Y2K – World in Crisis
Encyclopedia
Y2K – A World in Crisis is a 1999 documentary
television series produced by Studio W and Warren Chaney Productions for network and cable broadcast. The series was written and directed by Warren Chaney
and starred Hugh O'Brian
, Dick Van Patten
, Richard Anderson
, Richard Roundtree
and Deborah Winters
. It was filmed in Los Angeles
, Houston, Washington, D.C.
and on location in many areas of the United States.
The series was widely broadcast during the 1999 television season and for the first quarter of year 2000. It received favorable reviews for its impact on the millennium bug or Y2K computer software problems occurring at the turn of the century. In keeping with the high tech theme of the programs, the series became one of the first network productions to position its hosts and narrators in digitally created sets.
A popular book based on the series was written by Dr. Warren Chaney
, the series' writer and director. The book carried the same title and appeared in two published editions. Each edition reflected the evolving systems changes occurring in computer networks as they were repaired. The book continues to sell in book markets around the world even though the event has long since passed.
. The inability of computer software systems, and microchips to correctly recognize dates after the Year 2000 became known as Y2K. The television series brought together current Y2K research and analysis to explain problems representing a range of potentially adverse computer systems effects during the rollover from the year 1999 to 2000.
The series director, Dr. Warren Chaney, chose to forgo the use of news anchors to convey information and introduce its technical and governmental guests. Instead, selected actors were cast based upon their narrative skills and perceived credibility. They were then placed in continually changing computer-digitized sets, becoming one of the first series to do this. Consequently, the broadcast programs achieved an unusual augmented reality
in keeping with their technological themes winning its production company, Studio W, the first of four Emmy Awards.
In program after program, computer experts from government and industry made regular appearances updating the potential computer turmoil. Appearances on the program ranged from Prudential's Chief Economist Edward Yardeni to former Senator
Bob Bennett and former President Bill Clinton
. To enhance the high tech nature of the series, the broadcasts always featured their host narrators in digitally created sets (above photo) becoming one of the first series to do so.
Early in 1999, the broadcast provided government and independent research studies reporting on major computer systems, which filed during the early testing. By the end of the first quarter, the national and international implications of computer system failures were made known in the press and the repair work increased. The World in Crisis series continually reiterated that if enough remediation was accomplished, damage would be minimized.
As the alarm spread, industries and government spent increasing sums of money on upgrades and repair. As they did so, the series chronicled the progress that had made. In program after program, additional computer experts offered national and global commentary on the millennial problems and the unfinished work remaining. As the broadcast advanced and progress made, the series focused more on the outcome of heavy industrial Y2K spending within in the United States. During one episode, serious questions were raised about the nature of the problem itself. Was it real or not? One of the program's hosts, Richard Anderson, best summed it up when he reported, "When someone says to you, Y2K is not a problem. Inform them that it already is... one trillion dollars - and rising." Anderson was reflecting the enormous costs of repair.
With increasing progress, the programs' focus acknowledged that most millennial computer problems had been resolved. It then turned its attention toward the sizable Y2K repair and upgrade costs that had been incurred. In its final broadcast, the series documented that the nation's high expenditures had led many to believe such high costs would lead to a likely economic recession in 2001.On the upside, the broadcasts consistently illustrated that the United States
would benefit financially from the massive upgrade and that any recession would be a short one and that the nation would become extremely competitive as a result. The series prediction of "unseen benefits" and financial forecasts were realized during the succeeding years.
As the 2000 closing programs pointed out, the much predicted meltdown did not happen, not because the problem was unreal but because the nation and many industrialized countries solved most of the pre-existing problems. Program host, Hugh O'Brian
closed the series with a commentary that has been increasingly quoted with the passing years. He stated, “Our society has trusted technology to be so seamless - for so long, and on such an uninterrupted basis - that we have given away many of our personal responsibilities to an unsupervised technocracy. Perhaps, just perhaps - its time that we take them back again.”
Y2K issues remained following the close of the television series. The problems and enormous costs received little press but were noted in the books and business literature of the time. As Open Library wrote of both the series and book, "It's clear description and non-exaggerated discussion of the Y2K problem lead many in the media to credit the work as having positively influenced many businesses and organizations to do the computer repair that was need to their computer clocks."
Reviews wrote, "Y2k- A World in Crisis, written by Warren H. Chaney, Ph.D. is a brilliant historical record of the near hysteria surrounding the turn of the century computer/clock dilemma.”Mack Decabner wrote in Screened, "Warren Chaney produced the most fact-based assessment of the computer scare surrounding the Year 2000 computer changeover. Moreover, the director avoided the temptation to use newscasters and instead went for capable actors with high credibility."
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
television series produced by Studio W and Warren Chaney Productions for network and cable broadcast. The series was written and directed by Warren Chaney
Warren Chaney
Warren Herbert Chaney, Ph.D. is an American executive, author, filmmaker, behavioral scientist, entertainer, businessman and a pioneer in early television. In a career spanning four decades, Chaney wrote fifteen books, fourteen screenplays, and seventy-eight professional and nonprofessional...
and starred Hugh O'Brian
Hugh O'Brian
Hugh O'Brian is an American actor, known for his starring role in the ABC television series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp .-Early years and career:...
, Dick Van Patten
Dick Van Patten
Richard Vincent "Dick" Van Patten is an American actor, best known for his role as patriarch Tom Bradford on the television sitcom Eight is Enough. He began work as a child actor and was successful on the [New York] stage, appearing in more than a dozen plays as a teenager...
, Richard Anderson
Richard Anderson
Richard Norman Anderson is an American actor in film and television, known to TV audiences as Steve Austin's and Jaime Sommers' boss, Oscar Goldman, in both The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman TV series and their three subsequent TV movies: The Return of the Six-Million-Dollar Man...
, Richard Roundtree
Richard Roundtree
Richard Roundtree is an American actor and former fashion model. He is best known for his portrayal of private detective John Shaft in the 1971 film Shaft and in its two sequels, Shaft's Big Score and Shaft in Africa .-Personal life:Born in New Rochelle, New York, Richard Roundtree graduated from...
and Deborah Winters
Deborah Winters
Deborah Winters is an American actress and businesswoman. Winters is probably most remembered for her roles in Kotch, The People Next Door, Class of '44, and The Winds of War...
. It was filmed in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Houston, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and on location in many areas of the United States.
The series was widely broadcast during the 1999 television season and for the first quarter of year 2000. It received favorable reviews for its impact on the millennium bug or Y2K computer software problems occurring at the turn of the century. In keeping with the high tech theme of the programs, the series became one of the first network productions to position its hosts and narrators in digitally created sets.
A popular book based on the series was written by Dr. Warren Chaney
Warren Chaney
Warren Herbert Chaney, Ph.D. is an American executive, author, filmmaker, behavioral scientist, entertainer, businessman and a pioneer in early television. In a career spanning four decades, Chaney wrote fifteen books, fourteen screenplays, and seventy-eight professional and nonprofessional...
, the series' writer and director. The book carried the same title and appeared in two published editions. Each edition reflected the evolving systems changes occurring in computer networks as they were repaired. The book continues to sell in book markets around the world even though the event has long since passed.
Series summary
The Y2K – World in Crisis television documentary series described the computer turmoil existing at the close of the 20th Century20th century
Many people define the 20th century as running from January 1, 1901 to December 31, 2000, others would rather define it as beginning on January 1, 1900....
. The inability of computer software systems, and microchips to correctly recognize dates after the Year 2000 became known as Y2K. The television series brought together current Y2K research and analysis to explain problems representing a range of potentially adverse computer systems effects during the rollover from the year 1999 to 2000.
The series director, Dr. Warren Chaney, chose to forgo the use of news anchors to convey information and introduce its technical and governmental guests. Instead, selected actors were cast based upon their narrative skills and perceived credibility. They were then placed in continually changing computer-digitized sets, becoming one of the first series to do this. Consequently, the broadcast programs achieved an unusual augmented reality
Augmented reality
Augmented reality is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is...
in keeping with their technological themes winning its production company, Studio W, the first of four Emmy Awards.
In program after program, computer experts from government and industry made regular appearances updating the potential computer turmoil. Appearances on the program ranged from Prudential's Chief Economist Edward Yardeni to former Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Bob Bennett and former President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. To enhance the high tech nature of the series, the broadcasts always featured their host narrators in digitally created sets (above photo) becoming one of the first series to do so.
Early in 1999, the broadcast provided government and independent research studies reporting on major computer systems, which filed during the early testing. By the end of the first quarter, the national and international implications of computer system failures were made known in the press and the repair work increased. The World in Crisis series continually reiterated that if enough remediation was accomplished, damage would be minimized.
As the alarm spread, industries and government spent increasing sums of money on upgrades and repair. As they did so, the series chronicled the progress that had made. In program after program, additional computer experts offered national and global commentary on the millennial problems and the unfinished work remaining. As the broadcast advanced and progress made, the series focused more on the outcome of heavy industrial Y2K spending within in the United States. During one episode, serious questions were raised about the nature of the problem itself. Was it real or not? One of the program's hosts, Richard Anderson, best summed it up when he reported, "When someone says to you, Y2K is not a problem. Inform them that it already is... one trillion dollars - and rising." Anderson was reflecting the enormous costs of repair.
With increasing progress, the programs' focus acknowledged that most millennial computer problems had been resolved. It then turned its attention toward the sizable Y2K repair and upgrade costs that had been incurred. In its final broadcast, the series documented that the nation's high expenditures had led many to believe such high costs would lead to a likely economic recession in 2001.On the upside, the broadcasts consistently illustrated that the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
would benefit financially from the massive upgrade and that any recession would be a short one and that the nation would become extremely competitive as a result. The series prediction of "unseen benefits" and financial forecasts were realized during the succeeding years.
As the 2000 closing programs pointed out, the much predicted meltdown did not happen, not because the problem was unreal but because the nation and many industrialized countries solved most of the pre-existing problems. Program host, Hugh O'Brian
Hugh O'Brian
Hugh O'Brian is an American actor, known for his starring role in the ABC television series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp .-Early years and career:...
closed the series with a commentary that has been increasingly quoted with the passing years. He stated, “Our society has trusted technology to be so seamless - for so long, and on such an uninterrupted basis - that we have given away many of our personal responsibilities to an unsupervised technocracy. Perhaps, just perhaps - its time that we take them back again.”
Y2K issues remained following the close of the television series. The problems and enormous costs received little press but were noted in the books and business literature of the time. As Open Library wrote of both the series and book, "It's clear description and non-exaggerated discussion of the Y2K problem lead many in the media to credit the work as having positively influenced many businesses and organizations to do the computer repair that was need to their computer clocks."
Reviews
Lawrence E. Donaldson of Biblio.comBiblio.com
Biblio.com is the third largest used book marketplaces in the US. Established in 2003 in Asheville, NC, Biblio.com has grown to become one of the largest global book marketplaces, with over 50 million books for sale from over 5,000 booksellers in countries around the world.-A used book...
Reviews wrote, "Y2k- A World in Crisis, written by Warren H. Chaney, Ph.D. is a brilliant historical record of the near hysteria surrounding the turn of the century computer/clock dilemma.”Mack Decabner wrote in Screened, "Warren Chaney produced the most fact-based assessment of the computer scare surrounding the Year 2000 computer changeover. Moreover, the director avoided the temptation to use newscasters and instead went for capable actors with high credibility."
Book publication
As the television series progressed through 1999, an associated book based on the series was published. As with the series, the book received favorable reviews similar to the series. Aaron Winston in a Library Review wrote, "Its clear description and non-exaggerated discussion of the Y2K problem lead CBS and many in the media to credit the work as having positively influenced many businesses and organizations to do the computer repair that was need to their computer clocks."Video and book distribution
A DVD was available during the run of the series however it was pulled from the market at its close in 2000. Millennial Entertainment has as of May 2011, yet to announce plans for its re-release. The book remains on the market and continues to sell as a historic reference of an important period in computer-systems history.See also
- Year 2000 problemYear 2000 problemThe Year 2000 problem was a problem for both digital and non-digital documentation and data storage situations which resulted from the practice of abbreviating a four-digit year to two digits.In computer programs, the practice of representing the year with two...
- Perpetual calendarPerpetual calendarA perpetual calendar is a calendar which is good for a span of many years, such as the Runic calendar.- General information :...
, a calendar valid for many years, including before and after 2000 - Broadcast media
- Factual televisionFactual televisionFactual television is a genre of non-fiction television programming that documents actual events and people. These type of programs are also described as documentary, observational documentary, fly on the wall, docudrama, and reality television...
- Problems with epoch-based computer time representation
- Great Reality TV SwindleGreat Reality TV SwindleThe Great Reality TV Swindle was a con perpetrated in 2002 by Nik Russian, a British man who, at the time, was working at an entry-level position in a branch of the UK book chain Waterstone's...
- ISO 8601ISO 8601ISO 8601 Data elements and interchange formats – Information interchange – Representation of dates and times is an international standard covering the exchange of date and time-related data. It was issued by the International Organization for Standardization and was first published in 1988...
, an international standard for representing dates and times, which mandates the use of (at least) 4 digits for the year - List of reality television programs
- List of television show franchises
- Media manipulationMedia manipulationMedia manipulation is an aspect of public relations in which partisans create an image or argument that favours their particular interests. Such tactics may include the use of logical fallacies and propaganda techniques, and often involve the suppression of information or points of view by crowding...
- Hugh O'BrianHugh O'BrianHugh O'Brian is an American actor, known for his starring role in the ABC television series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp .-Early years and career:...
- Deborah WintersDeborah WintersDeborah Winters is an American actress and businesswoman. Winters is probably most remembered for her roles in Kotch, The People Next Door, Class of '44, and The Winds of War...
- Dick Van PattenDick Van PattenRichard Vincent "Dick" Van Patten is an American actor, best known for his role as patriarch Tom Bradford on the television sitcom Eight is Enough. He began work as a child actor and was successful on the [New York] stage, appearing in more than a dozen plays as a teenager...
- Richard AndersonRichard AndersonRichard Norman Anderson is an American actor in film and television, known to TV audiences as Steve Austin's and Jaime Sommers' boss, Oscar Goldman, in both The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman TV series and their three subsequent TV movies: The Return of the Six-Million-Dollar Man...
- Richard RoundtreeRichard RoundtreeRichard Roundtree is an American actor and former fashion model. He is best known for his portrayal of private detective John Shaft in the 1971 film Shaft and in its two sequels, Shaft's Big Score and Shaft in Africa .-Personal life:Born in New Rochelle, New York, Richard Roundtree graduated from...