In a small town near Oxford in England, a group of nerds - made up of chemists and engineers - have created a sustainable fuel made from air and water that runs in any engine. Their invention could save the world. Battling against the huge vested interests of the fossil fuel industry, compounded by a political climate which is increasingly hostile to fighting climate change, they must raise investment to keep afloat.
THE PREMISE
A workplace docu-comedy, the show follows the day-to-day struggles and antics of trying to save the world - from raising investment to keep the company afloat, to managing nerds, to getting the message out through social media. That workplace is an office/factory/laboratory space in Bicester, Oxfordshire. While much of the show would be set there, as it is in the pilot, across the course of a series we would also spend time with the characters as they go to their London and LA offices, as well as on-site visits to random places to test their fuel.
THE STORYWORLD
The show operates at two levels. There are the day-to-day stakes of whether the company can keep its dreams of saving the world alive by bringing in enough investment to halt the tide of redundancies which has squeezed the company over the last year. To do that need to make their fuel work, in different settings and conditions, and start to do that at scale.
On a broader level, these day-to-day business challenges are nested in much bigger stakes - the attempt to save the world. In a world that is heating up, the stakes couldn't be bigger.
THE STAKES
The cast of characters runs the full gamut of nerdism - from the Oxford type super-boffins to straight-talking engineers. Though this is primarily a British story, and there are brilliant British characters, there is also an ensemble of international characters - coming from countries as diverse as Peru, Russia, Poland and Iran.
THE CHARACTERS
In a summer of sweltering heat, where climate change lurks in the background of the headlines - and in a period when geopolitics, and even wars, are deeply intertwined with the battle for oil [Venezula, Iran, Strait of Hormuz], this story is incredibly current. And the issues it encompasses aren’t going away any time soon.
While the actual experience of watching the show is light, entertaining and comedic, underneath the surface are deep, serious and global issues.
WHY NOW?
The show appeals at multiple levels. Obviously everyone who is interested in climate related stories will find the show appealing. People with a leaning towards science will also enjoy the levels of the show that explore how science and scientists can benefit the world. On a broader level, the nature of the characters and the humour of the show mean that is could have a very broad audience indeed, which is why we are describing it as “a real life Big Bang Theory.”
THE AUDIENCE
While this show tells the unique story of how Zero may (or may not) save the world with their unique sustainable fuel, they are obviously one many groups of nerdy scientists who are finding solutions to change the world for the better.
As such, the NERDS: Saving the World format is one that can be applied to many similar but distinct stories around the globe, delivered with the same humour and relatability that this story is told with.
THE FORMAT
NERDS: Saving the World is a fresh, original take on eco-themed docs, but it actually has much more in common with entertaining, humorous story led docs such as Welcome to Wrexham and Clarkson’s Farm.
SIMILAR SHOWS
