How We Got To Now/Clean & Time

Peepshow Collective have created the animated graphic sequences for the new six part series How We Got To Now. The series is a co-production between PBS and Nutopia and will premiere on 15th October on PBS. The show is presented by popular American science author Steven Johnson and explores the legacy of great ideas.

Peepshow created 6 bespoke title sequences and 73 animated segments on a variety of topics ranging from Hollywood actress Hedy Lamarr’s invention of a frequency hopping torpedo to how Boyle’s Law and the nature of gases led to the invention of artificial refrigeration.

Tasked with creating both narrative sequences and explainer sections within one distinctive style Peepshow blended line drawings and hand painted elements with a collage of cut-out photographic elements, blocks of colour and hand written notation. This created a strong visual language for the series and helped to connect and unify the various resources and archive material available.

The resulting collage imagery was art-directed by Luke Best and brought to life by a small team of animators over 8 months.

HOW WE GOT TO NOW WITH STEVEN JOHNSON premieres Wednesdays, October 15, 9 - 11 p.m. and October 22 - November 12, 10 - 11 p.m. ET on PBS.