Beyond the Viral Video

Dogs, cats, babies, TikTok trends... we scroll through them mindlessly. But what if viral videos are doing more to our world than we realise?

In episode one, we examine the propagator-in-chief of silly viral videos - TikTok. It has gained traction in at least 140 countries, but why would a platform for dumb videos suddenly get the attention of political leaders in the United States and India? Is there more to TikTok than we presume?

In episode two, we turn our attention to videos of animals and children - they consistently hog the top 10 lists for viral videos. Is there more to these clips than we assume? Are incredible feats shown for real? We track them down to unveil the truth. We also try to solve one of the greatest mysteries of the internet, why do cat videos reign supreme, when there are more dogs kept as pets?

In the final episode, we follow up on the ordinary folks after they've struck Internet fame. How long does the glitter last? What happens after?

Narrator: Rishi Budhrani

Episodes: 3 x 60 mins

Languages: English

Production year: 2020