Film Lens
Hyperland is a 50-minute documentary film that discusses hypertext and related technologies, written by Douglas Adams and directed by Max Whitby for BBC Two in 1990. The film features Adams as a computer user who, in a dream, interacts with a software agent named Tom, played by Tom Baker. Together, they navigate a virtual space filled with hypermedia, illustrating the interconnectedness of various topics, such as literature and the Atlantic Ocean, culminating in references to Ted Nelson's Project Xanadu.
The documentary presents a vision of the future of television and multimedia, showcasing how information might be accessed in 2005. It features various contributors discussing concepts like Vannevar Bush's Memex and interactive storytelling. Hyperland predates the public release of the first Web browser by about a year, making its predictions about hypermedia and hypertext particularly notable.
Why Watch
- •See Douglas Adams interact with a virtual software agent.
- •Find out about Vannevar Bush's Memex concept.
- •Meet Tom Baker in a unique role as a software agent.
Did You Know
•Hyperland was produced for BBC Two in 1990.
•The film features Tom Baker, known for his role in Doctor Who.
•Douglas Adams' book Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency was published in 1987.
•The documentary predicts features of the modern web a year before the first Web browser.
Perfect For
Douglas Adams fansTech enthusiastsHistory of the internet