Networks (TV show)

Redes (called Redes 2.0 in the period 2008-2014) was a popular television program scientific film produced by Smart Planet broadcast through La 2 de Televisión Española. Its director and presenter was Eduard Punset. The content of the space dealt with various scientific topics, such as sociology, biology or astronomy. The subject is addressed through interviews conducted by the presenter with prestigious experts. It began its broadcast on January 27, 1996 and eighteen years later, in January 2014, he said goodbye to the audience.

Networks dedicated one of its chapters expressly to making Wikipedia known to the general public in Spain and Latin America.

Theme

The topics covered revolved around science, although they also covered philosophical issues of human knowledge in general.

The main topics addressed in the program were:

1. Mind and brain
2. Evolution on earth
3. Physics and universe
4. Technology
5. Health and culture
6. Biotechnology and health
7. Robots and future
8. Third culture

History

Redes broadcast its first program on January 27, 1996 through La 2 de TVE.

Redes was born in Madrid, and during the first season they had the presence of famous artists or businessmen accompanied by scientists on the set. It brought dynamism, but at the same time they realized that they had to deepen scientific knowledge if they wanted scientists themselves to realize that their research also mattered in people's daily lives, and for people to discover to what extent the Using the scientific method instead of dogmatism was going to transform their lives. Science was transforming the world.

During the early seasons, the show was divided into several sections, two of which centered around a different theme each week: an interview with a specialist on the subject matter (often in English with the Spanish dubbing superimposed) and a discussion on the set with various guests (famous artists, businessmen or scientists). The other sections that completed the program consisted of a news report (in which news on various topics of scientific scope such as technological, medical, cultural or curiosities were reported) and various short reports.

Redes moved to Sant Cugat in 1997, from where it is still co-produced between TVE and the group of young scientists and journalists that make up the production company Smart Planet. This team has managed to demonstrate that science and entertainment can come together so that in this third millennium science finally breaks into popular culture.

During its 18 years on the air, the program reached, in May 2013, the figure of 600 programs broadcast on La 2 Española

Redes was a pioneer program in the public understanding of science, in the use of the first virtual television set in Spain, in the use of 3D animation and videoconferences. At first, these were often choppy and the gaps between speech and vocalization gave the interviewees an alien appearance.

Team

• Address and Presentation: Eduardo Punset.
• Leaders Information 3000: Wesou Telou and Alberto Jo Lee.
• Realization: Juan A. Gamero, Gonzalo M. Bello and Esther Rodríguez.
• Production: Fernando G. Tejedor.
• Scientific Subdirectorate: Sebastián Grinschpun.
• Guionistas: Beatriz Barco, Eva Loste, Míriam Peláez, Anna Borrell, Pere Figuerola, Lluís Quevedo and Laura Carrau.
• International casting: Guillermo Santamaría.
• Helpful production: Marc Royo Llòria.
• Internship students: Anna Báez and Lourdes García.

Networks 2.0

Starting in 2008, the program acquired a new format called Networks 2.0. The show was wrapped in a new, improved aesthetic. It renewed its website and its musical theme (authored by Chop Suey, pseudonym of César Sala, a musician and disc jockey from Madrid who lives in Barcelona).

Although the topics covered remained the same, the program basically consisted of an interview with a renowned scientist specializing in the topic of each episode, interspersed with short explanatory videos. The discussion was eliminated, and therefore, the set.

Broadcast times

In La 2: Sundays, at 9:30 p.m.

On the 24-hour channel: Thursdays, at 3:00 p.m.

On International TVE:

• For Europe and Africa, Sundays at 23.30 (UTC)
• For America, Wednesdays at 6.30 (UTC) and 4:15 (UTC)