The first “movie”
Really a bunch of captured images – was of a horse galloping
The invention of the television changed the way in which families spent their time together and even the way that they orangised their homes. Living rooms, which once had chairs that faced towards each other, now all face the wall on which the television is situated.
There are many who criticise the television. They accuse it of having made us dumber. In Australia it has even earned the nickname “The Idiot Box”. Certainly there have been down-sides to having at least one television in almost every home in the world but the story of the innovation and drive to bring this technology to people is anything but dull.
In this episode of Idea Evolution, we explore the journey of the television over a period of 150 years and we ask the question, where to next for this technology which has so much potential that we could harness if only we set our minds to it.
Key Events
1877
1884
The first transformation
Paul Nipkow, a German engineering student creates the Nipkow Disk which can transform images into electrical waves then back to pictures.
1884
26 January 1926
First Viewing
John Logie Baird successfully demonstrated the television in front of 50 scientists in an attic room in central London.
7 September 1927
Electronic TV
Philo Farnsworth demonstrated the first working version of an electronic television
7 September 1927
2 July 1928
First TV Station
Charles Francis Jenkins launched the first US television station which sent its first broadcast
1953
Colour TV in USA
America got colour television
1953
1964
Plasma invented
Donald Bitzer and Gene Slottow create a very basic plasma TV but it was only one colour and had a poor-quality picture. It took a number of years before this technology was commercialised
1975
Australia gets colour
22 years after it was first released, Australia was introduced to colour television
1975
1997
Plasma changes the scene
The flat screen plasma TV was made into a commercially viable product – the first model sold for US$15,000. This TV started the current innovation we are in – flatter, lighter and clearer image. But we are now using LCD
UN Sustainable Development Goals
The concepts in this episode can link to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals
#5 Gender Equality
Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.
There has been progress over the last decades: More girls are going to school, fewer girls are forced into early marriage, more women are serving in parliament and positions of leadership, and laws are being reformed to advance gender equality.
Despite these gains, many challenges remain: discriminatory laws and social norms remain pervasive, women continue to be underrepresented at all levels of political leadership.
Television has a role to play in the promotion of women’s rights as well as through the way in which women are depicted within television programs.
#10 Reducing Inequality
Inequalities based on income, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, race, class, ethnicity, religion and opportunity continue to persist across the world, within and among countries.
Inequality threatens longterm social and economic development, harms poverty reduction and destroys people’s sense of fulfilment and self-worth. This, in turn, can breed crime, disease and environmental degradation.
Most importantly, we cannot achieve sustainable development and make the planet better for all if people are excluded from opportunities, services, and the chance for a better life. Despite progress in some areas, income inequality continues to rise in many parts of the world.
Television can play a positive role in raising awareness of issues of inequalities both through news and documentary programs and also by consciously removing stereotypes from television scripts and when casting actors in particular roles.
Challenge
What TV show would you create?
- The world needs a TV program that can show all people working outside of stereotypes.
- Can you write, or even create, a TV show that can break all stereotypes?
- We’d love to see it
Resources
Share this entry