R.U.R. by Karel Čapek (BBC - 1989)
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R.U.R., often subtitled Rossum's Universal Robots in English (in the original the abbreviation stands for Rossumovi univerzální roboti), is a science fiction play in the Czech language by Karel Čapek. It premiered in 1921 and is noted for introducing the term "robot".
The play begins in a factory that makes artificial people called "robots." Unlike the modern usage of the term, these creatures are closer to the modern idea of androids or even clones, as they can be mistaken for humans and can think for themselves. They seem happy to work for humans, although that changes and a hostile robot rebellion leads to the extinction of the human race. After finishing the manuscript, Čapek realized that he had created a modern version of the Jewish Golem legend. He later took a different approach to the same theme in War with the Newts, in which non-humans become a servant class in human society.
R.U.R is dark but not without hope, and was successful in its day in both Europe and the United States.
Adaptations
In February 1938, a thirty-five minute adaptation of a section of the play was broadcast on BBC Television – the first piece of television science-fiction ever to be broadcast. In 1941 BBC radio presented a radio play version, and in 1948, another television adaptation – this time of the entire play, running to ninety minutes – was screened by the BBC. None of these three productions survive in the BBC's archives. BBC Radio 3 dramatised the play again in 1989, and this version has been released commercially. The Hollywood Theater of the Ear dramatized an unabridged audio version of R.U.R. which is available on the collection 2000x: Tales of the Next Millennia.
Replies
Thank you Sir!
Thanks Rick!
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;-)
Phixt ---------------------------------------------------- R
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;-)
Mercie, my friend! :)
Can i have that too, prettyplease with sugar on top? :)