Watch Child of Our Time (2025) Online!
Child of Our Time is a documentary commissioned by the BBC, co-produced with the Open University and presented by Robert Winston. It follows the lives of 25 children, born at the beginning of the 21st century, as they grow from infancy, through childhood, and on to becoming young adults. The aim of the series is to build up a coherent and scientifically accurate picture of how the genes and the environment of growing children interact to make a fully formed adult. A large portion of the series is made up of experiments designed to examine these questions. The main topic under consideration is: "Are we born or are we made?". The nature of the family in contemporary Britain is also addressed. The project is planned to run for 20 years, following its subjects from birth until the age of 20. During the first half of its run a set of about three or four episodes was produced annually. After 2008 new episodes became less frequent, and in 2011 there was some doubt about the future of the programme, including from Winston himself. In February 2013 it was announced that the series would resume, with two new episodes presented by Winston. Rather than the psychological experiments of previous series, these episodes focused on the first interviews with the participating children themselves and their families.
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Episode 1 - The Big Personality Test
Release Date: 2010-05-30How does your personality shape your life? Can it dictate whether you are in the right job, make or break your relationship, influence your health and even how long you'll live? In this two part special to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Child of our Time, the children and their families explore their personalities, while presenters Robert Winston and Sophie Raworth reveal the results of the BBC's online Big Personality Test, the biggest ever investigation into the personality of the nation. In this first programme, we catch up on some of the Child of our Time Children, and find out their combination of personality traits. Has James Cachia's chaotic life contributed to him being a fun loving extrovert, and why does Charlotte Langeveld score so high on agreeableness? What does it mean to be high in openness and neuroticism, and can you be too conscientious? For a free Open University booklet Personality and Your Life call 0845 366 8019 or log onto www.bbc.co.uk/childofourtime
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Episode 2 - The Big Personality Test (2)
Release Date: 2010-05-31How does your personality shape your life? Can it dictate whether you are in the right job, make or break your relationship, influence your health and even how long you'll live? In this two part special to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Child of our Time, the children and their families explore their personalities, while presenters Robert Winston and Sophie Raworth reveal the results of the BBC's online Big Personality Test, the biggest ever investigation into the personality of the nation. In this second programme, we find out how understanding your personality can help you make important decisions in life and boost your chance of happiness. We visit a top city law firm and discover the link between personality and earnings, and go to a publisher of glossy magazines to find out how your personality can determine what kind of career you end up in. And we catch up on more of the Child of our Time Children - how are their personality traits influencing their lives? For a free Open University booklet Personality and Your Life call 0845 366 8019 or log onto www.bbc.co.uk/childofourtime