If Episode Guide

Episode Guide

If: Season 2

• Season 2 Episode 7: We Stop Giving Aid to Africa

  Documentary examining hypothetical events in the life of an aid worker on the continent, asking what could occur if the world stopped giving charitable handouts to Third World countries, in an attempt to force them out of a culture of dependency and stop dictators pocketing the cash. The film springs from the current debate suggesting continuous handouts are simply a way for Western nations to exert power and ruin any notions of independence that might be fostered. Shown as part of Africa Lives on the BBC

• Season 2 Episode 6: The Toxic Timebomb Goes Off

  Docu-drama examining the possible consequences of the theft of toxic waste. In the year 2015, DC Temple and DI Macguire investigate when a deadly cargo goes missing from a freighter docked in Dover. Their detective work lead them to the body of an eminent scientist, and their discovery makes them realise they face a race against time to track down the culprits before disaster strikes

• Season 2 Episode 5: We Grew Our Own Body Parts

  Drama-documentary, examining how possible crises, based on contemporary issues, might unfold

• Season 2 Episode 4: TV Goes Out of Control

  Drama-documentary speculating on the future of the digital age. A mother whose daughter died on a reality TV programme tries to come to terms with her loss, but in the process uncovers a far bigger political plot than she had expected. Saskia Reeves and Elizabeth McKechnie star

• Season 2 Episode 3: Drugs Were Legal

  Drama-documentary examining how events might unfold following the legalisation of drugs, focusing on the overdose deaths of two girls in a legally trading club and the subsequent investigation by a new government agency Ofdrug. Plus, arguments for and against a regulated system, and evidence from Switzerland suggesting heroin prescriptions reduce crime and unemployment levels among addicts

• Season 2 Episode 2: We Could Stop Violence

  Drama-documentary examining the possible consequences of efforts to curb violence in society in light of the media predicting record low levels of crime in 20 years' time. Based on rigorous research and including interviews with experts in the field, the programme focuses on the drive to establish physical and hereditary causes for such behaviour in a bid to 'cure' the problem

• Season 2 Episode 1: Cloning Could Cure Us

  New series of drama-documentaries, examining how possible crises, based on contemporary issues, might unfold. The first episode deals with the moral dilemmas surrounding cloning, in which a pioneering doctor attempts to cure a paralysed man using stem cells taken from an embryo - but is prosecuted for illegal experimentation. Leading scientists and pro-life campaigners contribute to the film, explaining the viewpoints on both sides before viewers are invited to vote on the court's verdict

If: Season 1

• Season 1 Episode 6: We Could Read Criminal Minds

  Speculative documentary drama focusing on the possible benefits and problems of being able to read criminals' minds, asking whether the crime rate would fall or rise and if it would be possible to arrest someone for something they haven't yet done

• Season 1 Episode 5: We Don't Stop Eating

  Docu-drama examining the consequences of Britain's obesity epidemic in which thousands are starting to die prematurely from cancer, diabetes and heart disease directly related to overeating. Dr Jane Randell begins work with a new intake of patients at her fictional obesity treatment clinic in the year 2020, but the interviews are real and the outcome of her programme means life or death for the desperate people seeking her help. Does the 'nanny' state have a duty to tell citizens what to eat, and is it justified in withdrawing treatment if they don't comply? Last in series

• Season 1 Episode 4: Women Ruled the World

  Docu-drama exploring the role of women in post-industrial society. As traditionally male-dominated businesses continue to fold and females out-perform males academically, will men meekly accept their reduced status on the margins of life, or organise resistance to wrest back the power they have lost? In this 2020 scenario, America's first female president visits Britain intending to tackle terrorism by dialogue, rather than violence, while have-it-all mother Alice plans to have another child at the age of 52 - without interference from her estranged husband

• Season 1 Episode 3: The Generations Fall Out

  Docu-drama exploring the problems posed by Britain's ageing population and falling birth rate. As life expectancy continues to rise, putting further strain on costly welfare services and pushing taxation to new heights, how can a shrinking work force provide for the elderly and avoid financial meltdown? Professor Laurence Kotlikoff predicts a generational war, pitting family members against each other, unless tough choices are made in the next 20 years. Last in series

• Season 1 Episode 2: Things Don't Get Better

  Docu-drama, examining the possible consequences of the widening rich-poor divide, presenting a theoretical future 10 years hence. While the middle classes have an even higher standard of living than they do now, poorer areas have descended further into antisocial behaviour and petty crime : so much so that those who can afford to have retreated to gated communities and cut themselves off from the country. When Britain's first black prime minister outlines controversial fiscal plans designed to narrow the gap between rich and poor, it provokes uproar among the isolationists, leading to a taxpayer revolt. Colin McFarlane stars

• Season 1 Episode 1: The Lights Go Out

  New series of drama-documentaries, examining how possible crises, based on contemporary issues, might unfold. The first episode presents the scenario of the biggest power cut ever seen. In the winter of 2010, Britain is struggling to generate enough electricity, so is importing gas from Russia. When terrorists attack a pipeline, the country is effectively cut off. The south east of England is plunged into darkness, houses are left without water or power, trains are stranded underground and as the situation gets worse, the emergency services begin to suffer, putting lives at risk