Alexander J.; White, Mathew P.; Ripley, Rebecca; Atack, Timothy X; Lomas, Eliza; Sharples, Mike; Coates, Peter A.; Groom, Nick; Grand, Ann; Heneberry, Ailish; Fleming, Lora E. (1 May 2022). "Forest 404: Using a BBC drama series to explore the impact of nature's changing soundscapes on human wellbeing and behavior". Global Environmental Change. 74: 102497. doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2022.102497. ISSN 0959-3780. PMC 9664366. PMID 36406626.
External links
[edit]| External podcast links (?) |
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