Channel 4 builds floating home of the future

Channel 4 Factual Entertainment has commissioned inventor Tom Lawton to build a floating home for brand new series Tom and Barney Go Back to the Future (w/t).

The mind of inventor Tom Lawton is a busy place. In the real world, his inventions range from skate bikes and 360 degree bubble cameras to wind powered lighting systems. In this four part series, Tom will look at the world through the eyes of his 6 year old son Barney and in doing so will challenge all perceived wisdom, tip the world upside-down and sideways and completely reinvent the way we look at life.

Tom and Barney are going to build a fantastic and magical floating home and fill it with mind bending prototype inventions that will blow conventional ways of doing things out of the water. Driven by the constant questioning of his son and observations made during his travels around the globe, Tom’s floating home comes complete with revolving sun-chasing rooms, a water slide into the river, rubber kitchen floors and a bath under the floorboards.

At the heart of Tom's plans lies a serious issue: he lives near the River Avon, and after the worst floods his hometown has ever seen, Tom’s idea to build a floating home could present a very real solution. Tom will travel the world looking for inspiration from indigenous tribes in the tropics to the slum dwellers of the mega cities to see first-hand how necessity really is the mother of invention.

Tom Lawton said: “We know populations are growing and we have a housing shortage. So maybe we need to accept that sea levels will rise and that flooding will happen. Maybe we need to stop living in bricks and mortar dug down into the ground. Maybe the best way is to rise with the tide of change by adapting how we live. If our future survival is a case of sink or swim then I’d rather float to the top and go with the flow. It’s time to build the ultimate floating home.”

The four part series has been commissioned by Head of Factual Entertainment, Liam Humphreys, and Commissioning Editor, Tina Flintoff. Made by Twenty Twenty (part of the Shed Media group), it will be executive produced by Lisa Edwards and series produced by Mike Ratcliffe. It will air on Channel 4 later this year.

Tina Flintoff said: “We are delighted that Tom is coming to Channel 4. His passion for this subject is truly contagious and we can’t wait to see him bringing all of his madcap ideas to life, and to the screen.’’