Qatar Foundation’s Doha Debates, Al Jazeera, and acclaimed storytellers team launched audio series combining science fiction and documentary to envision promising tomorrows.
Necessary Tomorrows, a podcast by Qatar Foundation’s Doha Debates, blending science fiction and reality to envision hopeful futures, premiered on January 8. Created in collaboration with Imposter Media and Wolf at the Door Studios, and presented by Al Jazeera Podcasts, the series explores diverse futures imagined by renowned authors.
These include animals having human rights, a ban on capitalism in outer space, and the integration of AI into kinship. The podcast features paired episodes: one set in the 2060s as a sci-fi drama and another in the present, narrating real stories of activists, scientists, and researchers turning possibilities into realities.
Hosted by “Ursula,” an AI instructor from 2065, the narration combines readings from actor Nacia Walsh and AI software trained on her voice. The series’ music is a collaboration between composer David Parfit and OpenAI Jukebox, an AI system creating melodies and underscoring.
Directed by Brett Gaylor, a Peabody-winning documentarian known for immersive works like Discriminator and The Internet of Everything, the podcast promises a unique exploration of speculative futures. Gaylor said:
“With ‘Necessary Tomorrows’ we tried to avoid depicting dystopian futures that imagine what would happen if the world ended. There’s enough of that in science fiction. Instead, we dreamed—with an amazing set of collaborators—about what it would take for the world not to. With Doha Debates, Wolf at the Door Studios, and Al Jazeera, we’re using the creative potential of audio storytelling to build the capacity for hope.”
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Episodes of “Necessary Tomorrows” are written by renowned authors Christopher Brown, Deji Bryce Olukotun and Quelemia Sparrow. Brown is the Philip K. Dick and World Fantasy Award-nominated author of the sci-fi novels Tropic of Kansas, Rule of Capture, and Failed State. Olukotun has written two novels, including the Afro-futurist thriller Nigerians in Space and After the Flare, which won the 2018 Philip K. Dick special citation. His fiction has appeared in five collections, including 2020’s “Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy.” Playwright, director and actor Sparrow has worked with many theatre and television companies, including PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, Bard on the Beach, Arts Club Theatre, and Firehall Arts Centre. She is a member of the Musqueam Nation.
Executive producers for Doha Debates are Managing Director Amjad Atallah, Deputy Managing Director Jigar Mehta, Director of Innovation Japhet Weeks, and Executive Producer of Digital Katrine Dermody. Executive producing for Wolf at the Door Studios is Managing Director Winnie Kemp. Atallah said:
“We’re proud to partner with Al Jazeera, Imposter Media, and Wolf at the Door Studios to explore what’s next in storytelling. We hope the podcast sparks lively discussions about how we build better futures for the generations to come.”
Carlos Van Meek, Al Jazeera Digital’s Director of Innovation and Programmes, said:
“At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we are always looking for new ways to inform our audience and expand our offer of shows beyond daily news. We are excited about this partnership and how this podcast uses sci-fi and facts to reflect on our possible future.”
Necessary Tomorrows premiered on 8 January 2024. Fiction episodes will air on Mondays and nonfiction narratives will air on Fridays. The podcast can be heard on all major podcast platforms and at Al Jazeera Podcast.
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