| Forest 404 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Presentation | |
| Starring | Pearl Mackie |
| Genre | Science fiction podcast |
| Language | English |
| Production | |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 27 |
| Publication | |
| Original release | March 5 – April 1, 2019 |
| Ratings | 4.7/5  |
| Provider | BBC Radio 4 |
| Related | |
| Website | www |
Forest 404 is a science fiction podcast written by composer Timothy X Atack, produced by BBC Radio 4 and hosted by Pearl Mackie. [1]
The University of Bristol, the University of Exeter, and the Open University partnered with BBC Radio 4 to produce the podcast. [2] Every episode in the nine-part series is accompanied by a soundscape and a discussion on the themes. [3] The story follows an audio archivist named Pan who is tasked with deleting recordings that were made before a cataclysmic event. [4] Pan is living in the 24th century. [5] Timothy X Atack credited works by Ursula K. LeGuin, and his own experiences in the BBC's archive of natural history sounds, as influences in the creation of Forest 404. [6]
The show stars Pearl Mackie as Pan, Tanya Moodie as her boss Daria, and Pippa Haywood as Theia. [7]
The Guardian called Forest 404 "darkly funny but also infuriating", and "a drama that niggles as much as it intrigues." [3] 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." [8] "Forest 404 helps us experience life after an entire denuding and automation of our world," according to Heather Sparks in CLOT magazine. [6]
Forest 404 also featured an embedded academic study, led by Alex Smalley at the University of Exeter. [9] [10] 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. [11]
Findings from this research were published in the peer-reviewed journal Global Environmental Change in May 2022. [12] 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. [12]
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. As of 2021, it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US.
Katherine Lucy Bridget Burke is an English actress. She appeared in sketch shows such as French and Saunders (1988–1999), played a recurring role as Magda on the BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous (1992–2012), and performed frequent collaborations with fellow comedian Harry Enfield. From 1999 to 2001, she starred as Linda La Hughes on the BBC sitcom Gimme Gimme Gimme, for which she received a British Comedy Award and two BAFTA nominations.
Philippa Jane Haywood is an English actress. She won the 2005 Rose d'Or Award for Best Female Comedy Performance for Green Wing (2004–2006). Her other television credits include The Brittas Empire (1991–1997), Chimera (1991) Prisoners' Wives (2012–2013) and Scott & Bailey (2012–2016). In 2018, she played the role of Lorraine Craddock in the BBC television series Bodyguard. In 2019 she appeared in series 4 of the BBC Radio 4 Show The Pin.
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Pearl Mackie is a British actress. She is best known for playing Bill Potts in the long-running television series Doctor Who. Mackie is a graduate of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Her first major television role came in 2014, when she played Anne-Marie Frasier in BBC One soap opera Doctors.
"The Pilot" is the first episode of the tenth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was written by Steven Moffat and broadcast on 15 April 2017 on BBC One. "The Pilot" received mostly positive reviews, with praise on the introduction of Pearl Mackie, and how the episode served both as a soft reboot and as a series premiere.
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