Inventing the Teenager

Season 1Episode 530 minJul 24, 2007
Inventing the Teenager
In the 20th Century the teenager emerged as a separate species. But how? Was it the promise of sex? The power of pop? Or the pull of a 50cc Japanese two-stroke? James May is on a journey to find out. First up is fashion. The 20th century introduced fantastic new fabrics in fantastic new colours thanks to synthetic materials like Nylon. James tries his hand at making some for himself with some success. Close to James’s heart, of course was teenage transport, offering liberation from parents and the home. When he was a teenager he always dreamed of owning a very special motorbike, the Yamaha FS1E. The Fizzy. "The problem was of course, was that my mother would rather I played with something like a used hypodermic needle. The FS1E – a motorcycle you could ride at 16 - was just a symbol of death. It was like your son’s tombstone placed before you. It was ‘Not Allowed’." Finally he checks out the origins of the electric guitar – that potent symbol of teenage rock music. Who better to explain its power than the oldest teenagers in town Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt of Status Quo. As Rick explains: "It’s just the magic of plugging into an amplifier. You put on a vibrato and you could sound good even if you weren’t. Volume is like speed – you buy a fast car because you want to be faster, you buy a big amp because you want to be louder…."
Inventing the Teenager has aired on Jul 24, 2007 at 10:30 PM
Previous EpisodeNext Episode

Trailer

We do not have any trailers for this episode

Recently Updated Shows

Recently updated shows that might be of your interest.
The Summer I Turned Pretty
Running

The Summer I Turned Pretty

Belly Conklin is about to turn 16, and she's headed to her favorite place in the world, Cousins Beach, to spend the summer with her family and the Fishers. Belly's grown up a lot over the past year, and she has a feeling that this summer is going to be different than all the summers before.

Here We Go
Running

Here We Go

Here We Go follows the highs and lows of the Jessop family as they navigate a combination of life's everyday challenges – changing careers, keeping the romance alive within a marriage, adopting a healthier lifestyle, kidnapping a dog, destroying a swimming pool and sabotaging a wedding.

Having filmed his family's disastrous attempt to carve out a holiday in the midst of the pandemic in the 2020 pilot episode, the series sees youngest son Sam continue to document the Jessop family across the year. Moving back and forward in time, each episode offers an intimate, observed and absurd exposé of a modern British family doing its best to support each other, if accidentally annoying everyone else in the process.

GenreComedy
World Series of Poker
Running

World Series of Poker

The World Series of Poker is where the world's best poker players battle for the title.

GenreSports
Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service
Running

Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service

Restaurateurs who are looking for a quick fix or social media glow-up are in for the surprise of their lives when famed culinary titan Gordon Ramsay trades his signature chef knives for a state-of-the-art surveillance vehicle and cutting-edge spyware in FOX's all-new unscripted series, Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service. In a Gordon Ramsay series first, Chef Ramsay will venture into struggling restaurants under the cover of night. With the help of a secret source on the inside, he'll gather raw, unfiltered evidence and get a 360-degree view of the major issues facing each restaurant. This insider will not only remain a secret to the staff, but will also help Ramsay infiltrate the restaurant after-hours for a dramatic nighttime black light kitchen investigation that reveals more filth and grossness than ever before. By the time Ramsay reveals his identity, it will be too late for staff to cover up their culinary crimes. Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service will be his toughest assignment yet as he takes drastic measures to transform not only the restaurant but also the staff, because Gordon knows he can upgrade the menu and renovate the restaurant, but the most important change has to come from the people. Are the restaurant and staff willing to accept Gordon's mission, or are they too far gone to be saved?

GenreFood
Countdown
Running

Countdown

Countdown begins with a suspicious murder in broad daylight, leading Los Angeles Police Department officer Mark Meachum to be recruited to a secret task force of undercover agents from all branches of law enforcement that will investigate the death. But as the truth of a more sinister plot comes into focus, the team must overcome their conflicting personal agendas to unite and save a city of millions.