BBC Radio 4, October 21, 2022 and on BBC Sounds

The loneliness of loss.

Whenever the subject of immortality or long life comes up – when you’ve just re-read Dracula for the umpteenth time, for example – the first thing that many will cite as a key reason for not wanting it is having to see those you love die. Over and over again. How very lonely that seems.

There are, of course, other forms of loss as anyone who has seen a loved one suffer any form of dementia can attest. Here, Selwyn, the oldest man alive at 157 years, struggles to keep up with his extended family. We see through his eyes as he struggles with his confused memory, stored haphazardly in a brain that perhaps has not fully evolved yet to be able to store all the experiences of so many decades.

About 10 minutes into the episode, it hit me that we’ve come full circle – Selwyn receives a visitor we’ve met before. I do so love it when a narrative arc unexpectedly comes into view like a rainbow from behind the clouds. It makes sense of other things we’ve heard and adds a depth, richness, and also tragedy to the whole story. I have been struck by the poignancy throughout this series, but this final instalment has to take the prize for that. What an enjoyable and thought-provoking series this has been.

Verdict: A deeply moving conclusion to this excellent series of vignettes exploring our fascination with longevity and how it might impact different aspects of humanity, culture and society. 9/10

Claire Smith